Playful parenting can encourage more cooperation and listening. It is possible to be playful and set meaningful parenting limits. Playfully engaging with your child, especially in matters of discipline is sometimes mistaken as being permissive. It’s not permissive at all, it’s quite smart and effective. Playful Parenting means joining children in their world of play,… Continue Reading
Is encouraging your child to help around the house a battle or a breeze? Can you relate to what these parents had to say about family jobs? My children love to help with jobs. -Cynthia, mother to three My children will do anything to get out of chores, making excuses from belly aches, headaches, to… Continue Reading
Disappointment can be like a tidal wave of emotions for your kids. Image this scenario: The van is packed, and you’re about ready to head out the door. Suddenly, you hear thunder in the distance. No! It can’t be! You checked the weather, and it wasn’t supposed to rain for a few more hours. But minutes… Continue Reading
Back-arching, jello legs, hitting, yelling, kicking, sobbing, throwing…a true melt-down or tantrum in progress…not very pretty nor fun and all while: …in the middle of the cereal aisle in the grocery store–maybe with various items launching themselves out of the cart like one parent mentioned of recent regarding a jar of orange juice…and another, a… Continue Reading
I believe you’ll discover how you choose to respond to your child will be in ways that support and encourage and affirm them for who they are.
In return, they can feel empowered…and that child on the periphery may begin to move into the group and engage; the child that feels so deeply begins to understand and accept her feelings even more–allowing her to manage those feelings better and better; the eye-rolling/sarcastic stuff from your teen can lessen…and they may begin to open up about what is really troubling them; the button pushing turns into more cooperative behavior and you feel calmer and more patient daily Continue Reading
Maybe you’re from the “parent is always right” or “children should be seen and not heard” school of thought. If so, I would challenge you to examine how that is working for your relationship with your child. Conflict between a parent and a child sometimes stem from the child not feeling heard, valued or respected. I realize that you may not feel respected either. Taking steps to communicate respectfully may be a stride toward repairing the relationship. Continue Reading
How to Create A Plan to Help Children Overcome Unwanted Behavior Often parents ask me how to stop frustrating behavior. “My daughter follows me around the house and talks incessantly.” “My toddler won’t stay in his bed at night.” “My child’s tantrums are driving me crazy.” One way to think about ongoing annoying behavior is that… Continue Reading
A toddler has a melt down at the store. Later, he takes a cookie without telling you and spits on the ground. A preschooler throws his toys, refuses to help with clean up and later will not brush teeth or put on pajamas. A tween shouts no, rolls her eyes and bangs the door,… Often when… Continue Reading
In parenting, We can’t be peaceful 100% of the time. We can’t be patient 100% of the time. When we accept this, we can begin to be gentler with ourselves as parents. We can see ourselves as human and give ourselves the same level of forgiveness as we give our child. One of the most common… Continue Reading
Many parents I work with confess to yelling at their kids upwards of ten times a day. Parents say they do this most of all because they want their children to listen but they get zero cooperation. When promises, pleading and threats no longer work, yelling can feel like the only option. Especially if time is… Continue Reading