Category: parenting advice
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Cleaning With Kids
Now that it is summertime, involve children in decluttering the house. They can sort and save school papers that have collected from the year (or throw them away). One way that I handled all those noodle-covered construction paper gifts that my children brought home was a large plastic tub. At first, items would be displayed…
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Cooking With Kids
This is a great activity to do with children. Not only does it open conversations about where food comes from, but it is a great tool for teaching gratitude and thankfulness for the food, the preparation and serving, and the cleaning up. Even young children can put slices of bread in a toaster or arrange…
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“I Don’t Want To!”
One of the most common arguments I get to witness is the transition from my program when the parents come to pick up their kids. I wish I could say that itis because I am so wonderful that the kids never want to leave! The truth is much simpler. Children (and adults!) resist transitions. They…
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Consequences, positive (reward) or negative (penalty) should make sense.
When consequences make sense, children are more accepting of them. Cooperation is more likely when there is an understanding between the behavior and the consequence and also when the consequence is explained ahead of time. In my classroom, I have a box of pencils. Most are sharpened, few have erasers. They are plain yellow. If…
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Stop Telling Me How To Feel!
In Kathryn Kvols book, “Redirecting Children’s Behavior,”she addressed the difference between feeling stoppers and feeling encouragers. She goes on to say that “feelings forced underground can cause misbehavior.” I agree. When I have to address a disagreement about a toy, it is usually less helpful for me to say something like this, “We don’t cry…
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Can I Have A Minute Of Your Time?
Children spell love, T-I-M-E. So, give it to them! Yes, we’re busy but two minutes of quality time goes a long way. Let me explain… When I say “quality time,” I mean, not while you’re driving, cooking, answering an email, changing the baby, etc. Stop what you are doing and look in their eyes and…
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How Embarrassing!
A parent was picking their child up from karate class the other day and the child wanted a treat for taking class. The parent didn’t have a treat (or didn’t want to give it – I’m not sure) but the child threw himself on the floor right in the middle of the walkway. I watched…
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Rock Collecting
It’s not important to be able to state the scientific names or properties of the rocks you find. I mean, yes, it is something to aspire to, but in the beginning – especially for young children – it’s the experience that counts most. To keep it cheap, collect some empty egg cartons. You can decorate…
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Beware The Granny
One year during a summer camp, a particularly lazy camper expressed that all he really wanted to do was play on his phone. So I sat down next to him and asked him to show me what he was playing. It was awful. Apparently, you are trapped inside a haunted mansion and a zombie-looking old…
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It’s Ok To Get Mad
Parenting is hard. Parents are human. There will be times when you just lose your temper. Use this as a teaching moment. I tell children at the studio, “It’s okay to feel angry, it’s not okay to act mean.” I usually give a form of time out to the child while they process this idea.…