Parenting Blog Posts

Why is it so hard for children to just do what you tell them to do? Why is it, that when you tell a child "stop, don't do that," he so often goes right ahead and does it? This has to be one of the most frustrating parts of being a parent. What you may not realize is that a good portion of the reason children don't do as they're told is because we--their parents--are talking too much! We insist on explaining why, or try to convince them--"Jojo, I need you to put away your toys

One of the most important aspects of being a good and effective parent is making sure you've established your authority. What this means is that you've made it clear to your child that you, the parent, are in charge--you are the one who, among other things, sets boundaries, grants permission, decides when and what to eat, and decides when naps and bedtime occur. For some parents, it is a revelation to learn that not only can this actually be done, it is vitally important; it'

Parents want their children to be happy. Parents want their children to be well-behaved and obedient. The hard thing is that, for many parents, it feels as though when you try to get your children to behave well, you end up in conflict, and neither you nor your kids are happy. When you try to make them happy by giving them--even anticipating-- what they want, it doesn't seem to make any difference--they still demand and disobey, never seeming to recognize how nice and accommo

School will be starting again, sooner than we realize, and regardless of the format it's going to take, the goal is for our children to get an education. Notice the expression: "get an education" not "wait for the teacher to give them an education." Teachers often say they wish they could just use a funnel to pour learning into their students' heads. Having been my own children's teacher during homeschool, a fifth grade teacher in a classical Christian school, and a piano tea

Do you ever feel as though you are maybe not as effective in your parenting as you'd like to be? Do your children routinely ignore you when you speak to them, and sometimes talk back, or argue with you? If so you are not alone--of all of the issues I've faced in coaching parents, this is the most common frustration. Parents want to be taken seriously. We want to be respected, paid attention to, and obeyed. When you think about all we've been through for them--the pain of labo

The book of Proverbs, in the Bible, is filled with some of the most practical wisdom you can find anywhere on the subject of child-rearing.  It’s been an essential part of shaping the way I think, and in the development of my ideas regarding the bringing up of children.  However, there is a verse in the 31st chapter, a chapter primarily devoted to the description of a wise woman, which always kind of bothered me:  “The teachings of kindness are on her tongue.” It bothered me