Moving from one activity to the next can be a challenge for both kids and parents. Helping children with transitions is possible with these 5 tips. I swore I would never take him to the automobile museum ever again. I had planned a fun outing to take my then-toddler to visit a nearby car museum. I expected us to see different models of cars and play with the exhibits. Except it went nothing like that. He didn't want to visit any of the exhibits or even play with the toys on display and screamed if we even suggested it. So we figured he was hungry and ushered him quickly to the … [Read more...]
Tell Your Kids You Love Them, Even when It’s Hard To
It's easy to tell our kids "I love you" during happy times. But it's just as important to tell your kids you love them, even when it's hard to. Here's why. The downturn of the sides of their mouths. The narrowing of tearful eyes. The slight rise in the shoulders. These were the slight cues I'd see when my kids realized they were in trouble. And it all signaled one thing: They felt defensive. And who wouldn't? They don't like getting in trouble or knowing they did something wrong. And they don't want to disappoint their parents. So they pout, cry, or even get angry. But defensiveness … [Read more...]
How Teaching Kids about Emotions Reduces Misbehavior
Struggling with getting your child to listen? Learn how teaching kids about emotions reduces misbehavior, and how you can apply this in your daily life. My three-year-old told me I made him sad, and I couldn't be prouder. Let me back up. Picking up three kids from two schools in the afternoons is not my favorite part of the day. On one recent trip, I was buckling them in the van with all three telling me different stories at the same time. I was trying to listen to my eldest, who was first to talk, but his brothers kept interrupting. "You have to wait your turn to talk," I … [Read more...]
How to Respond to Your Child’s Anger
Dealing with meltdowns can be difficult, but it's during these times your angry child NEEDS you. Here are strategies to help you handle it. We had been so excited to work on the school garden. The last time we came, you couldn't peel my three boys away from digging and turning the soil. And this time was no different. Other than the occasional snack, they wanted to keep shoveling and pulling weeds. And then it happened: One of them didn't want to leave. Whereas the other two were ready to go home, he wanted to stay and dig. So we did the typical moves: empathized, tried to make the … [Read more...]
Why You Shouldn’t Tell Your Child to Stop Crying
Listening to your children cry can be frustrating, but should you tell your child to stop crying? Discover 3 compelling reasons not to. He scraped his knee and I held him in my arms, whispering, "Don't cry, don't cry..." Another time he'd been crying for 30 minutes straight and I snapped, "Stop crying already!" Maybe it was when I'd sent him to his room, telling him he can come out when he's finished crying. It's amazing how many times we tell our kids to "stop crying," for many and even with good intentions—from comforting pain to losing our patience. Regardless of the reason, one … [Read more...]
How to Be a Mindful Parent
Want to stop getting angry and reacting to your children's behavior? Learn how to be a mindful parent with these mindful parenting tips and ideas. Have you ever held three conversations with your kids at the same time, one for each child? It might go something like this: To child one: "Ooh, yeah, that's Ironman. He's red..." To child two: "Hmm, I don't think I've seen a circle or square kite, but yeah I'm pretty sure they exist..." Then to child three, who all this time was reading a book on your lap: "Okay, where were we? Ah yes, A told B and B told C..." I just described a … [Read more...]
9 Useful Techniques for Dealing with Anxiety in Children
Having trouble dealing with anxiety in your child? Learn useful techniques for anxiety in children you can apply immediately. Anxiety. I tell myself everyone deals with the emotion to varying degrees, including my kids. It's especially challenging handling anxiety in children because they're still learning how to cope with emotions, especially difficult ones. Anxiety can happen any time, but common culprits include: A change of plans: Your child throws a fit because you have to leave the museum sooner than expected. New environments and people: Entering a party with … [Read more...]
5 Tips to Increase Self Confidence in Kids
With Olympic stars and piano prodigies, it’s natural to hope our kids will excel. But a child’s ability to believe in himself far outweighs any laurels he’ll earn. Why? It’s that self confidence rather than success that can usher him through life's ups and downs. Here are five things I’m doing to increase self confidence in children. How to increase self confidence in children Tip #1: Praise the effort, not the person or the result. After I had my first baby, I heard parenting expert Julie Ross speak about the dangers of overpraise. Children driven by praise fall apart when people doesn’t … [Read more...]