It's so easy to compare children, whether their milestones, achievements or interests. But here's why we need to stop comparing kids and what you can do instead. I jinxed myself, again. I was just beginning to think my toddler's tantrums didn't seem as terrible as in the past. And of course, he threw an all-out, can't-catch-my-breath tantrum in what should've been a fun birthday party. We had to listen to him cry the whole ride home—through traffic, of course—before he calmed down. All the while, I noticed how his cousin and birthday boy was laughing with family, sharing toys and … [Read more...]
How to Respond when People Criticize Your Parenting
Frustrated with the criticisms of the way you raise your kids? Here's how to respond when someone criticizes your parenting methods. One glaring fact had set me apart from my extended family: I didn't let my little toddler eat sweets. He had no first-year birthday smash cakes or Christmas cookies, and it was years before he had his first taste of candy. I became more lenient with the twins, but compared to most parents, still not too much. Coming from a family where dinner can include five desserts, this was sacrilege. And sometimes, I felt it. "Don't you feel bad for him, though?" … [Read more...]
On Accepting Your Children for Who They Are
We say we love our kids no matter what, but accepting your children for who they are can turn out to be a struggle. Learn what it means to love your child unconditionally: When you were pregnant, you may have imagined what your child would be like. Maybe you thought she'd be the little showman who'd charm friends and family with her humor and wit. Or you thought she'd be the next child prodigy who could solve puzzles in record time. Perhaps you looked forward to long hours of sweet slumber as you hold a calm baby in your arms. Instead, you got the opposite. The little showman you … [Read more...]
How to Teach Gratitude to Children
Teach your kids to be grateful! Avoid spoiling your kids and instead get tips on teaching kids gratitude so they're thankful for what they have. Many of us will (thankfully) never face true hardship at its grittiest. The kind that leaves you walking miles or taking three buses just to buy your groceries. Health diagnoses that leave you weeks or months to live. And most of us don't worry about diseases we drink from our water. We don't live in a one-room makeshift home where owning a tin roof over yours is a sign of wealth. Still, sometimes we lack the empathy for these issues. We're … [Read more...]