Parenting

Parenting tips, advice, kid’s activities and how to manage a family.

The Secret Trick CEO’s use that’ll help you be a more patient parent

The Secret Trick CEO’s use that’ll help you be a more patient parent

There are times when I’m driving my kids to dance and I want to scream.

Something about the traffic, mixed with the end of the day and oh yeah…

They’re fighting in the backseat.

“STOP IT SISSY!!!”
“I was just asking you a question (a very pointed, “why don’t you know the answer to this? Are you stupid?” question)
“I SAID STOP”

At this point, I either start talking to myself or my knuckles turn white because I’m gripping the steering wheel too hard.

We’re all stuck in a car together. I can’t escape. What do I do?

The Simple Way To Teach Kids the Real Meaning of Memorial Day
|

The Simple Way To Teach Kids the Real Meaning of Memorial Day

Do your kids look at Memorial Day as just a day off?

We have BBQ’s and swim parties. We gather with friends. But, you’ve never discussed the real meaning of the holiday with them…

Yes? I admit. I did too.

And I did it with a bit of guilt.

That’s why I’m so excited to partner with USAA for this post to show you how easy it can be to teach kids about Memorial Day.

3 Steps to Never-Ending Summer Activities for Older Kids
|

3 Steps to Never-Ending Summer Activities for Older Kids

Ever wish summer wasn’t such a big stressor? That you, as a parent, didn’t have to worry about creating a summer schedule or organizing activities for your older kids?

You roamed free every summer. You woke up when you wanted to. Maybe you swam for a summer swim team. Then, you watched a little TV and read book after book. Babysitters Club, R.L. Stine – you finished full series.

Your parents didn’t seem stressed about entertaining you every minute of every day. We knew how to entertain ourselves.

Why don’t our kids know how to do that?

One reason: They don’t know how.

Toddler Hitting Sibling
| |

Toddler Hitting Sibling

Not more than 2 seconds after they hop in the car, the screaming begins.

“No, that’s not what happened Erik. My lunch is at 11:35am, not 11:30.”

I brace myself.

“NO SISSY! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT”

And then, WHAP!

He reaches his little arm across the space in the bucket seats between them and hits her.

“Erik, DON’T HIT ME!!!”

That’s when I intervene.

I don’t know how school bus drivers do it. How do you discipline 30 kids when you’re trying to keep safe and focus on not veering your large yellow, monstrosity off the road

I’m in a Toyota Highlander with only two children and I’m ready to lose my mind.

Yelling At Child Doing Homework
| |

Yelling At Child Doing Homework

“Noooo… I can’t do it. I don’t have the time!!”

Have you heard this from your child when she sits down to do homework? My gosh, it wrecks me.

I can feel her overwhelm and so relate to it.

I know what it feels like to have so much to do and what seems like no time to do it.

So, I jump in and try to help.

“It’s ok sweetie, let’s write down all the things you have to do to get it out of your head.”

“NO!” she pouts back, “That won’t help. I don’t know any of this and I have to get started now.”

What do you do with that? You see the problem, you know the steps to take to fix it and yet your child pushes you away like you couldn’t possibly know what she’s talking about or what she’s dealing with.

How To Get A Child To Clean Up After Themselves
|

How To Get A Child To Clean Up After Themselves

Ever walk in your house and become immediately overwhelmed with the stuff lying around?

Its bad enough when you have a kitchen junk counter stacked with 3 layers deep with kid’s artwork, random books and those gadgets for your door that you don’t want to throw away but you don’t really know how to install.

But then is all the stuff your kids leave laying in the living room or crammed onto the top of the family room game shelf.

What To Say To Your Child When Friends Are Mean
| | | | |

What To Say To Your Child When Friends Are Mean

Mean kids. They’re everywhere.

Let’s face it. These kids who tease aren’t horrible human beings (although our mama bear senses want to say they are), they just lack social skills.

So if we want our kids to avoid these mean kids and seek out positive relationships, we as parents, need to teach them social skills.

Podcast Episode 053: How to Calm Down When You’re Stressed
| | | | |

Podcast Episode 053: How to Calm Down When You’re Stressed

We all get into arguments with our kids that make us feel stressed and anxious. But how do we get out of that and move on to a solution with our kids? We give easy calm down strategies for your and your kids. You both will be able to cool down in no time flat!
These tips are perfect for parents and kids!

3 Simple Ways to Make Homework Fun

3 Simple Ways to Make Homework Fun

I’m going to be blunt.

Right now, your child’s homework time just plain sucks.

It does.

You dread it every night. “Hey, have you done your math homework yet?

“NO! I can’t do my homework. I don’t want to do it yet. Can’t I watch TV? I’ll do it after dinner.”

So much back and forth and back and forth. It’s become too much.

The question is, how do you make your child want to do homework?

How do you make homework less boring?

Podcast Episode 119: Finding your Authentic Self with Ryan Haddon
| | | |

Podcast Episode 119: Finding your Authentic Self with Ryan Haddon

It can be hard finding your authentic self when we put so much energy into our family every day. It becomes so difficult to untangle where your identity ends and your identity as a parent begins (news flash- they are different)! We’re going to share 3 things you can do to have healthy boundaries with our kids and family and help you find your authentic self.

Podcast Episode 028: Why Don’t Our Kids Listen Anymore?
| | | |

Podcast Episode 028: Why Don’t Our Kids Listen Anymore?

Every day feels like a fight. Whether you ask your kids to pick up their shoes off the floor, to go get dressed for school, or simply to come join the family for dinner. It often feels like our kids simply don’t listen to us! But if we did just 3 simple things, we would see much different results.

Tween Mood Swings
|

Tween Mood Swings

You walk in the door from school. Your nine-year-old comes in after you.

Everything seems fine. She’s happy. All is well and good.

Then, you remind her that the dishwasher needs unloading.

Boom. It’s like something inside her detonates.

“Noooo… I don’t have time to do that. That’s so unfair. I can’t believe you’re making me do this!:

She glares at you, stomps over to the kitchen sink and starts crying.

WHA-ATT just happened? She was happy. I didn’t blame her. I just had a simple request.

Podcast Episode 61: How Logical Consequences are More Effective Than Punishments at Home
| | | | |

Podcast Episode 61: How Logical Consequences are More Effective Than Punishments at Home

Too often, we fall into the trap of punishing our kids in the heat of the moment after something’s happened. But that hardly ever works. Here, we’ll discuss the difference between logical consequences and punishments, as well as how to make effective logical consequences that will have a positive impact on your discipline at home.

Podcast Episode #146: How to Parent Like a Spy with Christina Hillsberg
| | | | |

Podcast Episode #146: How to Parent Like a Spy with Christina Hillsberg

Have you ever thought that being a parent should carry some training? How about spy training? I mean, who doesn’t want to learn how to parent like a spy? Meet Christina Hillsberg, former CIA agent and author who shares how her training as a spy has influenced her parenting with her 5 kids.

Middle School Organization Checklist
|

Middle School Organization Checklist

It’s 6pm on a Thursday and I get a frantic text from a friend. Her daughter goes to the same school as mine.

“Hey, does your daughter have the math test from 2 months ago? The teacher is letting Celina retake it but she can’t find it.”

“Yeah, hold on, let me ask her.”

My daughter does have the test – which she doesn’t hand over right away because she wants to know exactly why she needs it, what it will be used for… third degree basically.
Satisfied with all my answers,she opens her binder to the math section, pulls out the test and hands it to me.
“Thanks,” my friend texts back, “I don’t know what Celina did with it.”

Podcast Episode 116: Six Coping Skills That Will Change Your Kids Lives
| | | | |

Podcast Episode 116: Six Coping Skills That Will Change Your Kids Lives

Do you wonder how to teach good coping skills to your kids? We talk with Janine Halloran, LMHC, about everything parents should and shouldn’t do when learning and teaching good coping skills to kids.

Could this be why you’re so frustrated as a mom?
|

Could this be why you’re so frustrated as a mom?

Do you feel like you’re too nice?

One of my students called me out for that my first year of teaching.

In her very astute, wise little fifth grade voice she told me, “Mrs. Crohn, you are too nice”

But wait… don’t you want to be nice? Isn’t that something to aim for?

Kind yes. But nice…nice is taking on the full responsibility of other people’s feelings and adapting your behavior to make others happy.

That’s what I was doing when an 11-year-old called me out.

Creating A Bare Bones Budget When You’re Not Making Much Money
|

Creating A Bare Bones Budget When You’re Not Making Much Money

In the midst of this strange season of social distancing and change, money may well be a scary topic for you. Maybe you’re like my family and you’re working through a big loss of income due to the pandemic? Maybe overwhelm and anxiety define your money situation in this season of uncertainty? Maybe you’ve decided to keep your head down and eyes closed, playing the “if I don’t look at it, then it can’t be real game” that our kids played when they were little?

Homework Helper Middle School
|

Homework Helper Middle School

Dread your middle schooler’s homework every night? These tips for middle school parents will guide you in effective homework strategies.

There I was, sitting in my son’s 7th grade Parent-Teacher conferences, listening to the Literature teacher tell me the same thing I have heard for the past few years at every single conference…

“Your son is very bright, well-behaved, an absolutely pleasure in class. However, he doesn’t seem to get his homework done. And our first test of the year didn’t go very well for him.”