WPTV.com’s article on 10 Controversial Parenting Tips prompted me to give my two cents on the 10 hot button issues of parenting. Here are the first 2 hot button issues What do you think of co-sleeping? What do you think of homeschooling? Today’s post is hot button issue #3, Spanking. “Spare the rod, spoil the […]
A parent asked me, “I’ve told my kids to do their homework when they first come home from school. But they just won’t do it, and end up finishing late. What can I do?” The parent’s thinking is to get homework out of way first, and that is a good study habit. This makes sense…only […]
I’ve never met a parent who has not been frustrated and angry at their kids. In fact, I would say most parents are worn pretty thin with kids who just simply wear them down. Are you a parent like that? In this series on Getting Control of Your Frustrations, I talked about getting frustrated and […]
We parents talk too much. I suppose it comes naturally to us to talk too much. When we tell our kids “NO” to having a cookie right before dinner and they begin to whine, we feel compelled to explain to them why they can’t have a cookie. When they continue to whine, we escalate our volume […]
A reader asks, “How do I stop my toddler from whining?” Honestly, even adults whine! I get whiny when I don’t get what I want. “I want a new kitchen…I want a vacation…I want to eat out every night…” I whine when I can’t control the circumstances in my favor and get what I want. […]
My family had a great time at the Los Angeles County Fair this past weekend. At the “Bark Park” the stunt dogs performed a number cute tricks. For one of the tricks, two small children were asked to be volunteer helpers. Usually kids love that sort of thing. However, one of them, a little 4-year-old […]
I believe it was Gary Smalley who taught that everyone has an emotional tank. We function at our best when our emotional tank is full. Here’s how it works. When an emotional need is met, our tank gets a “deposit.” It fills up a bit. A hug, an affirming word, a listening ear, laughter, good […]
While we were at the cemetery paying tribute at my mother’s grave site (it’s been 9 years since her passing, I miss her), my 8-year-old nephew started running around with no apparent aim. His mother and I looked at each other. “Where is he going?” We nodded with mutual understanding: It doesn’t matter where he’s […]
Are your children spending too much time on computer/video games and won’t stop playing? Will an Internet Use Contract solve your problem? When we draft such a contract, we want to make the kid promise to all kinds of restrictions – “I will not play more than 2 hours a day. I will not chat […]
This is the second article in the series on Discipline. Honestly, no one likes to be disciplined, isn’t that right? Whether you are an adult being disciplined by the law or by your boss, or you are a child disciplined by a teacher or by a parent, it’s definitely no fun.
