Spring is in full swing and it's only a few weeks before school lets out. And what a year it's been! The pandemic with its alternating virtual and in-person schedules and quarantines has exhausted teachers, stressed parents with unpredictable changes, and crashed the social life of our teenagers. Summer will be a welcome change!

As parents, we all know how difficult it can be to keep our patience with our vivacious children, especially in their innocent moments of exploring their world at full throttle. Parenting with patience can be challenging when our child is misbehaving, especially when we don't know how to redirect children's behavior without squelching their spirits.

What parenting strategies lead to positive discipline and greater patience? How do we prevent losing it with our children? And are you a bad mom when you are impatient?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Many parents come to me because they’re concerned about their children’s coping skills. It’s clear that a lot of parents are at a loss for how to teach their children resilience. Let’s face it. Raising kids in today’s world is tough. Tech addictions, drugs, anxiety, depression, food disorders, and suicide are prevalent—is it any wonder that parents worry?

As a parent coach, what I repeatedly see are parents who don’t know how to feel and who don’t give themselves or their children permission to feel.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

When my son was only two, I discovered the power of resiliency! He and I had just picked up a vanilla sponge cake from the bakery, a special order for a friend’s surprise birthday party. I carefully tucked the square white box on the floor between the two front seats of our family minivan. Parking in our driveway, I unhooked the quick-release on my son’s car seat so he could climb down, and I got out of the van to help him out. You won't believe what I found next!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Motivation and how to motivate teens are common topics and complaints for parents. They are also the focus of many teacher discussions, as well. Why? Because we expect children to be motivated without giving them the raw materials to build the muscle. We don't even realize that we deny children the very things they need to spark and develop the motivational center in their brains. And while a child is developing, we don't understand just how critical it is for a child and teen to lead themselves.

Lately, I have been listening to moms frustrated with their children's lack of motivation. They [...]

As a parent coach and parenting instructor for over 15 years, I’ve seen many faces of misbehavior and supported hundreds of parents. Parenting is tough, a 24-7 job that challenges every part of us, yet it is deeply gratifying. Sometimes our children trigger us in ways we never thought were possible. Then, we can react and jump to conclusions about our children’s behavior that are inaccurate and ineffective.So why do children misbehave? How children behave rarely has anything to do with what we think is happening. And if you’ve ever been a parent witnessing your child’s tantrum, their behavior [...]

A common phrase I often hear while teaching parenting classes or in parent coaching sessions is, “My kids are driving me crazy!” It doesn’t matter if the child is a toddler or a teen; this level of parental stress and exasperation is more common than you may think.

No matter the age of children, this is a plea for help. Unfortunately, as parents, we can often feel alone, like we’re the only ones who feel this way. And then guilt rises. After all, what’s wrong with us that we don’t like spending time with our children. Or worse, we jump to the conclusion that we’re failing as parents. We might [...]

A few months back, I went into The Flooring Place to get my Douglas Honeycomb shades repaired. As I waited to speak to a clerk, I saw an ad about flooring that read: Water resistant. Worry relief. This ad illustrated a simple principle: prevention.

Empathy is prevention. Empathy creates relief from emotional duress and upset. When a person truly listens and understands us, we feel heard, and emotions dissipate. Upset is no match for empathy. Feeling heard is a human need, and an empathetic response goes to the core of this need. And it's why empathy is important in parenting and in a child's [...]

Have you ever tried looking for your reflection in a lake with white-capped waves? Nope. We don’t do that, do we, because we know we wouldn’t be able to see our reflection.

Teenage rebellion and angst can create a lot of waves in our relationship with our teen. So much so that parents can react fiercely in knee-jerk ways that backfire and fixate rebellion. Like it or not, it's a teen's job to push the limits and to individuate.

Estimated reading time: 4 paradigm-shifting minutes

At a time when we are challenged in ways we never anticipated, emotional intelligence is more important than ever. Everyone needs emotional intelligence (also known as an emotional quotient, EQ, or emotional fitness). There are numerous articles and volumes of research showing that having a high EQ is one of the most important ingredients for succeeding in life.

Emotional intelligence is no longer just an intriguing concept or a buzzword. It's imperative that we as parents and our children master our emotional worlds.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes