Parenting Archives - Sleeping Should Be Easy

7 Ways to Make Parenting Toddlers Easier

Sep 28, 2023

Overwhelmed with the challenges of parenting toddlers? Discover the best tips to better communicate with your child and avoid another temper tantrum. To this day, my husband and I haven't returned to a local car museum. We took our then-toddler to see the car exhibits. We had just made it to the main lobby when he decided to throw a fit about being there. Trying to convince him to visit the exhibits or play with the hands-on toys and activities were useless. My husband and I looked at each other, in a What are we going to do? sort of way. We had just paid for the tickets and the … [Read more...]

Try These Fine Motor Skills Activities for 7 Year Olds

Activities

Sep 25, 2023

Help your child strengthen their small hand muscles! Check out these fine motor skills activities for 7 year olds you can do at home. Appalling handwriting, unrecognizable drawings, struggling to dress herself... Your child isn't exactly mastering her fine motor skills the way her peers are. But while you may have brushed it off when she was younger, she's now 7 years old... and you're growing more concerned. She's had zero interest in drawing and holds her utensils incorrectly (she's become quite the messy eater). She's bright and loves to read but avoids activities that focus on fine … [Read more...]

Tell Your Kids You Love Them, Even When It’s Hard To

Communication

Sep 19, 2023

It's easy to tell your kids you love them during happy times. But it's just as important to do so when it's hard as well. Here's why: The downturn of the sides of their mouths. The narrowing of tearful eyes. The slight rise in the shoulders. These were the slight cues I'd see when my kids realized they were in trouble. And it all signaled one thing: They felt defensive. And who wouldn't? They don't like getting in trouble or knowing they did something wrong. And they don't want to disappoint their parents. So, they pout, cry, or even get angry. But defensiveness doesn't help anyone. … [Read more...]

How to Praise Your Child for a Growth Mindset

Communication

Sep 16, 2023

Many parents praise their kids with good intentions, but did you know praise can also hinder their potential? Learn how to praise your child for a growth mindset. I was impressed. My then-four-year-old had just finished building an intricate structure of wooden blocks. This was the stuff I didn't even know he could do. Each block was meticulously placed and symmetrical, and it looked like something a budding architect would make. I was so proud. Like any parent, I wanted to keep his spirits high and his ambition from fizzling. And in other times, I might have blurted out, "I … [Read more...]

How to Manage Your Anger with Intentional Parenting

Parenthood

Sep 15, 2023

Do you react and get angry with your child, then feel guilty about it? Learn how to manage your anger with intentional parenting to stay calm. "You're mean!" my son yelled at me. Apparently, he didn't like that I wanted to apply sunblock on him so we could go to school. He had been reading a book and wanted me to start on his brother first. But even when I suggested I apply the sunblock while he reads, he stomped out of the room. The thing is, I wasn't in the mood to deal with it. I felt stressed about work and had my own emotional weight to carry—now I had to deal with this, … [Read more...]

5 Ways to Teach Impulse Control for Kids

Development

Sep 13, 2023

Do you wish your child would think before acting more often? Learn how to teach impulse control for kids with these 5 useful tools. Wondering what age young children typically stop to think before acting? Many parents struggle with impulse control for kids, despite time-outs or removing privileges. Perhaps your child grabs toys from other kids or pushes them for no reason. She doesn't think twice about touching something hot or dirty, and she can't stay away from the items you keep telling her not to touch. The confusing part? She says "sorry" right away and knows that what she did … [Read more...]

How to Show Empathy to a Child

Communication

Sep 10, 2023

What does it mean to have empathy for kids? Discover ways to understand what children are feeling and how to show empathy to a child. My then-six-year-old thought I didn't care about him—and all because of wooden blocks. I opened a box of wooden blocks for my three boys to dig into. By the time they separated their stash, he had way more than the other two. In an attempt to be fair, I counted the blocks and divided them equally among all three—and that meant taking a few blocks away from him. He started to pout and cry. It's just a bunch of blocks, I tried to convince him. You had way … [Read more...]

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