Focus on Better Behavior

You know, I know a lot of people who really want to have kids.  The desire to be a parent can be incredibly strong, especially for a woman.  But, if you know someone who has the “baby disease” you rarely hear them wishing for a toddler or a teenager.  It’s always a baby, cute little [...]

The stage between middle childhood and adolescence is usually the hardest between the ages of 10-12, this will prepare you for the teen years which have been known to be some of the most challenging years of parenthood. Tweens start coming into their own and may begin to back-talk, ignore and roll their eyes at [...]

Gone are the days of time-outs, distractions and gold stars when it comes to teens,  new tactics need to be used at this age. However, routine can still work with teenagers, they do well with clear guidelines and limited choices. Kids may bring all sorts of contracts home once school begins, for homework or athletics. [...]

I read about a new book that has just come out by Betsy Brown Braun Called “You’re Not the Boss of Me” that guides you in how to raise honest, self-reliant, respectful and unspoiled children. All parents have dealt with back-talk and fits from their children. Sometimes the way we handle it does not give [...]

Many years ago children did not talk back to their parents, nor did they argue or raise their voices. This is not a very effective way to relate to people. Times have changed and when dealing with conflicts with your children it’s important to let them express themselves. Learning that it’s ok to be upset [...]

I have never spanked my child, nor do I ever intend to. I do not think spanking is an effective form of punishment and what can they learn from it? It’s possible that they learn that violence is an appropriate form of discipline. They may learn to be afraid of you if they do anything [...]

A friend of mine told me he was having problems with his four year old son sleeping in his own bed at night. For a few months now he has been sleeping with his parents and they have had a hard time getting him to sleep alone in his own bed. My friend said that [...]

If you’re looking for a better way to relate to your teen, you may just need to try a different way of communicating. In order to see some changes, there are a few tactics that can help. Be brief and straightforward, don’t carry on, just make your point and end the conversation. Having discussions are [...]

Using discipline rather than punishment allows teens to learn from their mistakes or misbehavior. Punishing only motivates teens through fear of being punished in the future. They are more likely to listen and change their attitude when they learn proactive skills that teach them responsibility. Parents must help teens develop the ability to respond to [...]

This is a common behavior in children. It allows them to assert their power and get attention. It can also be a result of their inability to solve their own tiffs. Teach them the difference between telling and being a tattletale, they may have trouble telling the difference between protecting someone from harm or getting [...]