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communication | sibling rivalry | discipline | emotions | positive parenting
You call out to your toddler who is scrambling up the jungle gym, “Be careful, honey! Watch out!” He decides it is too scary to climb and decides to go to the sandbox instead. You check your teen’s grades online and realize there is missing work, “Don’t you have math
Continue ReadingIf you’ve ever been the guest of honor at a surprise party you can relate to mixed-emotions. The flood of feelings can be overwhelming…surprise, joy, excitement, maybe shy because you didn’t expect it or even a little upset that your friend didn’t tell you. As adults, we understand that mixed-up
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Your kids are curled up on the couch reading their new library books. No one is bickering. The silence is amazing. Your heart fills with love as you admire their sweet, innocent faces. Fast forward ten minutes. A fight breaks out over who has more of the blanket. You rush
Continue ReadingWe tell our children to share their thoughts and feelings, stand up to bullies and have opinions, yet we ignore their whining, criticize their arguments and punish them when they disagree with our decisions. We don’t mean to send our kids a mixed message, but unfortunately, we leave them feeling
Continue ReadingYou yell too much. You worry constantly. You want everyone to sleep in their own bed, but you’re just too tired to fight it. When it comes to making changes to your parenting, it’s not hard to find things that need work. But, there are tons of things that
Continue ReadingThe “Witching Hour.” Also known as the perfect storm that occurs around 5:00 each afternoon. You’re trying to get dinner on the table, the kids are fighting, the baby is begging to be held, tensions are high. Some days I’m not sure I can survive it. Can you? 9 Tips
Continue ReadingHere are some of my favorite posts from 2014. Click on the picture to read the post. Imperfection Don’t forget about the Pictures of My Imperfect Life Challenge! It’s not too late to share a picture of your imperfect life on my Facebook page. Let’s face it, not everything
Continue ReadingMy 1st grader burst into the door with exciting news: “Mom, I have to be good, Santa’s watching me!” While most parents would leap for joy at that statement, I cringed. Santa’s not watching you,” I mumbled under my breath. Trying not to crush her spirit – or her enthusiasm
Continue ReadingAll kids are impulsive. They hit, bite, kick and yell without thinking through the consequences. They feel a feeling and act on it. We can blow this off as “kids will be kids” or send them to the corner until they “learn their lesson.” Or, we can introduce our kids
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Your son walks in with muddy shoes. You say, “Please take your shoes off by the door!” He refuses. You ask again. He continues to walk through the room getting mud everywhere. Feeling angry and frantic, you search for some leverage, something to get him to respond to your
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