Give the Gift of Connection
Questions to Put the THANKS Back in Thanksgiving
“So, kids, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?” you ask. “My family, my house, my friends, my dog and Jesus.” (Same answers as last year….) If you think your kids might be open to some deeper thinking this year,…
To Unlock Your Child’s Heart, Just Ask for the Key!
If you are reading this, you probably want your kids to know how much you love them. And you probably tell them often that you do. But effectively communicating love is not always so simple. How can we be…
Why “Stop it!” Doesn’t Work
I’d HAD it! I was sick of this aggravating behavior, day after day. I stopped in my tracks, glared at the little one who was driving me crazy, and yelled at the top of my lungs, “STOP IT!!” Do you…
How to Break the Cycle of Crabbiness and Negativity
“I’m bored. No one wants to play with me. I hate my classes and that teacher. I’m no good at anything! Everything is just dumb!” Sound familiar? Kids can be pretty good at complaining and crabbing their way to get…
First Step to Helping Intense Kids
If you have an intense child (or know someone who does), watch this short video, produced in partnership with FamilyLife Canada. You’ll learn what might be going on with your intense child that is driving his/her difficulty. And then make…
Do You Offer Empowering or Trapping Choices?
You’ve likely heard the wise advice to give two choices to help empower kids and significantly decrease power struggles. What you may not have heard is how kids often feel “trapped” by the choices parents present to them. In partnership…
Should I Require Fighting Kids to Apologize?
Sibling conflict can be discouraging as parents wonder, “Will these kids ever learn to get along? Will they ever be close?” Jim and I wondered that. Our online course, Sibling Conflict: From Bickering to Bonding, is packed with the insights…
When Your Child Just HAS To Have That Thing for Christmas…
Your little darling comes to you with their face lit up, a picture and product details in hand, their logic detailed into a lawyer-like brief, and begs with passion for that one special thing for Christmas. “Ok, I know exactly…