Meeting the emotional needs of a child raises well-rounded, competent, and capable kids. Discover 7 unique ways to nurture your child's emotional needs. Less tantrums, more listening, getting along with others... every parent wants nearly the same things from their kids, things we think are rooted in their behavior. Want less tantrums? Simply put your foot down. And while these tips and tricks are the actions we take to course-correct, they stem from a deeper reason why kids behave that way in the first place. For instance, why do kids throw tantrums, and more important, why is it that … [Read more...]
8 Keys to Explaining Emotions to Your Child
Is your child struggling with feelings and learning how to cope through them? Learn how to manage emotions and kids with these 8 important techniques. You and I, we’ve had years of practice when it comes to emotions. We can pinpoint when we feel excited over a present or jealousy when we want something we can’t have. We know feelings come and go—all of them—and that everyone feels the same emotions at some point. Kids aren’t born knowing this and don't have the years of experience we've had at discerning emotions. They might assume they're "bad" when they feel angry, or feel stuck in … [Read more...]
5 Effective Techniques to Help Children with Transitions
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 feelings reduces children's 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 Help Your Angry Child
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...]