Balance is one of my favorite words. It’s not just my favorite word; it also happens to be the key to your success when facing daily parenting challenges and stress. Having a healthy dose of balance between setting expectations and modifying some of these rules occasionally teaches your kids flexibility without ignoring the rules on whey they rely.
As you’re mastering the art of motivating your kids, it’s important to avoid falling back into old habits. In my experience, sometimes while parents are learning how to create a more motivated and grateful child, they may confuse bribing with using incentives. Let’s focus on specific ways you can differentiate between bribes, threats and incentives.
Although I could write an entire book on this topic alone, I have only one thing to say: It is essential that you and your spouse have time together for a few hours each week.
Use your support team, resources, babysitters, friends and family to arrange someone to watch your kids so you can spend some uninterrupted, worry-free time with your spouse.
The art of creating balance is not as difficult as most experts make it sound.
Think “simple and easy.” If you take a few small steps every day to create more balance in your daily life, you will cope better and more importantly, you’ll teach your kids better coping skills too. The key to your success is learning to prioritize.
One of the most important factors in successful communication with your kids is to understand their points of view. The way you listen (and validate your kid), how you express yourself clearly, and how you teach your children to “use their words” are all great ways to communicate successfully.
Many times,however, communication failures are due to errors in…
When children feel respected and heard, they feel honored and they believe they matter. You don’t have to agree with someone to validate his feelings or respect her point of view. Kids who feel honored grow up with a healthy dose of self-esteem.
Another way to create a healthy self-esteem is through teaching your kids
Let’s focus on how to set boundaries (family rules), the power of intermittent reinforcement, and the importance of consistency.
A couple of years ago, I was providing some parent training for a wonderful family. Their 11-year old son was good at testing limits and pushing boundaries. His parents were responsive to my suggestions and trying to be consistent and clear with their son about the rules.
Once you’ve build a solid foundation for a strong parenting team, the fun part begins: the process of problem solving and negotiating as a team. This process is more of an art that it is a science.
Whether you and your spouse are raising your kids(s) in the same home, or you are co-parenting and live apart, you have to agree on some compatible values.
If you think such agreement is impossible, allow me to suggest at least five concepts you and even your ex’s current spouse can agree on.
You can share the spirit of the holidays with your kids!
This is a magical time of year. It doesn’t have to be all about spending money you don’t have, getting stressed and over-scheduling your family.
Your family traditions can embrace the spirit of the season and focus on:
