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...]

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...]

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...]

Setting limits with your strong-willed child can be a challenge. But with these simple techniques, you can turn difficult situations around! "She is just so stubborn, and... strong-willed," a friend said. She was talking about her child who was challenging her in ways she wasn't used to. Strong-willed children want to be in charge and will test limits. Imagine the two-year-old who insists "me do it!" as she fumbles with putting on her shoes. Meanwhile, mom waits impatiently, knowing she won't be putting her shoes as quickly as she could do it. As frustrating as it may be to handle a … [Read more...]

Do time outs really work? Many parents use time outs to discipline, but here's why time outs don't work and what to do instead. You hear it all the time: If your child misbehaves, put her in a time out. She'll learn that those actions aren't tolerated, and that consequences follow her misbehavior. You can even consult charts suggesting how many minutes per age to put her in a time out. Except... I don't think they work. In fact, I think there are far better ways to handle misbehavior. You see, the more I researched and learned about time outs, the more I realized that they can … [Read more...]

Looking for a better alternative to a time out? A time out isn't effective and misses key learning moments. Try this alternative instead. My three-year-old had been playing with an action figure when, out of frustration, he hurled it several feet away. He knew he's not supposed to throw certain toys that can break or hurt others, but he didn't seem to care. "We don't throw those toys," I glared at him. "Please pick it up and put it on the shelf." As expected, he stayed rooted to where he sat. Insert more threats here and there, and, I regret to admit, said, "You need to go to your … [Read more...]