It’s supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth” but after long days, long lines, and large scoops of ice cream, it can get unhappy pretty fast. I’m talking about Disneyland, where all 5 members of my family shared one hotel room for four nights over Spring Break a few weeks ago. Three of us were sick with cough/colds. On night 3, … Read More
How do I get my kids to listen?
Have you ever complained to yourself (or others) that… “He never listens to me!” “I have to tell him 10 times!” “She’ll only pay attention if I yell!” Chances are that nearly all of us have felt irritated by our child’s inability to listen and follow through with simple requests at one time or another (if not daily). Years ago, my child … Read More
Mind the Gap: Why it’s so hard to keep resolutions and how to up your odds
“I know I shouldn’t yell so much, but I just can’t seem to stop!” “I know I shouldn’t eat this entire pint of ice cream, but here I go anyway . . .” “I know I should stop reading Facebook, but the other things I have to do are far less interesting!” Does any of this sound familiar? Even when … Read More
When Kids Lie
The topic of lying came up in my parenting class last week. We were role-playing parents’ typical responses to a lying kid: “Honey, did you just lie about that? Are you sure?” (When parent already knows the child is lying) “Are you kidding me? You just lied straight to my face. How COULD you?” “That’s it, no more (fill in … Read More
6 Things Great Parents Do . . . at least sometimes
Let me start out by saying that if you do all of these things regularly, I bow down to you. In my view, these are 6 things that great parents do at least sometimes. Because doing them all, all the time, is a pretty tall order. It is for me, anyway. So here they are, 6 things great parents do … Read More
A Tale of Two Siblings . . . and 6 tips for peaceful, cooperative sibling relationships
This tale is true. And recent. Although names have been changed to protect the (somewhat) innocent. We were boarding a plane, on our way back from Spring break. My two daughters were in front of me, moving down the aisle toward our row, and arguing about who would get the window seat. I was trying to stay out of it … Read More
Struggling to come up with “the right” consequences? Try this!
Click here for an audio version of this blog: Over the past several months, I have heard some questionable tips from parenting experts on the topic of “consequences.” What’s surprising to me is that these are parenting experts I respect and agree with most of the time. But not this time. Here’s an example of one tip that raised my eyebrows: “The … Read More
Making Mornings More Manageable
Most parents have experienced the “morning from hell” more often than they care to admit. I don’t even have to describe it — I’m that certain you know what I’m talking about. When I say good-bye to my kids after that kind of morning, I’m left with that terrible, icky, dark cloud lurking over my head for the next several … Read More
In parenting, I do better when I feel better. How about you?
When my 3rd baby was born, something happened to my 2nd-born. She transformed from a sweet, cheerful, optimistic and easy-going child into a needy, super-sensitive, irritating being. She was bugging the crap out of me. I didn’t like the way I was feeling, and I definitely did not like the parent I was being. So I enrolled in my first parenting … Read More
3 Tips for a Smooth Transition Back to School
As summer comes to a close, it’s time for another huge transition in our children’s lives: a new school year. Some kids handle this transition with ease. Others don’t! And most all kids need some help with transitions: from bed to school, from school to home, from play to work, from awake to sleep, etc. The transition from summer to school is a … Read More
Transforming the Little Moments to Bring in the Light — a guest blog from Lisa Fuller
This month, I’m featuring a guest blog from my fellow Positive Discipline Associate and friend, Lisa Fuller. I love this story, and hope you will, too. Wouldn’t it be great to have a “before” and “after” parenting show? Last month I traveled on swanky Virgin America and enjoyed the guilty pleasure of watching “What Not to Wear.” Are … Read More
