The Mother Lode (of Working Mom Guilt) With motherhood comes an onslaught of emotions. Depending on the circumstances, we feel everything from joy to dread. But perhaps the one emotion that strikes the hardest and most often is guilt. “Mom guilt” can be defined as what a mother feels …
Read MoreHow to Discipline a Toddler Without Hitting Part 5: Applying Brene Brown’s Empathy and Shame Research for Realistic Expectations
Wherever I look, I see signs of the commandment to honor one’s parents and nowhere of a commandment that calls for the respect of a child. -Alice Miller Recently my two-year-old dashed up to me, wrapped her short little arms around my neck and said, “Mom, you’re my best friend.” …
Read MoreHow to Discipline a Toddler Without Hitting Part 4: Creating Consequences with purpose Through John Gottman’s Emotion Coaching
It’s okay to be angry, it’s not not not okay to hurt someone. -Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood When using an authoritative approach to parenting as described in part 3, it’s important for parents to keep in mind their long-term goals. Children need to immediately stop harmful, destructive, or unkind behavior, but …
Read MoreHow to Discipline a Toddler Without Hitting Part 3: Understanding the Need for Control with Baumrind Parenting Styles
Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them. -Richard L. Evans Parenting is akin to Goldilocks and the three little bears. At first Goldilocks tries the porridge that is too cold. This is the parent who is strict and …
Read MoreHow to Discipline a Toddler Without Hitting Part 2: Preventing Misbehavior Through Skinner’s Schedules of Reinforcement
If we don’t shape our kids, they will be shaped by outside forces that don’t care what shape our kids are in. ~ Dr. Louise Hart ~ This post is part of a five-part series. Part 1 is available here. Be sure to also check out the post on why …
Read MoreNo-Drama Discipline encourages kids to look inside themselves, consider the feelings of others, and make decisions that are often difficult. . .When we’re willing to lovingly set a boundary. . .we help create neural connections that improve our kids’ capacity for relationships, self-control, empathy, personal insight, morality, and much, much …
Read MoreA person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a given way, at best, he learns how to avoid punishment. -B.F. Skinner Dan, at four years old, kept poking his little brother in the head no matter how much I explained that this was not a …
Read MoreListen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff. ― Catherine …
Read MoreNot all screen-time is created equal. Some can actually be helpful! One 2016 study found that coviewing 10 episodes of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood with a parent over a 2 week period benefited children in three profound ways.
Read MoreThe greater the distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of entitlement. -Wilford W. Andersen Imagine you are babysitting your nine-year-old neighbor Grayson. You plop down face-to-face for a game of Monopoly, one of your favorites growing up. You have a sluggish start trying …
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