The Science of Success by David Dobbs, The Atlantic

Most of us have genes that make us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care. So holds a provocative new theory of genetics, which asserts that the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid children can end up depressed, drug-addicted, or in jail—but with the right environment and good parenting, they can grow up to be society’s most creative, successful, and happy people. Read More...

Other recommended articles:

The Ripple Effect of Defiant Behavior: When Parents Pay the Price

Good Cop/Bad Cop Parenting

Looking for parent training info? Check out our new Parenting Strategies articles provided by James Lehman's Total Transformation Program. Here's just one sample: Parents, Get a Clue: What Teens are Really Doing OnlinePlus: Tips on How to Talk to Your Teen about Internet Safety (and a Guide to Using Myspace). For parents raising children with ADHD, Lehman has created the Total Focus Program. Click the banner at the bottom of the page for more information and a free trial.

Time-Out for Parents: A Guide to Compassionate Parenting by Cheri Huber

Employing a method of discipline used for children, this Zen guide encourages parents to look inwardly and reflect on their motivations in order to respond to their child's needs from a clearer, kinder perspective. It contains meditative exercises for stressed or disgruntled parents and provides accounts of parent/child interactions. In each one, the self-aware parent describes how they would have reacted before learning to take time-out to discover their own motivations. Then each parent tells how he or she responded to the situation from a clearer, kinder viewpoint.

We also recommend these excellent time-management tools: "Please Remember" Memory Card, TickTask, and the WatchMinder.

Looking for an "at-home" parent training program? Click here.

Care.com — Caring for a Child with ADHD or ADD