Problem solving as a parent sometimes fills me with confusion and overwhelm. I find myself seeing all of things going wrong and despairing at figuring anything out. One of the things I've always had difficulty with is asking for help. Not because I don't want it, but because I get confused [...]Continue Reading
family communication
Red Flag Words – How to understand what your child really needs
As the end of the school year neared, both of my sons struggled with final projects. It was exhausting to have evenings filled with arguments about why they couldn't possible get their work done. This was particularly bad one evening last week with one boy morosely sitting at the table not working [...]Continue Reading
My child gets on my nerves!! 5 Strategies to Help You Take Your Kid’s Behavior Less Personally
Maybe it's an innocent comment like, "Ewww, Mama,your breath stinks, don't kiss me!" or maybe it's an angry outburst - name calling and slammed doors. Some things are hard not to take personally. Do you ever find yourself thinking or saying any of the following? You are making me so angry right [...]Continue Reading
Phrases to Help You Stay Calm When Kids Are Moving Slow As Molasses
We've all been there - stuck between a clock relentlessly moving toward an appointment and a kid oblivious to time passing. Whether it's being late to school, sports practice or a dentist appointment, kids moving slow when it's time to go is maddening! Here are some helpful phrases to keep kids on [...]Continue Reading
How to Build a Habit of Listening to Your Kids
To be listened to is to be validated for who you are. Sometimes the only thing we need is that one person who will truly listen and hear what we need to say. They don’t need to solve it for us or give advice - we just need to be listened to and accepted in order to access our own ability to [...]Continue Reading
Gratitude Sprinkler Experiment – can we change complaints to gratitude?
I started an experiment a couple weeks ago: whenever one of my kids starts randomly complaining to me, I am randomly making gratitude statements. Just spewing them out. I'm grateful this! I'm grateful that! I become like a gratitude sprinkler. So yesterday my daughter was complaining about an [...]Continue Reading
