Goodbye to Good Job and Way to Go

I want to be clear that using the praise phrases listed on this chart are a great start, but they’re simply not enough. NOT ENOUGH? NOT ENOUGH? How can that be…? What about all those trophies they’ve received? What about all those times I’ve bought them a treat? What about all those times I’ve told […]

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 […]

Break It Down

Are you constantly nagging your children to accomplish the smallest task? Could it be that what seems easy to you is overwhelming to  your child? Think about all the skills needed to make a bed,  pick up toys, pack your backpack… By breaking tasks down into their most minute parts, we might be able to […]

Who Tells The Stories

“Whoever tells the stories defines the culture.”  David Walsh PhD… Author of NO : why kids of all ages need to hear it and ways parents can say it. Who is the primary storyteller in your family? Is it your television? Is it your child’s phone, iPad or video games Is it another adult or […]

A Processing Pause

In this rush rush world of busy busy lives, we are quick to expect immediate responses from our children. When we ask them and expect a response they may take longer to process the request than we expect. Use this as a pausing moment for yourself.   Walk away saying… “Let me know when you are […]

Flexible Perspective

Do you find yourself in heated battles with your child? Is it because you’re both stuck on seeing the world in black or white? What would happen if you tweaked your perspectives and did some flexible thinking to work things out? Think about what you can and can’t live with, set boundaries around these things […]