The Power of Collaborative Discussions Learning how to have collaborative discussions in your family is crucial to teaching your children responsibility, how to be flexible, and how to share their ideas and listen to others amongst other important life skills. It is often challenging to understand when it’s appropriate to discuss and plan together, when…
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Navigating the digital landscape with teenagers can feel like a constant battle, especially when interactive entertainment begins to overshadow daily life. Many parents find that setting video game limits is one of the most challenging aspects of modern parenting, often met with intense resistance or withdrawal. However, establishing these boundaries is not about restriction for…
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How to Get Kids to Listen Through Connection For Ally Parenting strategies to work, children need to feel connected to the adult giving a directive. It isn’t enough for you to just learn, for example, the after-then strategy, to win cooperation. There needs to be a balance between focusing on nurturing and structuring the relationship.…
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Are your kids learning the values you want them to when they are on Twitter & Instagram, texting, or playing video games? Your answer to that question may range from “No”, to “Sometimes”, depending on the amount of time spent on their devices. I propose that we work together to limit our children’s electronics use…
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A unique approach to developing confident children What is confidence and how do we help develop confident children? These are important questions that you are probably thinking about, too. As I created my latest workshop, I realized how closely tied a child’s confidence is to how much they are willing to contribute to family harmony. …
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The Many Parenting Decisions We Face If you are like many parents, you are frequently asking yourself many of these questions: Should I listen to my child’s opinion or set a firm “No”? Should I be more flexible? What classes to take, what to wear, what friends to hang out with, etc? Should I let…
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You may be concerned about how much your children use technology. They can get so engrossed that they pull away from family and friends. When usage becomes compulsive, it may be a case of child technology addiction. I’ve invited Michael Jacobus, director of Reset Summer Camp, to share his expertise on this topic. From Michael:…
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I was at a gathering of like-minded people last Sunday who focus on creating world peace. You may be thinking, “What can I do? It’s such a mess right now.” What I continue to return to is the belief that world peace begins in each of our homes—and that starts with family harmony with children.…
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Getting kids to cooperate isn’t always about giving directions sometimes, it’s about sharing control. Why Kids Resist Directions and Struggle to Cooperate Stop telling me what to do! Do you ever hear this from your children? If you have an outspoken, strong-willed child, then you probably do. A mom who attended a recent workshop shared…
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If you want to create more cooperation with your children, improving communication and collaboration at home is key. Signs You Need to Create More Cooperation With Your Children Would you like more cooperation in your home? I’ve heard about this challenge from many parents. Here are some examples. Do any of these resonate with you?…
DetailsTerms of Use: The articles in my blog are a matter of my opinion and perspective, offered to help stimulate parents' thinking about their child raising and common concerns, conflicts, and changes that typically occur. They are meant to be educational only. Because they are general in nature, they should NOT be used as a substitute for getting qualified professional psychological, medical, or legal help should serious need arise. The resources I recommend are mostly consistent with my parenting approach. Use them at your own discretion as you would my articles. The parents’ success stories are particular to their family situation. This does not mean that you would get the same results. They are to be used for inspiration that by you changing first, you have the greatest chance of creating a positive change in your family.