Stop Temper Tantrums in Their Tracks

“You’re always getting on to me! It’s not fair!”

Staring down my 12 year old, I pause a moment and try to consider where she’s coming from; what she really needs from me. Frustrated, she sighs and stomps off to her room. I wait a moment before following her. Quietly knocking, I open the door when she says “Uh-huh.”

I take a really good look at her and realize she’s in tears. “Oh, honey.” She flies into my arms and sobs against my shoulder. “What’s really going on here, huh?”

She shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. “I don’t know!”

And it’s true. She doesn’t know what the myriad of emotions she’s feeling mean. She doesn’t know why she’s a raging hormonal almost-teen. Continue Reading →

For the Weary Moms and Dads

little girl on a swing

 

Let your “Yes” be YES, and your “No” be NO.
“Consistency is key”
These “trite” sayings sound so easy – ARE easy to say, but are more challenging to DO.
Let your yes mean YES – you concur. You agree. You permit it to happen. It has your blessing.
Let your no mean NO – absolutely NOT. You do NOT agree. You do not allow or permit it. It does not have your blessing.
How much easier, in life, in relationships, in parenting, to say “Yes” and give in, even though you might actually mean “No” – but you don’t want to argue, or you’re too tired. It is very draining, setting and enforcing boundaries. It truly is. Continue Reading →

Fun Games and Activities with Small Children

Children’s Games as Found on chestofbooks.com

This section is from the book “If You Live with Little Children”, by Carolyn Kauffman and Patricia Farrell. Also available from Amazon: If You Live with Little Children.

stock-illustration-19772952-kids-hanging-aroundThe following games are suitable to preschool-aged children, if they are allowed to play them in their own way. Continue Reading →

Resources in Our Library

Book Title
Emotional Intellligence: Relating to Yourself and Others
Prepare/Enrich: Parenting Workbook
We’ve Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication
Time Out for Parents: A Compassionate Approach to Parenting
Emotion Regulation in Children and Adolescents: A Practitioner’s Guide
Case Studies in Child and Adolescent Counseling; 3rd Ed.
Kid Shape: A Practical Prescription for Helping Your Child
The Way They Learn
The Year Round Parent: A Practical Survival Guide
The Five Love Languages of Children
What Mary & Joseph Knew (or didn’t know) About Parenting: Surprising Insights from the Best (and worst) Parents in the Bible
52 Things Kids Need From a Mom: What Mothers Can Do to Make a Lifelong Difference
Development Across the Lifespan, 6th Ed
Modern Girl’s Guide to Motherhood
Guilt-Free Parenting (Christian Guide to): Escaping the “Perfect Parent” Trap
Adolescence
At Risk Youth: A Comprehensive Response for Counselors, Teachers, Psychologists, and Human Service Professionals; 5th Ed.

Parenting Class_Intentional Parenting: Bonding with Your Children

Working on parenting class materials, I came across this little gem via Pinterest.
For those of you who don’t know what Pinterest is, or Pin, it’s a smorgasbord of goodies to share. Articles, blog posts, activities, books – almost anything you might need or be interested in, it’s there. You simply create a “board” to “pin” your items to (remember corkboards, memory boards, where you [or your mom or aunt] would post favorite memories?) and you can search for terms or just browse other people’s boards. Then you click on “pin” for something you want to add to your own board – something to follow up on, something to read further, something you want to try – let your imagination and “pin”ation take you!
Anyway, I have created several boards for pregnancy/childbirth/baby care, taking care of myself and my family, recipes, blog articles, topics for discussion, outreach, and play therapy, among other things. So I put this one, I think, in the play therapy board.
I’ll add to this post as I find other goodies, but wanted to get you started here:

http://www.awortheyread.com/bondwithyourkids/

Read. Enjoy. Use what works for you. Be intentional in connecting with your children. Be intentional in your relationships.