We have a large mirror in the bathroom we refer to as the kids' bathroom. We only call it such because this is the one bathroom with a bathtub and because we have a stool in there to make it easier for them to wash hands. In truth, most of our guests use this bathroom and our... Continue Reading →
pick your battles…
The phrase "pick your battles" is often bandied about by parents, especially by those who practice some form of gentle parenting. It refers to the fact that you should be willing to participate in give and take, saving absolutes for situations when you really aren't willing to budge and being more flexible the rest of... Continue Reading →
perpetual victimhood…
Parents often blame their kids for their behavior. Many of us have been subjected to the frazzled parent in the store who falls back on the line of "Don't make me <insert whatever punishment you like>!" After all, it couldn't possibly be the parent who makes their own choices and follows through on them -... Continue Reading →
parenting from the inside out…
Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell is an informative and insightful book. Our previous experiences have lasting effects on future experiences. If we don't take the time to process our own pasts - good and bad, we are destined to repeat history. While I didn't find any of the information to be... Continue Reading →
compliance in dangerous situations…
As parents, we would love to believe that the world is a safe place for our children to explore and learn. Generally, that is true. However, there are certain dangers out there - some which are merely things our children haven't encountered and learned about yet and some that are lurking in wait. Because of these things, there... Continue Reading →
parents and power struggles…
From the day we are born, we spend our lives learning. We observe those around us. We learn to sit, crawl, walk, and talk in some order. We learn to navigate the world around us by interacting with it and with others. We gain experiences, learning from each one. By the time we reach adulthood, we have... Continue Reading →
positive discipline…
In her book Positive Discipline, Jane Nelsen approaches the topics of gentle and non-punitive parenting from an Adlerian point of view. She introduces the four R's of punishment - resentment, revenge, rebellion, and retreat - and focuses her version of positive discipline as one which works toward mutually acceptable goals and solutions. The book has a lot... Continue Reading →
ultimate temper tantrums…
Yelling, hitting, threatening.....When our children do these things, parents refer to it as temper tantrums. When parents do these things, those same people refer to it as discipline. The fact of the matter is, they are both the same thing - a call for help. When a person feels overwhelmed or frustrated, they feel out of... Continue Reading →
filling up with love…
Sometimes, when I am out of sorts with one of my children and we aren't connecting very well, I gather the child up in my arms and onto my lap. I might say in a funny voice, "I think you need filled up with love." Sometimes they argue a bit. Othertimes they just feel relief.... Continue Reading →
I love you rituals…
Sometimes parents get so caught up in the physical acts of parenting, that they forget about the emotional acts of parenting. Becky Bailey presents the idea of making rituals in order to reconnect with our children in her book I Love You Rituals. While much of the book is targeted to parents and caregivers with young children,... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 