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6 Survival Tips for Parents of Teens
In our work coaching hundreds of parents of tweens and teens over the years, we’ve uncovered six common themes that leave teens feeling a little more encouraged and willing to respect their parents. (And, if you’re a parent of…
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…
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,…
Is Your Child Lazy?
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…
How to Help Tattling Kids
“She called me a name!” “He hit me!” When one child “tells on” another, we call that “tattling.” It can be difficult to confront the kid who feels the need to expose all the other kids’ misbehaviors. Actually, tattling tends to…
Teach Kids Responsibility
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…
A Connected Family Story
One of the cool things about Connected Families is the people on our staff. We all understand that parenting takes a lot of work, a lot of intentional planning, and that the outcome is worth it. We, too, have been…
Equip Kids To Apologize Like They Mean It
When kids fight, parents typically try to resolve things by telling the kids they have to say they’re sorry. While parents may be aware that this can be a very shallow, “go through the motions” sort of consequence for kids, they may…
Are We Setting Our Kids Up to Be Uncooperative?
Parents can get in ruts. That’s true for me and I’m pretty sure it is for you, too. One rut that is familiar to many is the hurried race out the door because “we’re going to be late!!” Or how…