
Your Parenting On Purpose Toolbox
This is where I share weekly tools and strategies to help support you both as a parent, and in living your best life — so you can be an example of what's possible for your kids.
Feel free to browse or find what you need in the categories in the right-hand column. I hope this inspires you, and by all means: COMMENT. I'm always open to feedback.
Does the thought of holding a boundary make you feel mean or insensitive? Do you find yourself holding boundaries from a place of anger or punishment? If either of these is true for you, then you’re not using boundaries effectively and not getting the results you want with your kids.
In my last article, I reviewed three reasons why boundaries are important for kids: They help kids feel safe and...
What would you tell me if I asked you how good you are at implementing and maintaining boundaries? Most parents I work with know that boundaries are important, but they struggle to establish them and then consistently and effectively maintain them. While boundaries can be difficult, they are an essential tool to have in your parenting toolbox to help equip your child for successfully navigating the demands...
As parents, we want to teach our kids appropriate behaviors to help them best navigate through life, but what’s the best way to go about correcting our kids for hitting, yelling, or throwing a fit when they don’t get their way? These types of behaviors can trigger us as parents, and we may respond by putting our kids in a timeout, taking away privileges, or yelling and throwing a fit...
Do you find that when your kids complain about something or share something that didn’t go well your first instinct is to help them find a solution or at least a positive perspective? I’ve had a lot of those moments myself lately, so I’ve been able to see how my responses affect whether I’m able to stay connected to my kids or if they end up more frustrated and then distance themselves. I...
As parents we all know that reading to our children is important, but did you know that you can help your child develop empathy for others and learn other lessons through reading? Studies have been done with children as young as 18-24 months, finding that parents were able to help teach their children about helping and sharing through reading. To teach your kids to help and share through reading, the key...
Is your child excited about the upcoming school year, are they a bundle of nerves, or are they dreading going back to school? I have a first-time college-bound teen experiencing a mix of emotions so it’s possible that you might have that too. Your child could be excited to see friends, but nervous about a new teacher, new sport or activities, or having schoolwork and homework again.
As parents, we can...
Is your child nervous about going back to school? Even when kids are excited, each year brings some new unknowns which can cause some anxiety. How we guide our kids through that anxiety is key, and is an area that I address with every parent that I coach.
I invite you to take a minute and think about your typical response when your child is hesitant of facing a new situation. Is your first...
Do you find that your kids start to act irrationally in the weeks leading up to a major change or transition? If your child starts to react or blow up over seemingly small things that aren’t typically a problem before an upcoming change — and you’re left wondering what in the world has gotten into them — know that it’s completely normal and nothing has gone wrong.
...
Do you think your parenting partner is too strict, or too lenient? We all have opinions about the best way to parent, and it’s not uncommon to disagree with our partners about how to raise and discipline our kids. But we can run into a problem when we are parenting in response to our partner, spouse, or co-parent — and then end up too far in the opposite direction.
This was an issue that I...
As a parent, do you spend more time focused on your child’s negative behavior that concerns you — or do you focus on helping your child develop skills that will help them thrive? If you’re like most parents I coach (myself included!), you tend to focus on what you want your kids to stop or what you think they need to improve.
Before you have any self-recriminating thoughts, know that there is...
How often do you appreciate your efforts and celebrate yourself as a parent, or as a human? If you’re like most of my clients, you spend a great deal more of your time looking at what you’re doing wrong or where you’re not measuring up than you do celebrating and appreciating yourself for all that you give and do.
We celebrate so much for our children when they are little — learning...
When your child is upset and experiencing big feelings, is your first instinct to solve the problem that is making them upset? If you’re like most parents (me included!), you want to know what the problem is to see if you can help get it resolved and calm down your child.
So if your child got upset because their balloon popped, you are likely to want to get them another balloon right away. That seems...