Finding the right words when children are disappointed isn’t always easy. I’ve learned over the years that although it is hard to see our children feeling upset, distracting, reasoning, lecturing or otherwise trying to fix their feelings usually just backfires. So how do we find the right words to say when children are disappointed? The words that express… Continue Reading
Family life is complicated and unpredictable. Day-to-day expectations and responsibilities can create angry emotions in both parents and children. No matter how skilled you are at parenting, no matter how wonderful your children are, you cannot eliminate or avoid the unpleasant situations that occur in all families. However, once you understand where the anger comes from you can modify the situation and learn ways to control your reactions, so that anger can occupy a smaller place in your home. Continue Reading
Natural Consequences are often talked about as the go-to gentle alternative to punitive actions like time-outs or removing privileges. Using natural consequences can, in fact, be an excellent parenting tool, but sometimes resorting to natural consequences may be ineffective and downright dangerous. When used properly, children can learn a lot from natural consequences, however… Continue Reading
Getting children to cooperate and listen is probably the most shared concern I hear from parents. Similar themes repeat themselves, over and over.
“How do I get my kids to do their homework?”
“How do I get my kids to listen to me? I’m so tired of yelling…for nothing…it makes no difference!”
Our job as parents can be tough as the balancing act of encouraging cooperation positively and needing to get things done unfolds each day. Let’s be honest, what we want and what our children want are often out of synch. It’s easy, alright, a lot easier when everyone is smiling, cooperating and listening. Fostering cooperation reduces the need to yell, nag and demand. Continue Reading
No matter how good you get at calming yourself, being mindful, being positive and working towards harmony and cooperation, there will be moments where you will feel overwhelmed or not sure how to “handle it”. Our job as parents isn’t to get it right every single time, our job is to be there, trying, getting… Continue Reading
Sharing, holding hands, helping tie shoes, siblings can share a lifelong bond of trust, love and friendship. They can also have many fights, brawls and squabbles. Recent studies on sibling relationships seem to show a pattern relating to sibling relationships and parental affection, attachment and attention. Children that reported having to fight for parental attention and being… Continue Reading
Gratitude is the heart’s memory. Such a powerful idea. For families, memories can be so special and gratitude can have such a positive impact on family life. Once a week, our family has a meeting where we share appreciations, compliments or things we are thankful for – we do this year round – it’s simply… Continue Reading
Just the other day, a doll went flying through the air. I saw it being thrown and land on the ground. I sat there contemplating for a moment…I wanted my daughter to pick up the toy and stop throwing. I had two choices: I could rashly insist that she pick up her toy OR I… Continue Reading
children will often become what their parents believe them to be. Don’t let a bad moment define your child as a bad kid. Continue Reading
Bringing some creativity into our daily parenting efforts can lead to so much laughter, harmony and happiness. Sometimes it may not come so naturally or it may feel like there just isn’t enough time in our busy days. Infusing our parenting with a bit of creativity though doesn’t have to be complicated or messy.For me it… Continue Reading