Inside: Five Positive Tools for Helping Siblings Solve Conflicts and Get Along The following is adapted from Rebecca’s new book, The Positive Parenting Workbook. This inspiring and inviting guide walks readers through the process of charting a new path toward greater emotional awareness, clear communication, and joyful parenting! Filled with encouraging prompts and plenty of… Continue Reading
Discipline Your Misbehaving Child With Positive and Proven Strategies. Do you really want to spend the next several years with your child shouting, threatening, nagging and feeling exasperated day in and day out? Here are proven positive strategies to change behavior and help your child grow responsible and healthy. Continue Reading
Over the summer, my 9 year old daughter began having trouble falling asleep. “I just can’t sleep!!” she whined (and she really meant it.) After several weeks of trying to talk her out of her insomnia, I decided a new bedtime routine was in order. We brainstormed the steps, and decided to include a short… Continue Reading
The holiday season can be a big trap for stress and parenting self-sabotage. For the next several weeks, you may have high expectations for good, cooperative behavior. You may get tired of fielding requests for big, expensive or so very many gifts. Comments from relatives at family gatherings may trigger self-doubt. Little elves on shelves eagerly waiting to report… Continue Reading
The best praise is focused on your child’s effort, not your child’s traits. The same is true of criticism. In one study by Columbia University researchers, kindergarteners were given a scenario: a teacher asks them to create a house out of Legos, and they forget to put in windows. Then the teacher and child role-play… Continue Reading
Inside: How To Use Positive Discipline To Respond to Aggressive Behaviors in Toddlers and Young Children It’s quite normal for toddlers and preschoolers to struggle with aggressive behavior from time to time. When your child acts aggressively it is typically a sign that she is feeling upset, scared or overwhelmed. Many parents worry that aggressive… Continue Reading
How To Use Positive Discipline For Setting Limits with Kids I keep a notebook about each of my children in which I record major events, questions, and notes from parent-teacher conferences and other meetings. I happened to be thumbing through my daughter’s notebook while at a doctor visit last month, and a folded piece of… Continue Reading
Your child’s behavior is not the problem. Really. If your child’s behavior is not the problem, then what is? Some parents reply, “I’m the problem!” It’s true that you may be part of the problem but here’s the real answer . . . The problem is the problem. There’s always something deeper that causes the… Continue Reading
A parent wrote in recently asking why timeouts are making her daughters behavior worse instead of better. She shares: I have a 3 year old daughter that throws the biggest tantrums whenever i simply say no or disagree with her. She has picked up negative behaviors to calm herself. Such as slamming doors and using aggression.… Continue Reading
Positive solutions for after school attitude, meltdowns and tantrums. Does your child seem to have a bad attitude, or throw tantrums right after school? Meltdowns, difficult attitudes for the rest of the afternoon, homework refusal and defiance at home are quite normal in the weeks following the start of school. These meltdowns and bad moods… Continue Reading