Search the Archives:

13 ways to stay calm when your child is upset by Nicole Schwarz, Imperfect Families

13 Ways to Stay Calm When Your Child is Upset

It can be hard to stay calm when your child is upset, anxious, angry, or sad. Read through this list to find 13 ways to practice calm, confident parenting. I did not start out being an especially calm, patient parent. It took years of practice, therapy, and lots of deep

Continue Reading

10 things I love about having older kids (Tweens and Teenagers)

Raising tweens and teenagers can be challenging, but there are a lot of amazing things about this stage too! Read this list and then create your own. If there’s one phrase I would like to eliminate from our vocabulary, it is “just wait until they’re older.” Being a mom of

Continue Reading
Three things to do when your child is in the middle of a meltdown.

Three Things to do When Your Child is in the Middle of a Huge Meltdown

Big emotions can be scary, overwhelming, and stressful for parents (and for kids!). Use these three tips to parent with a calm confidence during your child’s next meltdown. She stands in the kitchen screaming. Hands clenched at her sides. Eyes focused and glaring. You try everything – offering a hug,

Continue Reading
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

Continue Reading
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

Continue Reading
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

Continue Reading
How to cope with parenting burnout

How to Cope with Parenting Burnout

If you’re feeling exhausted, tired, and overwhelmed, you’re not alone! Many parents experience burnout – especially after parenting through a pandemic. Use these tips to cope with burnout, and enjoy your kid again! Do you ever feel like you just cannot do it anymore? The lunchbox packing. The teeth brushing.

Continue Reading
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

Continue Reading
How to talk to kids about race and racism

How to talk to kids about race and racism

It’s never too early to start talking to kids about race and racism. These tips will help you get the conversation started.   Saraa D. Lee, MSW, LCSW, shares her tips for talking about race with our kids. Check out her website Pacific Burnout Therapy or on Facebook. Conversations about

Continue Reading
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 –

Continue Reading