When we think about manners, we often think about our child in context - that is, in the context of social interactions where their characters will be judged and evaluated based on their manners. Phew, that’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself and your little one. While manners definitely do impact how our … Continue reading Teaching Manners Mindfully
Over the past few decades, there has been a lot of emphasis on the skills that children need in order to enter school successfully; being interested in books, recognizing that symbols are representative, matching colors and shapes, the list goes on … However, there has been a significant increase in mental health concerns among … Continue reading Beyond ABCs and 123s: Rethinking School-Readiness
Have you ever stopped to consider why having a child whom others think of as “nice” is so important to us as parents? I’m almost 100% sure that every parent wants to raise a child that is described as “nice” - kind, compassionate, putting others’ needs ahead of their own, well-mannered, and generally liked. The … Continue reading The disease to please: Why we need to stop raising “nice” kids – and start raising kind ones
The vast majority of parents strive to raise children that are respectful, responsible, self-reliant, cooperative and assertive. However, in families where parents take the “I’m the boss” route, children often find themselves and their feelings being steamrolled or disregarded. Nowhere is this truer than when a parent makes a mistake. And trust me, we all … Continue reading How (and why) to apologize to children
Leadership has been discussed over and over again in the professional world, with many blogs, books, podcasts, and courses being dedicated to the subject. In contrast, very few people speak about the importance of being a leader in the parenting relationship. Leadership in the parenting relationship can be even more important than in the professional … Continue reading Leading versus Managing: Why parents need to bridge the gap
Have you ever seen one of those chattering teeth toys where the jaws just keep moving and making noise, but nothing worthwhile comes out? I bet you feel like this most of the time as a parent! “My kids just don’t seem to listen to me” is one of the most common parenting concerns. What … Continue reading Help! My kids won’t listen
Seared in my memory is the image of a three-year-old, valiantly refusing to put a bite of food in their mouth. The harder we pushed, the more he refused. And this was something he had eaten the day before! An eternity later, after much coaxing and prompting, he ate. And neither of us felt good … Continue reading Putting Power Struggles Behind You
Recently, in a Coffee with the Coach chat with parents in the ThinkerKid community, a mommy asked about screen time. During the lockdown period, where schools and outside activity ground to a halt in order to flatten the COVID-19 curve, many parents continued working while trying to manage without the assistance of childcare. Naturally, this … Continue reading Screen time Post Lockdown: No-drama Reduction
How often do you hear yourself saying “I’m counting to three and this better get done!” or yelling “go to your room and think about what you’ve done!” or at worst, finding yourself hitting your child?
Many of us, myself included, come from a cultural background where our parents believe(d) that punishment is not only a way to improve their children’s behavior, but also a hallmark of being a good parent.
Imagine yourself in a magical wonderland where everything is open to you and nothing is off limits. You can touch, poke, prod without anyone stopping you. The one caveat here is that you never know if what you are doing is safe, or what the outcome will be, because there are no boundaries. Photo by … Continue reading How to set boundaries (respectfully) … and keep them!
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