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Serving Children and Families in the greater Omaha area including Bellevue, Gretna, Council Bluffs, Papillion, LaVista, and Fremont;
in the Overland Park - Johnson County, Kansas  area including Olathe, Lenexa, Leawood, Shawnee and Kansas City Kansas;
and in the Kansas City, Missouri area including Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit.
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kids-inc@juno.com * (402) 330-4014 (Iowa/Nebraska) * (913) 323-6550 (Kansas/Missouri)
11414 West Center Road, Suite 220
Omaha, NE  68144
(402) 334-2930 fax

7270 West 98th Terrace, Suite 105
Overland Park, KS  66212
(913) 323-6550
Kids Inc
Helping Children Develop
Find answers to questions already asked.  Click on a question below to see
the complete question and answer given by a Kids Inc. professional.









  • My 8 year old son has become friends with this boy at school that keeps
    getting him into trouble. I have been called to the school at least 3 times,
    and every time, this boy was involved. How can I make my son understand
    that this boy is not a good friend for him without being the "bad guy"? I  
    don’t want to be one of those parents that picks his friends, but this kid is
    bad news. Are there things that I can do to better my child's responses to
    peer pressure situations so that he won't keep "following the crowd" so to
    speak? I have told him that he needs to make his own decisions and not
    care what the other kids say, but you know how far that goes when it
    comes to kids and their friends. I'm at a total loss, please help!

    ANSWER-- provided by Allan Gonsher, President, Kids Inc.
    This is a very tough situation. First, remember until they are in Junior High
    School, and even then, you are the parent! You do have the right AND
    ability to prevent your child from playing with other kids who do not share
    your values. Second, good parenting will help your child make better
    decisions. She/He needs to be informed that if she/he gets into additional
    trouble at school she/he will receive a "24 hour Black out"......no
    electronics,no friends, no activities. In most situations this response, which
    is quite stern, prevents kids from fooling around in school. If you are the
    parent who says "I can't impose such a punishment, than you have to find
    something that gets your child's attention. AND, if your the parent who
    can't parent, then the problem isn't your child's friends...it's something in
    your parenting or the family dynamics. And finally, always encircle your
    child with good friends, good values, good activities. Play dates with your
    choice of kids, activities that you choose are ways to encourage your kids
    to make better choices. Stop trying to convince your child.....show him what
    you expect and guide him. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Parenting Questions and Answers