One of my favorite children’s books for helping children understand the reading comprehension concept of cause and effect is a book called That’s Good, That’s Bad by Margery Cuyler. In this book, a young boy, starts his visit to the zoo when his parents get him a shiny red balloon. Oh, That’s Good!… No That’s […]
Let’s define nasty behavior… Hurting: with words and tone, hitting, pinching, biting … Fussing: screaming, yelling, talking back, whining, tantrums… Naming these STOP behaviors is the first step. No Hurting and No Fussing are the only rules you really need. Now that we know what we are dealing with, lets get to work on eliminating […]
How do we help a child own up to their behavior choices and begin to make a change? The following methods encourage a child to be in charge of their good choice making… Tell them the expectations upfront so they know what they are working towards. Give them a chance to rewind when they’ve made […]
Children as young as three can think things through using the statements… “If … Then…” This is called the age of reason where they can judge what might happen next if they choose certain behaviors. This means at this early age, we can already guide our children to take on the job of regulating […]
What child doesn’t love a trip to the bank? It’s one of the many errands on Mom’s list of places to go that kids simply don’t mind attending. Why is this? SUCKERS!!! Here’s what happened the other day: I was in the drive-through line at our bank… It was one of the final days of summer, […]
Hurry ! Before the rush of back to school events begins to take over your calendar, plan a weekly game night. Book it on your calendar. Then, turn off the tv and video games, put away your phone or IPAD, and leave the dirty dishes in the sink. Meet your family at the kitchen table or […]
Believe me. I am the first to melt when I see a little girl with ruffles on her tush… or a handsome young preschooler with a Cincinnati Reds jersey to match his MLB hat. I simply love to find a good deal on great clothes for kids, and my own children know when it comes to a photo opt… […]
Here is the honest truth… It is the first week of July, halfway through summer and it is clear to me that brothers and sisters don’t always get along. We have a choice to make as their parents… and what we decide could make or break the rest of our summer. Here are three responses […]
If your house is anything like mine, you have children who spend their days tattling on their siblings and you spend your day refereeing the arguments. When we acknowledge the tattling the accusing child gets two bonuses: First: They reported a negative behavior and “saved the day” Second: They feel like they have moved up […]
Rules for your city Rules for your church Rules for your library Rules for a classroom Rules for a school Rules for eating Rules for traveling in a car Rules for riding a bike Rules for… The list of rules in our world could go on and on, but the rule of thumb is that […]
