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What to say when your child says, "I'm stupid" or "No one loves me." Plus, ideas for creating a positive atmosphere in your home!

How to Respond to Your Child’s Negative Self-Talk

No parent wants to hear their child say, “I’m dumb” or “I’m stupid,” or even worse, “No one loves me.” Rather than panicking or minimizing their experience, use these tips to respond to your child’s negative self-talk. “I’m so dumb,” your child mumbles at the kitchen table. He bangs his fist

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No mom wants to hear the words "I hate you" from their child. But there is a message in this misbehavior. Don't miss it! Use these tips for how to respond.

What to do When Your Child Says, “I Hate You.”

“I hate you!” he yells as he slams the bedroom door. The words hang in the air as you stand there unable to move. Within seconds, your body is flooded with anger. You bang on the door yelling, “How dare you say that to me?!” And then a thought grips

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How to Support Your Child (Even When You’re Disappointed)

As parents, we want great things for our kids. Sometimes, we feel disappointed when they struggle with a sport or lack interest in something we enjoyed as a child. Kate Early, a Licensed Professional Counselor, shares some tips for managing our feelings and supporting our kids. I’ll be honest, here…sometimes

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Connect with your kids through art! Use these 8 art journaling prompts to get started art journaling with your kids today!

Art Journaling with kids

Sometimes talking with our kids is like pulling teeth. It’s not always easy for kids to put their thoughts and feelings into words. Art is a fantastic tool for connecting and communicating with our kids! Amy Maricle of Mindful Art Studio is back to help you  use art journaling with

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The teachable moment you might be missing

Parents hear a lot about finding “teachable moments” in their day. Opportunities to teach their kids right from wrong or to point out a valuable lesson. Unfortunately, finding teachable moments doesn’t always come naturally. Most parents clump their family’s values and important lessons into lengthy lectures given at the height

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Still having power struggles with your kids? This might be the reason. Plus, alternatives to try instead!

How to stop having power struggles with your 3-year-old

It’s exhausting going back and forth with your kids about everything from getting in the car seat to eating their veggies. This tip will help you explore your options and decrease the power struggles with your 3-year-old (and kids of any age!) Setting the plate in front of him, you

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Guidelines for Imperfect Parenting

There is no such thing as a perfect parent, though many of us strive for this goal! Instead of feeling like a failure, embrace your parenting imperfections! Thanks to  Encourage Play  for allowing me to guest post!     We are parents, not robots. We have feelings, just like everyone

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Using Empathy to Connect with Your Kids

  We talk a lot about using empathy with our kids. Here is my guest post on Positive Parenting Connection with a simple explanation of what empathy is as well as 3 suggestions for using empathy to connect with your kids. Many parents are good at responding with empathy when

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7 Simple Parenting Hacks That Are Surprisingly Effective

  Parenting advice can get pretty overwhelming. So, today, we’re going to take it easy. Instead of making life more complicated, let’s simplify things using these parenting tips. (Bonus: They really work!) 7 Simple Parenting Hacks 1. Timers: Many kids respond better to an alarm than a parent’s voice. Timers

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Tired of hearing your child respond with disrespect? Try these tips!

How to Respond When Your Child is Disrespectful

The playdate is over. It is time to head home. You gave a 5-minute warning.  You expect everything to go well. Suddenly, it happens. Your child responds disrespectfully. “No! I don’t want to go! You never let me do anything fun!” You feel the anger rising inside you. You yell

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