Tag obedience

Safety First NW 1

Safety First

At a banquet I attended I sat near a father and his two elementary-aged sons. They were playful and I engaged with them the way I often do with young kids, purposefully playing, laughing, and connecting. When the host announced…

So tired

“I’m Just SO Tired!”

Annie had one idea in mind. Her exhausted five-year-old son had another. By applying what she learned through Connected Families, Annie experienced a sweet parenting moment with her son. I attended a workshop given by Connected Families a couple years…

Difference tell ask

Telling vs Asking

What’s the difference between telling and asking? I’m a teller by nature. It seems easier. Maybe just more efficient, really. I tell my child what to do and then she does it. I tell her the answer to the question…

Defiance Better Than Obedience 1

When is defiance better than obedience?

  I’ll never forget her statement. I was speaking to a grade-school teacher in a Christian school about behavior problems with her students. In the context of the conversation she actually seemed more upset about the obedient kids than the…

Real Reason for Misbehavior 1

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…