parenting Archives | Sleeping Should Be Easy

How to Stay Positive During Pregnancy

Published Jan 22, 2020 Updated Jan 22, 2020

For many pregnant moms, welcoming a baby can be a difficult challenge to get through. Here's how to stay positive during pregnancy and when times are tough. I know I'm not alone when I say your pregnancy can get tough. For you, it might be caring for your toddler when you can barely walk, thinking of financial bills to come, or coping with health issues. And when it rains, it pours—bad luck seems to invite even more bad luck. I hardly have bad luck in life, but it seems to have barged right through the door as I neared the end of my twin pregnancy. You see, I endured several … [Read more...]

How to Teach a Child to Dress Themselves

development

Published Jan 20, 2020 Updated Jan 21, 2020

Want to let the kids dress themselves and also save yourself time? Learn how to teach a child to dress themselves in the mornings with these useful tips. I was late for work, and my son insisted on putting his shoes on. This wouldn't have been a problem... if he actually knew how to put shoes on. You see, all this time, I'd been doing everything for him because it just seemed faster that way. The problem? I figured I'd save more time if he only knew how to get dressed—except that took time I already didn't have. Catch-22, anyone? In my home, my husband usually had morning duty … [Read more...]

How to Make Mom Friends

parenthood

Published Jan 17, 2020 Updated Jan 19, 2020

Motherhood finds you busier than ever. Still, that doesn't mean friendships are doomed. Take a look at how to make mom friends and build your village. Friendships used to be tricky for me. Long before I was even a mom, I wondered why I didn't have that one "best" friend that some people seemed so lucky to have. Sure, I had amazing friends, but never that one person to call my best, the one that everyone would associate me with. I didn't focus on how to make friends and certainly didn't have many. After I got over myself, I then wondered why I didn't have a group of friends, you … [Read more...]

Why You Need to Respond when Adults Tease Your Child

communication

Published Jan 15, 2020 Updated Jan 19, 2020

Do adults tease your child, even with good intention? Learn why you need to respond to others' teasing and how to do so firmly yet tactfully. You're at a family party, and grandpa teases your child and pretends to take away his toy. He means well, as most adults do when they try to make kids laugh, but now the teasing has grown out of hand and your child is getting upset. On one hand, you don't want to be that parent everyone has to be careful about with what they say to her kids. So you laugh it off, while still dropping enough hints that it's time to stop the teasing. But you … [Read more...]

Stop Giving Your Child Empty Threats

behavior

Published Jan 08, 2020 Updated Jan 11, 2020

How many times have you threatened your kids with a consequence, only to not actually enforce it? Learn how to avoid empty threats for better behavior. "If you don't stop, we're not going to the park!" I hollered at my kids. They had been fighting over a toy, for what seemed like the tenth time that day. But instead of instant submission—or even a pause—they refused to listen. The threat of not going outside to play wasn't enough to get them to stop fighting. Sure, they may have been too involved to fully grasp the threat, or maybe not going to the park wasn't enough of a motivation … [Read more...]

The Difference between Distraction and Redirection (and Why I Prefer One Over the Other)

behavior

Published Jan 01, 2020 Updated Jan 11, 2020

You've likely used distraction to curb your child's behavior, but you may find that it backfires. Learn why redirecting children's behavior is a better option to discipline a child. My kids were fighting over the same fire truck... again. Tired of the arguing, pleading and tears, I scrambled to find something to break up the fight. I dug into the storage bin and found old toys they haven't played with in a while. "Look, check out this new board game!" I announced, and as I predicted, the fight ended as they scampered toward the new toy. The fire truck sat untouched, no longer a hot issue … [Read more...]

How to Help Your Sad Child Handle Their Feelings

development

Published Dec 26, 2019 Updated Jan 18, 2020

Wondering how to help your sad child feel less overwhelmed with her feelings? Take a look at these tips to help her cope with sadness in a healthy way. We forget we learn about our feelings. While kids are born with the ability to feel emotions*, they can't express them verbally or as clearly as we do. We end up with tantrums, confusing behavior, or kids who refuse to talk or communicate because that's all they know how to express these feelings. This is true even for a sad child overwhelmed with her feelings. Maybe she lost a toy, fought with a friend, or watched a sad movie. She … [Read more...]

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