rules

tech effect
Get a Handle on Technology in your Family Life

When you look through your child’s Holiday Wish List, do you see mostly technology toys? DVD’s Video Games Gaming Systems Tablets Laptops Phones itunes gift cards Cameras Adding in more technology may end up subtracting more from your family time. Don’t let technology rob your family of crucial teachable, positive growth moments that involve people […]

the connected child
All They Need is Love through Power and Attention

There are two things that children are usually looking for when they display inappropriate behaviors… Power and Attention The authors of the book The Connected Child do a wonderful job of describing healing and helpful ways to connect to your children.  They designed the book with adoptive children in mind, but their great ideas can […]

The Big Little Moments of our Day

Why is it that smallest parts of our day lead to the BIGGEST MELTDOWNS? Moving from bed to getting dressed Moving from breakfast to packing up back packs Moving from car to preschool drop off Moving from tv off to homework time Moving from playtime in the backyard to dinner…. Where is your BIGGEST MELTDOWN? It is very likely […]

8211564-happy-family-of-four-members-at-the-dinner-table
Meal Times Matter

Although dinner time at our house may not always run smoothly, it serves as the number one factor that ensures our family’s success.  Studies show that children who sit down with their family regularly ( for breakfast, lunch, or dinner) are more likely to do well in school, attain their goals, and succeed socially.  This is because the family […]

Win Win situation

We expect our kids to be big kids yet we end up doing everything for them. By letting your kids have more chances to do things for themselves and do these things with success we can hand over more power and control to them which is all they really want. Simple things like carrying their own dish to […]

Play it Safe

Your number one house rule should be “We are Safe”. This is the one way to make sure that no one gets hurt or humiliated. This means that adults will not hurt or humiliate a child and children will follow suit. It also means that they will make choices that are safe. Of course being […]

Nasty Gets Nothing

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 […]

The Rule of Thumb When Making Rules…

                               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 […]