Does your child refuse to listen, or does the opposite of what you say? Learn 7 huge mistakes to avoid making with a defiant 2 year old. I try not to call it the Terrible Twos, but sometimes the label can feel so accurate, doesn't it? Maybe your toddler doesn't listen to a single word you say, no matter how you try to say it. Transitioning into daily activities—dinner, bedtime, clean-up time—is a struggle so intense and exhausting you end up giving in. She might even resort to being sassy, screaming, or biting, leaving you ragged from trying to discipline her strong-willed … [Read more...]
How to Discipline a Toddler Who Doesn’t Listen
Frustrated when your child disobeys on purpose or pushes your buttons? Learn how to discipline a toddler who doesn't listen or ignores you. "It's cleanup time! Can you put the cars back in the box?" I asked my toddler. I had been trying to implement a cleanup routine after play time, starting with all the toys strewn all over the floor. Except, he wasn't having it. He continued playing with the cars, as if he didn't hear me. "It's time to put the toys away," I tried again, my patience waning. "That means you have to stop and put those cars back in the box." I had hoped my tone of … [Read more...]
How to Raise Kids Who WANT to Behave (Even When No One Is Looking)
Wouldn't it be great if children behaved because they wanted to? Learn how to raise kids who WANT to behave, even when no one is looking. We have it backwards sometimes. Plenty of parenting advice discusses kids' misbehavior and how to get through their outbursts. We deal with tantrums, follow through with consequences, and pick our battles. All good stuff. Except, what if we could raise kids who want to behave, even when no one is looking? Kids will act up and misbehave, no doubt—even we adults do. We're raising kids, not robots, after all. In fact, we should worry if they never … [Read more...]
One Sure Way to Prevent Misbehavior in Children
Parenting would be so much easier if we could prevent misbehavior from even starting. Turns out, we can. Here's one sure way to do so. Do you ever get those days when it feels like your kids didn't act up? Every day, you're consoling another tantrum or dealing with whining. Well, I learned there's one thing we could do to avoid most of these outbursts—and it wasn't just waiting until "it gets better." By making changes, we can reduce and even prevent misbehavior in children. One sure way to prevent misbehavior in children And it all starts with this: Meet your child's … [Read more...]
How to Set Boundaries with Kids
Struggling with setting limits and holding your ground? Learn how to set boundaries with kids — and why they actually want them. It's always the little things. Wanting the white cup instead of the orange one. Putting their feet on the dining table when you've told them not to. The arguments at bedtime because they don't want to brush their teeth. At first it seems easier to accommodate their requests. What's one more story to read at bedtime? And that extra toy they asked for at the store seems educational enough. But those can lead to bigger problems, like talking back and … [Read more...]
Top 7 Ways to Make Parenting Toddlers Easier
Overwhelmed with the challenges of parenting toddlers? Discover the best tips to better communicate with your child and avoid another 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 parking, and … [Read more...]