In this video, I demonstrate a simple and effective tool that not only invites better cooperation, but it also teaches long-term life skills and helps children develop self-efficacy (belief in self) and self-discipline.
How Positive Discipline (and a chore chart) followed my son to college
I visited my son at college last weekend. A sophomore in off-campus housing, he’d been complaining about the standards of cleanliness among his roommates (in his view, the standards are quite low.) For the first time in my son’s life, there is no one other than the 4 guys who live there to clean up the messes, dishes, or bathrooms. … Read More
My child stole his teacher’s brownie. How and what came next…
Chapter 1: Mom Gets Dreaded Phone Call From School I was at work in the middle of the day when my phone began to ring. I looked down and noted the caller’s ID: it was my child’s school. Naturally, my heart began to race, butterflies fluttered in my gut, and my eyes got a bit wider. Do schools know that … Read More
One way to get kids to take responsibility for their messes
Wouldn’t it be nice if children would take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves? It seems like such a basic thing; however, if you walk around my house on any given day, you might find: Dried up food bowls in the family room Cheap knick knacks from a birthday party goody bag Little bits of cut up paper, scissors and … Read More
The surprising parenting lesson from my morning from hell
Whoa, this particular morning was a doozey. It took me a while to recover enough to write about it. Still not sure . . . but here goes. Part 1: Siblings Fight Over Piano Books Thursdays are piano days for two of my kids. Their babysitter picks them up from school and goes straight to piano lessons, so they need … Read More