Whether you are in the thick of it now or might be in the future, you may be wondering, how many are too many extracurricular activities? From sports to music, to theater, and more….our kids have an endless supply of…
Have you ever wondered, “What makes resilient children so resilient?” or, “Is it nature or nurture that creates resilient children?” Some kids seem to arrive in the world ready to take on anything. They’re optimistic, they see the good in…
Spoiled kids are in the news again – or rather parents who spoil kids. In 2012 we wrote about the problem of entitlement and offered some ways to solve it. We even created an online course to equip parents to…
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…
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…
“I want it! Can I have it? I want it NOW!”Regardless of how articulate your teen or toddler may be, most parents are familiar with variations of this demand. When we hear this from our kids we’re inclined to quickly…
Lazy Child, Lazy Adult? As parents, we hope to raise children that turn into productive, helpful adults, but the path to getting there can seem rough. Getting kids to do daily chores; like making their beds, helping with meals, or…
Kids make messes. Parents ask and ask (and it really sounds like nagging) their kids to take responsibility for their things and it seems like it is hard to come up with a strategy that works. At Connected Families, we believe…
One former NFL player, James Harrison, sent out an Instagram message regarding his two sons receiving “participation trophies” even though they didn’t win anything. Harrison, the youngest of 14 kids and a two-time Super Bowl winner himself, struck a chord with…
“Oh, honey, come here. Let’s fix that.” Or, “Hey kiddo, let’s clean up that mess.” Nearly every parent has repeated phrases like these, perhaps many times. With small kids, there’s probably no harm in using this phrase or approach to…