Give the Gift of Connection
Tag anxiety
“Go Away, I Want MOMMY!”
It’s a challenge to know how to respond when kids pick a favorite caregiver, regardless of whether it’s mom, dad, a grandparent, or even a daycare provider. It’s no surprise that the most common scenario is a young child who…
Demanding Kids: “I Want 2 Stories, 5 Kisses, and 10 Hugs”
“I want that toy!”“I need more kisses!”“I want these jeans!” Kids of all ages can get laser-focused on the thing they just have to have. They often use this focus to hold parents hostage, with a meltdown lurking right around…
“You have chubby little legs!”
We can joke about it now. Mostly. But, at the time, I saw it as one of my worst parenting moments and I worried I’d wrecked my daughter forever. There she was, a sweet fourth grader who I’d done my…
Sometimes I Cry About My Parenting Mistakes
There are some mornings when I wake up with a knot in my stomach and questions on my mind. Sometimes I even cry about my parenting mistakes. Maybe you’ve been there too. (Or questions and worries nag you while you’re…
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…
Is Your Discipline Too Tough, Too Soft, or Just Right?
Kids are struggling these days. There is more confusion about life and the pace of life keeps us scrambling. We are not as thoughtful as we would want to be. We tend to parent from a confused place of anxiety…
Prep Your Kids for a Responsible School Year
Getting an education is a tremendous privilege. Most parents recognize that future opportunities are built on the many layers of learning that happen during the school years. That’s why when kids make poor choices at school, either behavioral or academic,…
How to Avoid Being Taken Hostage by Kids’ Demands
Parents sometimes feel like hostages to the intense demands of their children, intimidated into submission with the threat of “the big gun” – a deafening meltdown. One of our online course participants asked for help: Our 3 1/2 year old…
When Parenting Seems About to Boil Over
Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel and Amy. We’ve invited them to share their story of learning to parent their two sons. There is a wise old tale that is told about the frog in the pot. If…
The Real Reason for a Lot of Misbehavior
Have you ever noticed that kids rarely misbehave when they feel truly happy and deeply secure? There’s a reason for this. When our children misbehave, there is almost always underlying discouragement or anxiety that drives the misbehavior. Rushing to address…