
What to Say When Your Young Child Asks About Gender Transition?
what can you say when your kindergartner comes home from school and quizzically asks, “How can Johnny become Jenny?”
what can you say when your kindergartner comes home from school and quizzically asks, “How can Johnny become Jenny?”
Cross sleep training off your parenting to do list in 1 week.
Assess your child’s screen time exposure based on age and mental development.
When it comes your young child and modesty, teach her that her body is good, nothing to be ashamed of and worth protecting.
Exhaustion is the enemy of any good parent. Sleep training your baby can make all the difference.
I’m here to debunk the myth that babies (even newborns) are destined to be terrible sleepers.
When we instill in our children an attitude of gratitude and the spirit of giving, we are giving them an invaluable gift.
Sending your child back to school during Covid might feel scary, but there’s less to worry about than you think.
World Down Syndrome day is March 21! This is an opportunity to educate, equip and advocate for a better world for those with Down syndrome.
Giving our children more choices could ultimately improve their behavior.
Resiliency is key to living a successful life. Here’s how to cultivate it in your child.
The best thing you can do for your child is to prepare him or her for puberty early. Talk to them about their bodies and sex from an early age.
Sensitive children can be difficult to discipline because while they need it, they poorly react to it. Try these tips when disciplining your sensitive child!
Raising a child with a learning disability requires support. Accepting these 3 truths will not only improve your life but your child’s as well.
You can help your daughter choose kindness over cruelty by ensuring she knows how to cope with 2 major emotions. Here’s how to navigate mean girl territory.
Here are three excellent suggestions for how to reduce and monitor your child’s time on social media from the Netflix Documentary “The Social Dilemma.”
Sleep is a critical component of a child’s healthy development. Dr. Meg provides age-appropriate benchmarks for sleep quantity and quality.
Bribery can be a helpful parenting tool when used correctly. How and when you bribe your child impacts its effectiveness. Dr. Meg shares the dos and don’ts.
A social media detox brings so many benefits! It may seem impossible with kids glued to their screen now more than ever, but you CAN hit reset as a family.
Instead of focusing on your child’s behavior this summer, focus on his character, and challenge him to do the same. Learn how to make character development FUN.
Parents, you’re almost at the homeschooling finish line. Keep these tips in mind as you approach summertime with your children.
Good sleep is critical for proper development in your child. The more you focus on your child’s sleep hygiene, the easier it will be for you and your child.
As we enter February, it’s a perfect time to examine not only your own relationship with your partner but how your child might view your relationship.
As the world mourns the loss of the great Kobe Bryant, we must also think of his wife and three girls he left behind. How will they cope?
Over-giving to young children can make them feel overwhelmed, which is why I recommend parents store most toys out of reach.
A Note From Dr. Meg On Halloween. This Halloween, bring fun back into the holiday.
Your goal as a parent should not be to fight technology, but rather to set healthy boundaries around it for your kids. They won’t do this for themselves.
You can successfully have a screen-free summer if you understand the why and the how. Dr. Meg shares tips and tricks to implement screen time boundaries.
Dr. Meg shares how to motivate an unhealthy teenager with three strategies to inspire change.
Is your child struggling with their gender identity or just going through a phase?
As a pediatrician, I will walk you through your child’s developmental changes and how it affect your potty training approach.
It’s getting harder and harder to convince our children to want to be married. The difficulty is modeling an ideal marriage. The key? Give the gift of empathy.
Raising an emotionally healthy daughter is not impossible, you just have to understand what she needs and what she’s up against.
The online Journal, Sex Roles, just released a study which found that 72 % of 6 year old girls studied declared that sexier girls are more popular.
Raising a boy is no easy task—there’s just too many distractions. Here’s how to keep your sanity while letting your son reach his full potential.
In this difficult topic, Dr. Meg offers her advice to an anxious mother worried about her daughter’s feelings towards gender.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Pediatricians say that the best toys you can buy your child are not screens—they’re real toys. Here are my top picks for the season.
Wednesday marked a day of mourning for the entire country. The final words of George H.W. Bush were spoken. And I believe every parent needs to read them.
It’s the thought that counts. In this post, Dr. Meg explains how online shopping can help you teach your kids the meaning of Christmas—in an unexpected way.
Politics is no easy concept. It’s even tougher to point your children in the right direction. Dr. Meg will walk through teaching it to your kids.
Halloween is normally about the candy and the costumes. But this year, Dr. Meg challenges you to make the holiday about your connection with your child.
More teens than ever before are reporting being bullied on the platforms they should feel safe in. Here’s what you need to teach your kids about it.
It’s easy to assume that your child won’t understand our political talk—but they do. Here’s why you should bite your tongue around your children.
The downsides of letting your kid grow up in a bubble can be hazardous—but they can also be helpful. Here are my tips on making your child feel valued.
College is a big step for any parent and child. Make sure you prepare yourself for the emotions leading up to your child’s departure.
The story of the Thai Soccer Team shook the whole world. Here’s what parents across the globe can learn from this event.
Kindness is a skill learned only through observation. Here’s how you can make yourself a solid idol for kindness and encouragement.
The world is changing for women, but the greatest influence on a child will always be their parent. Here are two ways to empower and cherish your daughter.
Don’t fall into the trap of packing your children’s summer schedules chock-full— here are three reasons why boredom can be a good thing for development.
Even though your child is an adult, you are entering into one of the toughest parenting stages. Here’s how to nurture your young adult for success.
Here’s the simple truth to raising moral, loving, kind-hearted children. Spoiler alert! It starts with you. Get started with these five tips.
If you don’t educate your teen about sexual health, someone else will. Parents have more influence on their child’s choices than they think; here’s why.
Learning about money early on can help kids become smarter with their finances as adults. Here’s how to set your child up for success.
Are you focusing on your child’s superficial accomplishments or meaningful character traits? Here’s how to praise your kids correctly.
Social media is unavoidable in today’s world, but we can’t ignore its influence. This is how Instagram affects young minds, according to an expert.
If exposing your baby to screens — know the risks first. The psychological and neurodevelopment of our babies is serious business.
Recent scientific findings show teens are at major risk when overexposed on social media. Here’s how you can help your teen stay balanced.
Raising a healthy and happy teenager can sound like a tall order. Here’s how to help your teen through tough times and reconnect in the process!
Dr. Meg provides a hero Dad 4 simple ways to express love to his daughter and nurture her self-esteem — this is the heart of great fatherhood.
Dads who don’t understand their impact are more likely to parent haphazardly and without focus, resulting in kids who feel insecure and unsure of their worth.
An adventurous spirit is a gift and can be nurtured in a child. Dr. Meg speaks to Bob and Maria Goff about raising kids who can take the whole world on.
Kids see mom and dad distinctly different, and their interactions show this. Dr. Meg shares a lesson from her best-selling book.
Dr. Meg explains how parents can better understand the developmental needs of boys throughout their maturity— noted psychologist, Dr. Leonard Sax weighs in.
Having siblings is one of the greatest experiences there is, but it doesn’t come without friction. Here are 5 ways parents can foster strong sibling bonds.
Dr. Meg and child psychologist Dr. Sax share how parents can champion girls to be strong and confident women amidst increasingly toxic societal pressures.
Staying connected to your child during their tumultuous teen years is the most important thing for his well-being. Dr. Cloud weighs in with his expert advice.
How can you ensure that you are raising a strong daughter? Be attentive and intentional as a parent and be sure you are following these four principles:
When teens question their gender identity it’s confusing for both parent and child — Dr. Meg weighs in with a clinical perspective.
Setting up this routine first will make sleep training your baby so much easier.
In a world of rampant sex-centric advertising, porn addiction is a real fear for parents of teens. Here’s how to approach and talk to your child about porn.
Only you have the right to determine what’s best for your child, including their extracurricular activities. All parents feel pressure; don’t crumble to it.
Teenage girls are growing up in a tough world. Make sure you’re building up her self-esteem by encouraging positive character, not just good performance.
Parenting is hard (especially without a handbook), but it’s not impossible. Pediatrician and parenting expert Dr. Meg Meeker shares tips on finding guidance.
We live in a scary world that can really hurt our kids. From drug abuse to tech and sexual media, there’s only one thing that will really protect our families.
Gratitude doesn’t come naturally to kids, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn. To teach gratitude, we must model it ourselves. It’s easier than you think!
Dreams work best when they’re nurtured and guided along a real path to success. Here are three ways to do that according to Dr. Meg Meeker and David A.R. White.
Screen addiction isn’t only a problem for our kids, but for us too. Are you paying attention to how your use of screens is affecting your relationships?
Does your child want to quit their new activity or sport? Here’s when quitting is acceptable.
Dr. Meg offers practical strategies for potty training, alongside age-appropriate expectations for parents.
Mothers are the love-givers. Whether a son or a daughter is the recipient, giving love well is still very difficult.
Normal child behavior or signs of autism? Dr. Meg offers parent behavioral indicators to pay attention to.
All children will be confused by the bathroom controversy and here’s why.
It’s hard to raise the perfect child—almost impossible. But here’s how you can avoid the chasm of spoil.
Sleep. One of the biggest changes for new parents. Here’s how to handle child sleeping like a pro.
Sometimes, it’s hard for parents to see that the anger in their children may be a result of them being neglected or overparented, here’s how to change that.
Extending grace to our children can be tricky. Grace is defined as undeserved favor and when you think about it, many of us give this daily to our children.
Going through a divorce is already painful enough, here’s how you can keep a solid relationship with your daughter after a hard breakup.
Getting the cold shoulder from a daughter or step-daughter can make you feel bad about yourself. Here’s why she does it and how to get her talking again.
It’s difficult to have a child grow further away from you. Here’s Dr. Meg’s guide on how to handle this like a pro.
We learn a lot from anguish and heartache. Here’s my inspiring story about the life that changed many.
Seeing your child soothe themselves can be scary and misleading. Here, Dr. Meg explains the common misconceptions of self-soothing and why your child does it.
What are your thoughts about healing the little girl inside, when both parents were horrifically abusive in many ways?
Your son may simply be highly energetic. If he isn’t disturbing classmates, getting into trouble at school, or picking fights.
Christmas can be SO chaotic for parents. But being busy doesn’t push God away; it actually brings us closer to Him. Here’s how.
With such an emphasis on gifts, how do you teach kids the real meaning of Christmas? Dr. Meg offers some advice.
Dr. Meg shares a story from her work with Food for the Hungry when she and her family braved the Andes mountains to help poor families.
When should your child be able to read? Here’s how to tell if your child struggles with maturity or development.
All little girls need certain things from their fathers, and sadly, many never get them. This is how to heal the child within.
As boys develop, aggression often comes into play. Here’s how parents can balance imagination and safety.
Mothers, you know raising sons is a gift and a challenge. Dr. Meg helps one struggling mother channel her love in healthier ways.
Dr. Meg provides a platform for the words of an emerging young writer as he shares his experience during his parents’ divorce.
How can you help your teen find their future spouse with God always in mind? Dr. Meg shares some tips with a concerned parent.
If you’re witnessing potential abuse, please speak up. Here’s how to teach healthy boundaries.
Parents, this is important. Dr. Meg offers advice to a father concerned about his daughter’s sexual identity.
High-functioning autism can sometimes take the form of small behavioral issues in kids. Dr. Meg advises a worried mom.
Teens often push back against family religious practices. Here’s how to renew their faith and inspire creativity at the same time.
Grandparents, you may feel like your job is over, but you can give your grandkids something their parents can’t.
Is your child introverted and socially anxious? There are ways to support them and still prepare them for the world.
Dr. Meg offers advice to a mom whose teenage son does not want to participate in morning devotionals with the family.
It can be so difficult to protect kids in a world of screens. Use these tips to help your son avoid porn addiction.
If you have an only child, you might worry about how a lack of siblings may affect them. This is what you need to know.
Giving your children free reign of their cell phone derails their self-esteem, safety, and even their faith. Here’s how.
Dr. Meg advises a father who works in plastic surgery but wants to teach his daughter to love herself.
Dr. Meg shares wisdom from her best-selling book on how fathers can empower their young girls to become strong women.
When it comes to your child’s education, is quality or proximity more important? Dr. Meg weighs in on this popular issue.
To raise strong, successful, emotionally-intelligent young men, you need to follow these rules as a parent.
Parents, regardless of your personal flaws, you can still raise happy, healthy children. Just apply these tips.
Self-willed kids are a struggle, and a gift. These five tips will help you develop their strengths without losing control.
If you worry that your child is more than just defiant and has a behavioral issue, answer these questions.
All children have nightmares. Here’s what to do if you suspect something more serious is going on, or if your child struggles during the day.
We all want the best for our kids. Here’s what’s normal and what’s not, and some tips for parents.
Does it feel like your kids are out to destroy your life? Use these eight tips to take back control for good.
Moving from a life of abuse and maniulation takes monumental effort, but your focus needs to be on protecting and empowering your children.
Parenting tough children is just that: TOUGH. But with structure and a strong backbone, I know you can do it.
All parents worry, and that never goes away. But with this technique I learned to channel my anxiety intentionally, and you can too.
Never underestimate the power of a strong support system. Dr. Meg offers advice to grandparents with an obstacle ahead of them.
Fathers are the hub of the home, and that responsibility is a lifelong one. Share this with the man in your life.
Co-parenting is tough in itself, especially when your child has behavioral issues. Dr. Meg shares a patient success story.
Will you join me on my venture towards better parenting? It starts by expressing value in this one thing.
These are the six most pervasive myths from this movie, and they affect everything: sexuality, consent, and morality.
Draw closer to your children with this incredibly simple trick. I promise it will make a world of difference.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
They say boys take longer to mature than girls, and in a number of ways, that’s very true. Girls, from a young age, seem to anticipate their future as a woman.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
I know it sounds like an oxymoron to say that humility will make your daughter feel more significant, but here’s why it’s true.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Boys spend far too little time with parents and they suffer because of it. And we all know it. A survey reports.
Once again media reporters have successfully extracted information from one story and created a completely unrelated narrative for one reason:
An important part of adolescence is separating from one’s parents, in a process called emancipation.
Question: I have a grandson who will be 5 next month. He likes the story of Cinderella and also Sleeping Beauty.
How does one DO love without enabling them or ignoring them? I’ve not been able to get to a middle road with knowing how and when and what it looks like.
All conscientious parents of sons ask themselves at some point, “What can we do to keep our sweet boy from going down a dark path?”
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Beth Maday is no ordinary high school counselor. She seems to have single-handedly tackled the problem of bullying in her high school and won.
Be sympathetic to the introvert, especially if that introvert is a growing child.
When America, are we going to get sick and tired of our obsession with sex?
Encourage your teens and young adults to make a list of non-negotiable attributes for a potential partner in marriage.
Our kids didn’t sign up to be our kids. It is unfair for us to bail on them. Divorce is difficult for everyone involved.
“They don’t want to read about you being their hero, they want to experience it.”
Treating teens with the same respect as that of fully developed adults as just as important as pouring money into safe sex campaigns.
Teen boys need to learn self-control by setting rules for themselves, but the only way they learn this is by first having rules imposed on them.
Many parents have children who are really hard to spend time with. I know because I see these kids interact with their parents in my office.
Once we have identified our real motives for our behaviors, then, we are ready to make some serious changes.
My friend Pam Stenzel has recently come under heated attack, receiving vitriolic mail. Why? Because she helps high schoolers stay away from sex.
Your twenty-three-year-old just graduated from college and is home living with you for “just a few months.”
I receive many questions about birth control and women, particularly when it comes to teen girls.
About one half of the kids I see experience difficulty with sleep at some point in their childhood.
Last week, I wrote a post about the powerful influence of alcohol advertising on children and teens. That post prompted this question from a reader:
Years ago, we killed Joe Camel. He was preying on kids and as a united body of parents and concerned adults, we told the cigarette companies to avoid our kids.
Any parent who has read text messages on her son’s phone recognizes a peculiar phenomenon: the words aren’t the same as he uses when he speaks.
The highlight of the professional football season is just around the corner. This year’s Super Bowl pits the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers.
Every parent knows exactly what he means. Bad stuff is oozing from everywhere onto our kids and we can’t seem to contain it anymore. Here’s a case in point.
His name is Frank Somerville. He’s a news anchor for KTVU in Oakland, California. Some of you may have seen him on television and know his personality.
Find me one American mother who doesn’t want to tweak something about her body, and I’ll pay you $100.
With Thanksgiving approaching in a few days, I wanted to revisit a post I wrote on kids and thankfulness a while back.
As I’ve mentioned this week both here and on my Facebook page, October is anti-bullying month.
Earlier this week, I wrote about news anchor Jennifer Livingston, who stood up to a viewer’s remarks about her weight.
Parenting critics love to hammer mothers (and fathers) about why we give our kids so much
Oral, injectable contraceptives and Plan B are now staples in the nurses’ offices at 13 NYC public schools. The pills are part of CATCH, Connecting
You have three kids—a son and two daughters. You easily relate to your son and one daughter but can’t seem to connect with your other daughter.
From the time your son is an infant, his relationship with you—Mom or Dad—sets the template for how he will relate to every other person in his world
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Boys should, indeed, be boys. But boys who drink, take drugs, and have sex outside of marriage aren’t “normal” teenagers…
I was fortunate enough to have gotten two of my four kids through high school before cell phones found their way to school lockers and backpacks.
Every boy possesses a moral code from the time he is very young. He looks to you—Mom and Dad—to help him adhere to that code.
Sooner or later, parents, your kids are going to ask the “big” questions. It’s important to be ready with a solid answer—especially for your son—and here’s why.
It’s that time of year when our kids head back to school classrooms, trading their swimsuits for school uniforms and beach towels for backpacks.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
It’s bikini season. Summer always means there will be women (and young girls) wearing skimpy clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination.
One of the most common places that I see great fathers back away from standing up for what they believe is right for their daughters stems around clothing.
They grow up so fast, don’t they? “My seven-year-old taught me how to download music.” “My fifth grader wants a tattoo.” But how about this perspective?
All of you parents riding the subway to work racked with guilt because your kids are at home with the sitter or at Grandma’s bored to tears, I have good news.
If you’ve got a little girl still living at home, her wedding day may seem really far away. But, sooner than you think, it will be tomorrow.
Emotional intimacy occurs when a teenager feels a parent has “seen into” her true self and accepted what is there.
Appreciation is a word we use to describe our recognition of someone else’s value or worth.
In the early evening of a hot summer day I sat at the end of a wooden dock, my feet skimming the tepid water, watching a mother swan.
At a time when we hear the word ‘teenager’ spoken with their groans, it is a delight to hear that some really great kids gained attention for their heroic acts.
There is a craze erupting among some parents of young children in the U.S. Some are hosting “chickenpox parties.” The idea?
If we’re parents of sons we know what it’s like to see a boy with the instincts to be a leader, a protector, a provider; to be a hero and thwart the villains.
When we think of masculine men, we (women at least) envision those with one overriding quality: a spine of steel.
I believe that folks who comment on books or movies they haven’t read or seen are intellectually dishonest.
Many parents tear their hair out over clothing wars with their daughters which can start as young as second grade. This timing makes sense.
CBS’ 60 Minutes aired a segment on the increasing popularity of “redshirting”, or holding kids back from entering kindergarten by one year.
I hope you’ll bookmark today’s post and use it as a resource to talk to your kids about sex. It’s a long one!
A disturbing activity has surfaced from our tween daughters. If your daughter’s involved, you need to know.
Today’s post is an adapted excerpt from Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters:
With three grown children out of college and one still in, I understand how frustrating the college experience can be from start to finish.
Every day I talk to frustrated parents. Most wonder what they can do to make their kids do what they want them to.
Very few parents enjoy a day or week without hearing their kids complain.
Whatever prompts you this advent season to hunker down and get very serious and practical, look up at the sky.
We are significant because each of us has extraordinary gifts which we can use to make others’ lives better.
As far as kids are concerned, good mothers are known by their character, not by the education, clothes or coaches they supply.
Being a parent can often seem like a daunting task. But I’m here to tell you that almost every parent has what it takes to raise healthy sons.
Dear Meg: My five year old daughter wants to pierce her ears. She also always wants her nails polished. Is this too much too soon?
Julie has 14 kids. No, she isn’t crazy. Only 9 live in her house now. She and her husband John had four of their own and then began taking in foster children.
A special shout-out to my readers that commented that they suspected bullying as the root of Maddy’s mystery.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I am collecting stories about sons and their mothers. Several very kind and generous folks responded (thank you!)
I’ve got another parent puzzler for you today. Discipline questions are some of the toughest, I think.
Many lovely people are writing in asking if I could share the letter I read on-air yesterday to my late Father.
I’m starting a regular column on CafeMom.com called “Ask Dr. Meg” and I’m counting on YOU, followers and friends, to send me your questions.
Parents generally do a good job of shepherding their children through the first 10 to 12 years of their lives, author and pediatrician Meg Meeker says.
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
I’ve seen mothers struggle with ten issues for the past twenty-five years, and I’ve also learned how to help them live simplier, happier, more fulfilling lives.
Every parent must make decisions about dating and if your daughter tells you she has a boyfriend, you’ll have to make some decisions sooner rather than later.
Here’s how to keep your daughter safe in a scary world. It’s tough work, but so important.
I was hoping that you could pass this email along to Dr. Meeker. I thought her book was one of the best pieces of work I’ve read in a long time.
There are secrets to raising boys. Among these secrets are the big seven. They’ll appear here over the next few days. Secret number one is:
Ask Dr. Meg: real questions, real answers. If you’d like to ask me a question, leave a comment on this blog post and I’ll do everything I can to get to it!
Your daughter wants a hero and she has chosen you, Dad, to be hers. She needs a hero to help her navigate a treacherous popular culture.
In my last blog I didn’t get around to discussing Gardasil, so let’s look at it now.
I challenged Sandy to pull the plug on television, the internet, video games and cell phones of each of her four kids, for a few hours every day this summer.
I’ve been thinking lately about simplifying my life. The older I get, the more overwhlemed I become with “choice overload.”
I wrote Boys Should Be Boys for several reasons. First, I believe that our boys are being ignored and pushed aside, even attacked. Here’s why I say that.
Dr. Meg Meeker is a global leading authority in child-father relationships. She has over 30 years of experience as a pediatrician; is the author of the bestselling book and now movie, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters; host of the popular parenting podcast, Parenting Great Kids; TEDTalk and international speaker; and father-inclusive advocate. As an expert in the field, Dr. Meg equips dads (and those who love them) with tools and training based on extensive practical experience and research.