Translating Hurtful Language
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PARENT'S QUESTION: “I’m struggling with what to say or how to act when she just talks ‘harshly’ to me like.. all day…
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The Art of Interpreting Children's Behavior
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One of the MOST challenging things we do as parents and loved ones in all our closest relationships is to focus on how the other person is feeling...rather than how their behavior is making us feel. My go-to for shifting my own thinking at times like these is to ask myself to fill in the blanks: "When my child is ______ing, that tells me they may be feeling _____." This exercise helps me look past the button-pushing behavior to see if I can determine a possible underlying need. Read more…
Read MoreCOMMON PARENTING TECHNIQUES THAT WORK AGAINST PARENTS
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Effective gentle parenting is positive parenting, and as a gentle parenting advocate, one of the principles I adhere to is advising parents to help their children learn what they CAN do rather than just what they cannot. However, in this article let’s talk about some of the common parenting techniques that I do not advocate and why I suggest not using them.
Read MorePeople Before Things
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People Before Things
The text reads: Ask yourself whether your child could be getting the impression that material things matter more to the adults in their world than they do.
Even though this is a sometimes challenging value to uphold, being mindful of this can make a WORLD of difference in your relationship with the young folks in your life!!!
PeckaKucha! A Presentation About Peaceful Parenting!
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A brief slide presentation giving at a PechaKucha Night!
Read MoreLessons learned from a stone-versus-rear windshield incident.
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“…Those stones are perfect for little hands to throw. Our son was outside doing what came naturally, tossing stones, and one of the stones went rogue and hit the rear windshield of my late-model Toyota Corolla. Shattered it completely…” Here’s how we not only got through that event but even profited from it in the most beautiful way!
Read MoreUnderstanding and Supporting Kids Through Tantrums and Meltdowns...
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A couple of metaphors to help folks understand what's really going on when a child is melting down, which could help a person take a more effective approach so they can support their child AND stay as calm as possible under trying circumstances...
Read MorePSA about "Tricky People" and Keeping Children Safe
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…One of the greatest built-in tools we have to protect our children is the strong mutual connection we share with them. A gentle, responsive, respectful parenting model, put into practice from day #1, is the best hedge against the risks that would lead a child to be vulnerable to so-called “tricky people.”
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New Year's Resolution #4: Less Talking...More Listening...to Your Intuition!
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...we second-guess ourselves...we allow that fear to drown out our intuition's quiet voice until we can hear it no longer; and in so doing, we allow that fear to block our own brilliance! The more we listen to the fear, the stronger it gets.
Read MoreNew Year's Resolution #3: Don't Believe Everything You Think
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Our suffering is actually caused not by what happens to us but what we think about what happens to us. It's not what other people do (or should do, or should not do), but what we think about what other people do or do not do.
Read MoreNew Year's Resolution #2: Let Children Lead...
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Giving kids the benefit of the doubt, we see them as doing the best they can, motivated and driven to learn about their interesting world and how it works, allowing our whole approach to change!
Read MoreNew Year's Resolution #1: Take Kids Seriously
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...when we take our kids seriously, they will come to take themselves seriously!
Read MoreThe Beautiful Truth About Lying
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It's good to understand WHY kids lie. Of course, they're not going to be able to tell you, but when you understand what may be behind the lying, it can alter your response to it, and that can make all the difference in the world!
Read More"What's the matter?"
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"So, there I am at the supermarket. It's a BEAUTIFUL late summer/early autumn day. Warm, sunny, dry, fragrant air... I'm putting my groceries into the car and just enjoying everything, and I hear a shopping cart go by. I glance up, and it's one of those carts with a toy car in the front, and the little driver is taking his role very seriously. My heart goes pitter-patter as I enjoy his enjoyment."
Read MoreConsider this hypothetical...
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Let's say you have been suddenly drafted to be a softball coach in your town. You've played softball plenty of times, but always informally...just for fun. Now, you're going to have a whole bunch of kids looking to you for authoritative coaching about something you know how to do but have never told anyone else how to do. You have a week before your first practice. What are you going to do with that time?
Read More"I was spanked, and I turned out 'just fine.'"
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Did you ever hear that at a family picnic? Or, did you ever see that line of reasoning in your social media experience? I certainly have. Here's one response...
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When you don't see eye to eye
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It happens! You have one way of doing things and your co-parenting partner has a totally different way! What do you do then??? Here are some things you can try that may reduce friction...
Read MoreMore class times and dates being offered..
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Folks are really loving the Making the Switch to Peaceful Parenting classes! They're finding that the classes are making a huge difference in their lives (for the better!) with their children and with their parenting partners, becoming more aligned in their approach to things that used to drive a wedge between them and their kids and between each other.
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