Give the Gift of Connection
Chores: The Constant Challenge
You’ve tried every trick in the book to get your kids to do basic chores. And your kids try every trick in the book to resist. You never would have dreamed of sassing back to your parents about chores the…
Are You Raising a Blessing in Disguise?
Life brings countless trials. For many parents, a prominent trial is the raising of a particularly sensitive, intense, or strong-willed child who struggles more in life than other kids. Some of these parents grow increasingly discouraged by the challenge. But…
The Power of Joy
“Choose Joy!” is a phrase Jim repeated and prayed every morning on his mission trips with high risk teens. These were kids prone to depression, anger, and sarcasm. However, they all benefited when they were encouraged to choose joy. Along…
Are We Raising Animals?
There are so many little things our kids do that drive us crazy! Often in an effort to get the behavior to stop we react quickly and without thinking. We use body language and words that convey messages like, “You…
How Oranges Can Teach Compromise
Your kids are arguing – (again!) – about what game to play, who got the bigger serving of pie, and who had more time playing video games. You want to teach your kids the valuable skill of compromise, but you…
Are We Dealing Drugs To Our Children?
Did you know you may inadvertently be dealing “drugs” to your children? Dopamine has been called the brain’s “pleasure chemical.” It is released when pleasure is experienced. It creates healthy motivation to pursue various life-giving pleasures such as accomplishing a…
Persistent Kids, Peers, and Pace of Life
Entitlement. If we mention the “E-word” in one of our workshops there are audible groans and eye-rolling. Parents are overwhelmed by this complex problem which seems to be spiraling out of control. Last year we surveyed parents about their top…
From Power Struggles to Peace at Meals
Need vs Want
I plopped down on the couch with a friend and lamented about my latest parenting challenge. “I just need to learn to calmly follow through with a clear consequence. I keep getting in this nagging cycle. I need to stop…
Building Wisdom When Kids Want Gifts…and More Gifts
Parents love giving their kids good gifts. And kids love receiving them! As we explain in our Entitlement Fix Online Course, the gift-giving experience can be an exciting dopamine burst (our body’s reward/pleasure chemical) for everyone! It can be fun at…