Teaching children to listen the first time is a common parenting struggle every mom has faced. Learn how to get kids to listen with this one effective word. My three-year-old was stalling over everything. He'd take forever to put each leg through his shorts. I'd have to wait longer than usual for him to get out of the van. Even finishing dinner was another way for him to not do something I asked him to do. He knows he gets a reaction when he does this. Other times, he takes things personally and can't seem to just let it go. And still other times, it's difficult to convince him to do … [Read more...]
One Guaranteed Way to Show You Respect Your Children
Want to show you respect your children? Here's one way to check. This morning, I walked my three-year-old twins to preschool when one of them began to sulk and stall. He just stopped walking. My response? "Don't give me trouble! Hurry up already!" For many of us, this happens all too often. We don't treat kids with the respect they need. We yell, say things we regret, and forget this isn't the ideal way to interact with them. To be fair, our kids aren't always reasonable. They test our patience and need guidance and instruction. They're also not as experienced as adults and will … [Read more...]
Why Every Parent Needs to Show Empathy
What does it mean to show empathy for kids? Discover ways to understand what children are feeling and why every parent needs to show empathy. Last night, my six-year-old thought I didn't care about him. And all because of wooden blocks. I opened our 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 all 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 … [Read more...]
Why We Need to Stop Telling Boys to “Man Up”
Want to raise strong, confident boys? Stop telling boys to man up. These 5 reasons explain the downsides of telling a boy to be a man and what to do instead. We value a certain kind of boy. The ambitious and popular boy all the girls have a crush on. The class clown who can make anyone laugh, and of course the boy who won't back down from insults or harsh words. Being ambitious, popular, funny or assertive isn't the problem, but hiding other aspects of being a boy in the name of "manning up" is. The documentary The Mask You Live In addresses these issues and how often we're telling … [Read more...]
What to Do when Your Child Disrespects You
Tired of the disrespectful way your child talks back to you? Learn what to do about disrespectful children and how to rebuild your relationship. The Terrible Two's. The Threenager stage. When kids were younger, we could chalk their snarkiness to "it's just a stage." But after a while, that stage can get out of hand. Kids can be disrespectful, no matter how many times we've tried to break through. And the attitude sometimes stems from a major change in the home—not exactly something we could just erase. Regardless of the reason, it's difficult for all people involved. Both parent … [Read more...]
Are You Asking Open Ended Questions or Squashing Conversation?
Learn the importance of open ended questions for children to spark conversation and discover what to say (and not say) to encourage interaction. At the dentist's office, my six-year-old pulled out the map he'd been drawing. He sat sketching the rest of it when a woman waiting noticed his map. "Wow, is that a map?" she asked. Before he could answer, she continued, "Is it a treasure map?" He and I both knew he wasn't drawing a treasure map. But, as it sometimes happens when caught off guard, he responded, "Yes." She pressed on. "Where's the treasure? Don't forget to put an 'X' on … [Read more...]
Why We Need to Stop Saying “That’s For Girls”
Do you or others you know say "That's for girls" or "That's for boys"? Here's why we need to stop defining and limiting our children's interests by gender. I had a problem with the cashier, and not for ringing an item up twice. It wasn't that at all. In fact, she greeted us with a friendly smile and rang up our purchases on time. But meanwhile, my son had been waiting and passed time by tinkering with whatever was nearby. In this case, he was running his hands through a box of bracelets. Pink bracelets. The cashier, oblivious to her comment, brushed my son's hand away and said, "Oh … [Read more...]
“What Would You Do?”: Questions You Need to Ask to Keep Your Child Safe
Would your child know what to do in certain situation to keep her safe? Learn the 5 important questions you need to ask to keep your child safe. My six-year-old and I were home in the afternoon. I was getting something in my bedroom while he stayed in the kitchen. Then I heard it—what I thought was the door opening and closing. "Did someone open the door?" I asked him when I came back. I usually lock the door but you never know sometimes. "No," he replied. Still, I imagined all sorts of random people opening the door with me not knowing. And it made me ask him... "What would … [Read more...]
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