Raising a self-reliant child not only benefits the child, it also benefits the parent. If you instill the desire to be independent early on, it will save you time in the long run! Teach children how to wash hands, to wash face, and to get dressed by themselves early on, and they will do it […]
There is a fine line between supporting young adolescents and taking over for them. Going to job interviews with your child really conveys the message you do not think they can do it on their own. Let your children do things and fail. Learning from mistakes teaches resilience and self-reliance. Support and listen when they […]
With a pacifier you can decide when to “pull that plug”, not so with fingers. By preschool age we can instruct them there are times and places where finger sucking is appropriate. Tell them it is ok to do it, but it is something they do in private. Most will give up the habit by […]
When choosing a consequence for a misbehavior, consider how severe the misbehavior was. Create a consequence that is related to the misbehavior. Make sure it is a consequence you can follow through with. Have small repeatable consequences in your back pocket ready to go should a misbehavior occur.
It is perfectly normal for siblings to fight. As a parent, avoid being a referee in every single battle. Let the children work things out on their own. It can be hard to be patient and watch as one child is unfair to another. If you stay out of it, they will learn conflict resolution […]