One of the most frustrating behaviors for many of us as parents is when we try to tell our kids something… or teach them something… or ask them to do something... and they act disrespectful or even defiant. So how can we set effective boundaries if they won’t even...

There is a lot of negativity in many of our homes right now. We’ve been home together for a long time, and it’s likely that we will continue to be in this situation for a little while longer. Unfortunately, the way we usually approach our unwanted behavior, moods, and...

Few of us have extra energy these days. Between trying to get things done and trying to keep kids entertained, off of screens, and not fighting, we are exhausted. We certainly don’t feel like we have the energy to be consistent. Yet it’s consistency -- following...

While we were home 24/7, many kids and teens were on screens more than ever before. They used technology for school, they used technology to connect, they used it to entertain themselves. But summer is here and many parents are asking how they can decrease the amount...

No one wants to raise an entitled child… so we know we have to set boundaries, rules, and limits. But we also know that when we set those boundaries, rules, and limits, we’re likely to get pushback in the form of whining, complaining, disrespect, meltdowns, or even...

Most of us believe we’re listening to our kids. And we are listening sometimes: We listen when they’re telling us about things that they like or want. We ask them questions about things they’ve done, and we listen to what they’re telling us. But many of us, when our...

We want our kids to get along, to be there for each other now and in the future. But what happens when our kids AREN’T getting along most of the time? Many of us either assume they’ll work it out on their own… or we step in and become judge and jury, trying to figure...

When I speak to parents about staying calm, they often say things like “I would stay calm if only my child would stop acting that way!” And it may be true that we can be more calm when our kids (or spouse or anyone else) is doing what we want them to do. But do we...

If you have a school-aged child, you’ve probably experienced more than one argument or power struggle over schoolwork. In our defense, it is incredibly frustrating when kids take way longer to start (and finish) assignments than they need to. And it’s hard to see them...

We know that we need to teach our kids how to act responsible and respectful. But how do we respond when they don’t do what they’re supposed to do? Most of us rely on “traditional” discipline strategies like yelling, nagging, or taking away things that they care about...

In this episode, listen in to a real coaching / problem-solving session as I offer suggestions to a mom named Sara, whose daughter worries frequently -- even at events that might normally be cause for celebration.  Not only are the suggestions meant to support Sara’s...

One of the most frustrating things about being a parent is when we KNOW kids know how to do the things we ask them to do -- clean their room, put their dishes away, get dressed, do their homework -- yet they don’t do it. Often we’ve tried multiple strategies to...

Being home all the time means that there is MORE to do in certain areas. Kids need more help and support. There is more cleaning and cooking to be done. It even takes more time and energy to put away groceries! If you’re doing more of the work but don’t have more...

Even before the global pandemic, many children struggled with fears and worries. Unfortunately, many of the strategies we've used to address our kids’ concerns -- logic, reassurance, and sometimes good ol’ frustration (because we’re human, after all!) -- don’t tend to...

Whether we’re aware of them or not, our expectations have a tremendous impact on how we feel. When we expect that we can get 10 things done in a day and we only complete 6 things, we may feel unproductive or ineffective. When we want to spend more time with our kids...

Welcome to the first on-air coaching episode! (There will be many more to come.)  In this episode, I coach mom Audrey, whose daughter, takes her Yuck out on Audrey when she's upset. Together we focus on how Audrey can help her daughter cope differently. We discuss...

You may already know that it’s important for kids to express their feelings.  But what do you do when they express their feelings in a way that seems unhealthy -- if they become aggressive when they don’t get their way, become disrespectful when you set a boundary, or...

Fear and uncertainty... It feels like those feelings are growing every day. And often with those feelings comes negativity. Just like we do with our kids, we also have to understand what’s causing OUR feelings and behavior. When we recognize how our current situation...

Many of us are exhausted and would love to find ways to save time and energy.  Although it doesn’t seem like it would be true, one of the ways we truly can save time and energy is to stop addressing negative behavior and big emotions as they’re happening. Instead,...

Although it is more effective (and less exhausting) to handle kids’ big behaviors and emotions proactively, sometimes we simply have to deal with them in the moment. Unfortunately, our in-the-moment responses often make the situation worse -- especially because both...

For many of us, life as a parent is stressful. But what makes us feel even more overwhelmed is when we want things to go a certain way -- we want our kids to act a certain way, we want our spouses to do something different, we want our plans to work out smoothly --...

Raising a “strong willed” child can be unbelievably draining. Dealing with resistance and big emotions and big reactions can take everything out of us.  But parenting strong-willed children can be much less negative when we stop focusing on changing their behavior and...

We’d all love to make parenting a little easier… and there probably are times when parenting seems less difficult. During those times, our kids aren’t necessarily behaving better; rather, WE’RE IN a better place and their behavior doesn’t affect us as much.  But when...

It’s incredibly frustrating when we ask our kids to do something they don’t want to… or we tell them something they don’t want to hear… and they whine, complain, melt down, or become disrespectful.  Not only is it often exhausting to have to deal with their response,...