Parenting Archives | Sleeping Should Be Easy

6 Reasons to Stop Labeling Kids

Published Mar 21, 2020 Updated Mar 21, 2020

From shy to outgoing, difficult to easygoing, learn the negative effects of labeling kids and why you should not label children (plus what to do instead). Why bother? I would think to myself each time I took an algebra or calculus exam. I expected to do poorly, so I didn’t even try. After all, I was the “artistic” kid. I was creative, a wordsmith, not a “math person.” As I grew up, I never considered I could do well in math classes, even throughout college. It wasn't until years later that I learned the downsides of labeling kids, and that I can be good at math. That anyone can do … [Read more...]

5 Things to Remember when You’re Losing Your Temper with Your Toddler

Behavior

Published Mar 17, 2020 Updated Mar 17, 2020

Tired of losing your temper with your toddler? From tantrums to bedtime battles, losing your patience is never easy. Discover 5 effective tips to help you calm down. It was starting to tug at my nerves. Normally, I could talk myself down or even ignore my kids when they throw a fit, but sometimes, I ended up screaming right back at them. I'd lose my patience (not to mention my voice). The triggers usually happened when they didn't listen or made a big deal out of something that shouldn't take so much energy. Other times, I'd lose my temper when they'd yell at the top of their … [Read more...]

Children’s Books about Separation Anxiety

Children's Books

Published Mar 12, 2020 Updated Mar 12, 2020

Separation anxiety in kids can be challenging. Read these children's books about separation anxiety to help your child cope with these difficult feelings. Imagine the infant who cries the instant his parents put him down, or the preschooler who has to let go of daddy's hand and stay with her new teacher. Whether in the infant or preschool ages, dealing with separation anxiety isn't easy on anyone. You might get annoyed ("Why does she cry every time I step five feet away?"), worried ("How is he coping in his new school?"), or downright frustrated. Despite these emotions that … [Read more...]

How to Handle a Car Seat Tantrum

Behavior

Published Mar 11, 2020 Updated Mar 11, 2020

Struggling with convincing your child to get—and stay—in a car seat? Learn how to handle a car seat tantrum effectively with these tips. I felt stuck. My three-year-old son refused to get into his car seat and go home from preschool. As an infant, he was easy enough to maneuver into the car seat, crying or not, but as a "big kid," he was now strong enough to push me away. And without his cooperation, I couldn't get him safely strapped in the car and head home. I felt so vulnerable, unable to do anything unless he was willing to comply. No longer could I strap him in regardless of his … [Read more...]

How to Respond to Toddler Testing

Behavior

Published Mar 09, 2020

Losing your patience with your toddler testing limits? Learn how to set boundaries and ground rules while nurturing your child's spirit. It started when I asked my son to stop tapping his fork on the bowl (Oh why must they always tap things on the dining table?!). He "stopped," but started tapping the fork again, this time quietly, looking at me all the while to see my reaction. Now, if these scenarios were rare, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But when toddler testing happens throughout the day—for every little thing—it's enough to make me lose my patience. Maybe your … [Read more...]

9 Warning Signs You’re Raising a Spoiled Child

Behavior

Published Mar 08, 2020 Updated Mar 08, 2020

Struggling with your child's behavior? Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're guilty of spoiling. Here are 9 early warning signs of a spoiled child to look out for. It can start off as the occasional whining. She wants to stay longer at the park or get a new unicorn toy (never mind the many others sitting in a box at home). Then it escalates to throwing a fit when you try to tell her no, or outright disobeying on purpose when she gets upset. She might even demand which restaurant to eat this week, all without showing gratitude when you agree to go. No parent intentionally sets out to … [Read more...]

7 Things You Should NOT Do with a Defiant 2 Year Old

Behavior

Published Mar 07, 2020 Updated Mar 07, 2020

Does your toddler refuse to listen, or does the opposite of what you say? Learn how to deal with a defiant 2 year old and avoid these 7 huge mistakes. I try not to call it the Terrible Twos, but sometimes the label can feel so accurate, doesn't it? Maybe your toddler doesn't listen to a single word you say, no matter how you try to say it. Transitioning into daily activities—dinner, bedtime, clean-up time—is a struggle so intense and exhausting you end up giving in. She might even resort to being sassy, hitting, or biting, leaving you ragged from trying to discipline and rein her … [Read more...]

Toddler Acting Out at Daycare? What You Need to Do

Behavior

Published Mar 04, 2020 Updated Mar 09, 2020

Handling your child's behavior when you're not there can be a challenge. Learn exactly what to do about your toddler acting out at daycare with these tips. Disciplining at home is hard enough, but what do you do when you're not there to manage your toddler's behavior? From daycare to preschool and even to a nanny caring for him, you'd think it'd be easier to let someone else handle his behavior. Instead, you feel helpless hearing about his outbursts. You might even feel judged, wondering what the staff must think of your parenting skills. Perhaps you're frustrated that it's still … [Read more...]

6 Reasons to Stop Labeling Kids

5 Things to Remember when You’re Losing Your Temper with Your Toddler

Children’s Books about Separation Anxiety

How to Handle a Car Seat Tantrum

How to Respond to Toddler Testing

9 Warning Signs You’re Raising a Spoiled Child

7 Things You Should NOT Do with a Defiant 2 Year Old

Toddler Acting Out at Daycare? What You Need to Do

YOU ARE ENOUGH

PARENTING WITH PURPOSE

HOW TO TEACH YOUR BABY TO SELF SOOTHE

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YOU ARE ENOUGH

PARENTING WITH PURPOSE

HOW TO TEACH YOUR BABY TO SELF SOOTHE