Category Coach
3 Game-Changing Questions to Show Your Kids They’re Worth It
It can be hard work to grow as a parent. Especially when no matter how hard you try, things can still go haywire. Old patterns die hard, and it’s normal to fall into the default of huffing and puffing to…
Back to School
No matter the type of school – preschool, public, private, home-school, or alternative school – the transition from summer activities to educational studies generally has a few bumps in the road for both parents and kids. Because of feedback from…
Beat Boredom This Summer With These 4 Tips
Research has shown that being bored is not such a bad thing for kids. Boredom can foster creativity and patience. Yet, when a parent hears that tired phrase, “I’m bored!” again and again, we may feel the need to fix…
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…
5 Ways to Find Sanity During Family Car Trips
Ahh, the bliss of car-trip vacations. Do family car trips tend to drive you insane? Does it feel like your kids will have more memories of annoyed parents than exciting memories of adventure? Whether our children are toddlers or teens,…
The Awesome Thing About Your Kid’s Misbehavior…
The rough-looking teen’s tough veneer had softened. I detected tears in his eyes. “No one has ever said anything like that to me.” Just minutes before, I met this teen in a line at our local amusement park. After a…
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…
3 Steps for Success in Holiday Chaos!
Holidays and other gatherings can be a lot of fun — but they can also be chaotic and overstimulating for kids! Rather than punish your children for misbehavior, be thoughtful ahead of time about how to prepare them for success.…
Helping Kids Thrive Despite Rejection from a Teacher or Students
It’s tempting when kids experience rejection, to want to protect them and be a buffer to keep their feelings from being hurt. Our blood boils, our God-given Mama or Papa Bear instincts kick in, and we may well go after…