Get Ahead of your Kids during the Morning Rush with these Helpful Tips!

Ever feel like your kids are leading you around the during the 30 minutes of time (or less)  you have in the morning to get 50 things accomplished? Use these tips to keep kids occupied and give yourself  more of what you need most- Time!

• Occupy  kids while eating breakfast by asking them to name the food groups and ingredients they are eating.
• Parents can have their kids ask each other questions about the books they are reading in school, such as, “What is the book about?”, “Who is the main character?”, or “What do you like about him or her?
• As part of their daily routine,  children can check the temperature outside and then choose  what clothes are appropriate for the weather and season.

Should Kids Be on Instagram?

As a parent and parenting coach, I know  that many parents feel that children’s access to social media  feels out of control. Instagram seems innocent enough, and yet it’s social media and not for children under 13. Even for teens it’s questionable; they lack the judgment to know what’s right and wrong when it comes to posting comments and pictures. What seems cute or funny to them is not always

A Teen’s First Dance is a Big Step

A community dance is a huge milestone for a teen girl, but it’s even more so for her parents. For the girl it’s all about being out with her friends, being part of the larger social scene, knowing what the latest gossip is because she’s there, and looking cool with her friends, wearing the right outfit. In a nutshell, it’s all about being where the action is, and for once, actually being allowed to do the cool thing.

Low Expectations Can Make Your Mother’s Day!

In theory, Mother’s Day is a day when children are supposed to celebrate and cater to their moms.  In turn, mothers have visions of breakfast in bed, children actually picking up after themselves (a true miracle in the making), a day of pampering, and no conflict. In other words, it’s either a day in heaven (if you’re religious) or on another planet (if you’re not).

10 Ways Parents Support Children in a Crisis

1. Limit  access and exposure to TV, social media and  “suggestible” discussions.
2. Listen, be patient, tolerate children’s irrational thoughts and fears, without indulging them “I know it’s scary and it feels like it’s going to be us next…. And it’s not.
3. Watch for changes in their behavior-moodiness, nightmares, sleep and eating disturbances.

Winning Attitude, Not the Game

What does it mean to win? The meaning of winning is something we have to teach our children every day whether or not they’re playing on a sports team. That’s why it’s important for parents to show their child how to feel like a winner, without necessarily winning.

I remember when my oldest son was playing club soccer for the first time. In his division, they always played up a level so that he was

How Not Playing Can Be a Teachable Moment Too! Part 2

When a parent and child talk about how demanding a sport can be in terms of time, commitment, energy and focus in his little ten-year old life, it’s a valuable conversation. In our previous example, the parent did not punish her son when he finally woke and admitted he was just fine. Instead, she allowed him to have friends over for a short playtime. She reassured him (and herself) by verbalizing that