Tired of when your child says no all the time? Before you ignore your children's no's, consider these three reasons to listen—and respect— them when your child says no. It seems we tell our kids "no" all the time, from discipline to wanting new toys. But we forget the other side—when our kids say "no." Think about all the times your child say no. Maybe it's when another child demanded to play with the toy train in his hand. Or when an adult tickled him to tears and exhaustion despite saying no several times. Or if they're like my twins, maybe he's frustrated because you keep asking if he … [Read more...]
Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss Your Child’s Emotions
How often do we reassure our kids by saying "It's okay"? We try to make them feel better, but don't dismiss children's emotions — here's why. "Let's go to the beach!" I suggested to my toddler on a recent day off. The weather had finally started warming up, and I wanted to sit on the sand and hear the waves slapping back and forth. I packed up our blanket and toys, slathered on some sunscreen and headed out. But once I set my toddler down on the sand on his bare feet, he cried, "Want to carry up!" He didn't want to stand on the sand. Irritated, I carried my 30-plus pound toddler and a … [Read more...]
(Old) How I Learned to Encourage, not Pressure, My Child to Talk
When my little guy was a baby, we kept hearing from people, "Oh, he's going to be an early talker, just listen to him babble!" And I assumed the same until his 15-month appointment when his pediatrician asked the question that changed my mind: "How many words does he say?" "Umm..." I stammered. "Maybe three?" I replied. Even after I said it I knew I wasn't being completely accurate. His three words weren't words so much as babbles. He would say "mamama..." but without any direct correlation to me (or anything else, really), but because it sounded close to "mama" I counted it as a word. … [Read more...]
Is It Okay to Tell My Son He’s Handsome?
Do you tell your son he's handsome? Here's why I don't tell my son he's handsome and stay away from complimenting his looks. I think my two-year-old looks stunning. I can look at his face and fall in love each time. Being his mom gives me automatic permission to be over-the-top biased. I can brag about him to everyone, except... I don't. I not only refrain from telling others how handsome he is, I don't tell him, either. I'll call him cutie-pie but usually say it when he does something cute (like when he makes jokes). Not when he looks cute. Even for the times when he takes my breath … [Read more...]
Why You Shouldn’t Force Kids to Say Sorry
Teaching kids to say sorry shouldn't include forced apologies—even if done with good intentions. Here's why forcing kids to say sorry isn't a good idea. My toddler wasn't in the best of moods. It was one of those, "Let me whine about the littlest things" days. He and his dad were rough housing when he hit his dad with a plastic toy. Right away the air changed from giddiness to tension, and my son was in no mood to be schooled. Still, I knelt down to my toddler's eye level and said, "We don't hit other people." Okay, so far so good. "Daddy got sad and hurt when you hit him," I … [Read more...]
Smart, Artistic, Athletic: Why You Shouldn’t Label Your Child
How often have you said about a child, "She's the artistic one," or "He's the musical one"? Here's why you shouldn’t label your child. I wrote an awesome article I couldn't wait to publish. The words just flowed and I felt I had something meaningful to share with you all. Except you won't get to read a single word because I deleted it. "Can you read this article and tell me if I'm labeling him too much?" I asked my husband. Even before he answered, I knew in my gut that the post would classify my toddler immediately. I won't say what I had labeled my toddler (I deleted it for a … [Read more...]
How Empathy and Storytelling Help with Toddler Tantrums
Learn the benefits of storytelling and showing empathy and how they can help us better understand the reasons our kids behave the way they do. I came across the book The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. (affiliate link). The book talks about understanding the brain to help us survive daily struggles with our kids. Especially using empathy and storytelling for kids. Most of us have heard of left-brain and right-brain. The more integrated the different brain areas are, the calmer and happier children tend to be. The authors offer 12 strategies … [Read more...]
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