Parents don’t need to wait for children to come to them for touches, hugs, whole-body-scoops and kisses. Being regularly physically affectionate with kids of all ages actually helps maintain the emotional connection they share with their parents. When that bond remains strong, challenging behavioral situations decrease and discipline becomes less intense overall. Continue Reading
Do you have a curious preschooler? What would happen if you accepted her mistakes, appreciated effort and then simply supported your child in their endeavors? I often find that not demanding, not reprimanding but simply supporting children and helping them find a solution, from a place of love, appreciation and connection goes such a long way! Continue Reading
It takes a lot more finesse and attention to help create safety in the exploration than it does to simply shut it down. Making mistakes with livable consequences are great ways to learn. The bummer about shutting down all crazy explorations is that kids will lose their own internal sense of how to create safety within the adventure Continue Reading
Boundaries or limits will often vary from family to family but when we set boundaries, it’s important to think about how those boundaries will protect or affect feelings, behaviors, thoughts and physical safety. Boundaries are supposed to provide security and guidance, not to make a child feel locked in and controlled. Continue Reading
Compassion is internally driven. Compassion should be the motivating factor in treating others well, in getting along, in working together. Our goal is not to get our children to blindly obey, but to help them to appreciate for themselves, the benefits of striving to share their world peacefully. Continue Reading
Self Care Skills By Age (Babies, Toddlers and Preschool Children) Giving children a chance to practice self care skills is a very important part of growth and development. The time and effort you invest into encouraging self care is a sure way to help your child feel capable. Learning to get dressed, brushing teeth and… Continue Reading
Parents often believe that demanding obedience from their child is the only way to get them to do what the parents expect of them, like doing homework, brushing teeth, cleaning up and so on. The problem is, obedience implies that a child is doing something without any choice, simply complying with a command. Demanding obedience… Continue Reading
It’s Sunday! This week I’m sharing on Bilingualism, Circumcision and Acting Out. This is a very powerful story here from a young man and not having been give the choice over his circumcision. Beyond the Bris: Me But Not My Son: A Young Jewish Man Breaks Rank on Circumcision “No matter what, I can’t cut my kids.… Continue Reading
Hitting, pushing, shoving and biting are common ways for preschoolers and toddlers to deal with their emotions. Strikes and bites are often happening because something inside the child, some feeling, like a hiccup, just needs to get out. It could be frustration, upset, sadness, anxiety, fear or a mixed bowl of emotions. What can we… Continue Reading
Last week I read an article in Healthland/Time about Parents Spanking Their Kids. Very honestly, I did not find it surprising to read about parents that admit to using corporal punishment because I am very aware that it happens, across all socio- economic levels and different cultures.I do however find it unfortunate both for the… Continue Reading