Parents can easily get stuck feeling frustrated with their child’s behavior and think their child will never change. Finding themselves thinking that their child is a little too selfish a little too often, uncooperative, careless, out of control, or too emotional…leading to fear that they will always be this way. Good news! Your child is…
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I am so excited to announce a collection of upcoming events this fall, here on the West Coast! They are brought to us by Girls Leadership, a group that is working to equip young women of all ages with the skills to exercise the power of their voice. Something I think we can…
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Managing the ups and downs of how we feel about ourselves is one of, if not the biggest of our many daily challenges. We are emotional beings and to downplay this fact causes humanity great suffering. So, what do you say when your child says they don’t like themselves, they hate themselves, or they are…
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Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and our Society Thrive Imagine if you would have had the opportunity to take courses in school on understanding emotions… Getting a leg-up on knowing the reasons behind the emotions you were feeling, how to regulate them, and how to understand emotions…
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There are two situations in which it’s most essential to listen to your children: when you’re solving problems together AND when you’re supporting your child in solving their own problems. Listening to children express themselves builds family connections and develops children’s emotional and intellectual capacities needed for a successful and happy adulthood. However, the one…
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Many parents grew up with adults shaming them in order to get their compliance. Therefore, shaming words feel very natural to use with their own children and are often not questioned as to their effectiveness nor impact on their children. Rather than shaming, I reommend parents use the “just state the facts” strategy when giving…
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A Parent Education Presentation at Mountain View Public Library Cynthia Klein recently gave a parent education presentation at Mountain View Public Library called “Building Your Child’s Self-Confidence and Personal Power.” Cynthia was a joy to work with from start to finish. She answered emails promptly and arrived early for the presentation. As the audience members…
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My husband and I started working with Cynthia because we needed to learn how to have peaceful resolutions to our very upsetting conflicts with our daughter and help her manage her anger. We worked with Cynthia privately for six months, and the greatest benefit of our work together was that we took time to reflect…
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Summer is a time of decreased stress, i.e. no homework, which can mean less conflict and more time and opportunity to build closer relationships within your family. Here are three ways to start building family closeness right away. Be bold and establish a “No electronics” time for the entire family. This rule applies to everyone…
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As summertime approaches, many parents I talk with express concern about setting time limits on video games and social media, establishing clear expectations, and maintaining consistent follow through. I recommend that rather than telling kids to stop what they’re doing, parents focus on the positive things you expect from your children and the wonderful activities…
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.