You broke your own rule mama! You used the car as a closet! Said my daughter beyond excited to have noticed my forgotten coat, wrinkled and abandoned in the freezing cold car.You are right. And I am so glad you noticed and told me. I offered with a smile. I will be sure to take it inside… Continue Reading
Knowing how to make amends is a very valuable life skill. As children grow they have many opportunities to apologize and make amends. While we would like children to know how to say “I am sorry”, often children will apologize in their own way. Children are Wired for Empathy Children are born with the capacity for… Continue Reading
If you have a child that is getting into power struggles with you, you also have a child that is ready and able to stand up for themselves. This is a good thing. A really good thing. Children that are assertive, critical thinkers are more successful in life. While it might be great down the… Continue Reading
Positive parenting is not about keeping our children happy 100% of the time or giving in to every demand or bending the earth to suit our child’s desires. However, it is important that we pay attention and strike a balance between the needs of the child, the family and our own. When everyone’s needs and feelings are being considered, and cooperation and communication are the focus instead of commands, demands and high expectation, parents and children can really find wonderful harmony. Continue Reading
focusing on their abilities/strengths/qualities–things you want to encourage for they help our children become more confident, feel more capable, able to take risks, to rally from mistakes, to move through struggle. To know “I can really use my brain” sets a child up to work through a tough homework problem in an empowering way. Hearing “You are so smart!” can leave a child at a loss when they don’t do well on a test, or when they can’t figure out a problem. Using “You CAN be” instead of “You ARE…” gives a child the chance to be something else. Empowering! Continue Reading
My arms were still sore from scrubbing the dark streaks of marker my toddler had happily scribbled, off our porous pine dining table. I turned toward my oldest daughter. “I just told you not to leave your special (read; nonwashable) markers out where your little brother can reach them!” Had I been talking to a… Continue Reading
My then 3-year old son and I were at our favorite family camp one summer. My son loved to play in the woods – grabbing handfuls of red earth, and throwing them up in the air like fireworks. The beautiful color and sound filled him with joy as the dirt rained down over his head… Continue Reading
Responding calmly to “I hate you” isn’t always easy but that in that moment, our children really need us to be sensitive, compassionate, loving and empathetic. Continue Reading
Discover tried and true parenting tips for getting everyone out the door in the morning. Do mornings at your house look like a scene from a stressful Groundhog’s day video? The same level of stress, the same rushing, and the same power struggles with your children day in and day out? If it does, you… Continue Reading
Have you ever told your children not to hide in a clothing store, not to touch dangerous things, or not to run in the parking lot? Have you had to say it more than once, only to find that they repeat the same behavior three minutes later? Why is this happening? Prohibition (like saying DON’T)… Continue Reading