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How to get your kids to listen, a guide for parents by Nicole Schwarz, parent coach

Encouraging kids to listen: A Guide for Parents

Kids won’t listen? Feeling ignored? This guide will help you understand why your kids aren’t listening and what you can do to encourage them to listen well. In my parent coaching sessions, getting kids to listen is the #1 concern. Parents share these complaints: My kids ignore me. My kids

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What to do when kids get aggressive, a guide for parents by Nicole Schwarz, parent coach

When Kids Get Aggressive: A Guide For Parents

Parenting a child who hits, kicks, bites, or hurts others can feel overwhelming and confusing.  This guide will give you an overview of how to support your child when they are aggressive, and help them learn how to manage their big feelings without aggression. “How can we get our 5-year-old

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7 tips to raise confident, independent kids. Nicole Schwarz

7 Tips to raise independent kids

7 tips that encourage your child to become more independent doing chores, completeing homework, practicing critical thinking, and making good choices.  “I’m wearing dirty pants today because I need to do laundry,” my daughter announces as she comes into the kitchen for breakfast. I wait a beat. “I’ll do it

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21 shame reducing phrases every child needs to hear, Nicole Schwarz, Imperfect Families

Reduce Shame: 21 Things Your Child Needs To Hear

Is your child stuck in the “I’m a bad kid” cycle? Caregivers can reduce the effects of shame, using these phrases to remind your child that they are seen, known, and loved. Shame is a powerful force.  It sends the message that you are not worthy of love. It tells

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25 alternatives to timeouts, grounding and taking things away by Nicole Schwarz

25 Alternatives to Timeouts, Grounding, and Taking Things Away

Change the way you think about discipline! These 25 parenting tips focus on positive, respectful, age-appropriate alternatives. When it comes to discipline, it’s easy to feel stuck.  We’re told to use timeouts, grounding, bribes, taking things away, and even spanking, but nothing seems to make a difference. Maybe we’ve been

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Nicole Schwarz, Parent Coach, LMFT

A Reintroduction: Nicole Schwarz, Parent Coach

Celebrating 10 years of positive, respectful parenting strategies at ImperfectFamilies.com and looking forward to the next adventure.  Welcome to Imperfect Families! I’m Nicole Schwarz, Parent Coach, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and mom to 3 girls. I did not start out using positive, respectful parenting strategies. My career as a

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How to eliminate the word "should" from your parenting vocabulary.

How to banish the word “should” from your parenting vocabulary

The words “should” and “should not” add unnecessary guilt and shame to our parenting. Use these tips to parent in a way that moves you in a positive direction. Sitting on the couch, scrolling social media, you sigh. Thoughts swirl through your head as you peek into the carefully curated

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Improve the communication in your home

Try this “Magic Ratio” With Your Kids Today

Is the communication in your home full of complaints, arguments, and whining? Chances are the “magic ratio” is off. Use these tips to bring some peace and calm to your family. After another extremely frustrating day battling his son about everything from screentime to bedtime, a parent sat down with

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Waiting for your child to mature emotionally can be exhausting, here are some tips.

Waiting for Emotional Maturity: A Reminder for Parents

Feeling frustrated because your child seems “too old” for certain behavior? This post will encourage you as you wait for them to mature emotionally. Thank you to April Finley for this guest post. Read more about her in the bio below! When my firstborn was between five and six years

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Overcoming the parenting pressure to raise a good human.

Overcoming the Pressure to Produce a Good Human

We all want to raise children who are well-behaved, thoughtful, and intelligent, but sometimes we miss the fact that we’re already raising a good human. All eyes are on you. The room is silent. Embarrassment floods your body. You want to grab your child and run out the door –

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