Do you have a child that has a hard time falling asleep at night?  This is quite common, and I’m working with several clients right now who are struggling to get their young children to settle down at a decent hour.  I have one Mom of a 4-year-old who really pushes the limits and battles both going to bed as well as waking up super early.

Typically when parents tell me their kids have a hard time...

Do you battle with your kids over screen time?  Do you have a child that begs for screen time, and then has a meltdown whenever they’re asked to shut off the device?  If so, know that you’re not alone.

I work with many parents who have these battles, and it’s one that I had myself for many years.

I have a child who loved technology and video games from a very early age.  As a...

What did you learn about being a parent from your Dad?  As another Father’s Day is upon us, I took time to think about my relationship with my own Dad, what I learned from him, and what parenting qualities I appreciated and wanted to carry on for my own children.  

Let me start with a little background…  My Dad came from a large family of 14, with 9 brothers and 4 sisters.  He...

As we get closer to the end of the school year and the start of summer — with extra activities and schedule changes — are you experiencing more behavior issues with your child?  

This is an issue that I often see come up this time of year.  Parents are showing up for coaching meetings in a bit of a panic because the outbursts are unpredictable and seem to be ramping up.  I had one mom...

Are you struggling to stay on top of everything as the end of the school year approaches?

Traditionally, this is a hectic time of year for many parents — All of the end of the year activities, awards, final parties, field trips, playoffs, recitals…  It can be overwhelming for even the most organized of parents!  I had one mom wondering if she was the only one wishing her son’s team...

Are you in the final countdown, caught up in all of the end of year activities as the school year winds down?

I just got back from a trip to South Carolina to celebrate our nephew’s graduation.  My sister-in-law was so excited and grateful to have everyone visiting, yet she couldn’t wait for it all to be over.  Staying on top of everything that needed to be done for her son, planning the...

Memorial Day has arrived, kicking off summer and a time when many families take vacations together!  I don’t know about you, but I tended to go into a vacation thinking that I would unplug and unwind.  Unfortunately, what I typically imagined and reality were worlds apart.  I often returned feeling more exhausted and needing a break from my kids.

Taking vacations as a family was often more...

What does raising an emotionally healthy child mean to you?  For many parents, it means raising kids that generally feel good and positive.  Unfortunately, this definition can have parents trying to protect their children from “negative” feelings and challenging situations and detract from their developing mental strength and resilience.

As a coach for parents of kids struggling with BIG Feelings,...

Do you have someone in your life that you look up to when things are challenging or hard?  When you’re struggling, who do you turn to?  For me, that person has always been my Mom, and I am beyond grateful for her.  

My Mom is one of the strongest and most resilient women that I know.  Her life wasn’t easy growing up — she lost her father when she was two, she lost her brother...

Have you ever stopped to think about what happens when you get triggered or activated as a parent?  Usually, one of our kids does or says something that sets us off.  They behave in a way that we don’t like, and we escalate.  When that happens, what do you do?

I don’t know about you…  But for me, I know that my blood pressure would start to rise. I would start asking myself...

When you are struggling through challenges with your kids, do you wonder what you should do?  Most parents come to me looking for strategies.  They want to know exactly what they should be doing to get their kids to listen, cooperate, or behave better.

If you read my articles or follow me on social media, you know that I share tips and strategies all the time.  But when I work directly with parents, we...

Do you ever give your kids a High Five as a way to celebrate an achievement or encourage them to keep going?  The power of High Fives has been well documented in a number of studies, and since April 18th is National High Five Day, I wanted to highlight the power of this great tool you can use with your kids and yourself.

In a study titled “High Fives Motivate”, published in Frontiers in...