Do you struggle to get your kids to help clean up after themselves?  Does the chaos and clutter that comes with young kids have you at your wits end?  A writer from the Redfin real estate and lifestyle blog reached out to me asking for tips on how to keep a clean house with kids recently, so know that you’re not alone!  

If you are a parent that has given up on the clutter or getting your kids...

Do you use threats to get your kids to behave?  If I ask parents how often they use threats, most don’t think they use threats all that often — but if I ask how often do you hear yourself saying “If you don’t sit down, we’re going to have to leave” or “If you don’t stop fighting, you’re both going to lose the iPad” they realize that they are using threats...

Do you stress over whether you’re doing the right thing as a parent?  In my recent live workshops, I had almost every parent asking questions about challenges they were having with their kids.  There were also quite a few parents that were looking for confirmation that they were doing the right thing.  

I could feel the stress and tightness in their shoulders, the boulder pressing on...

Do you have a child going through a tough time with a friend?  Learning how to navigate friendships can be hard for children, and heartbreaking for parents.  

At one of my recent workshops, there was a Mom whose 7-year-old was struggling with his long-time best friend.  Her son was coming home in tears, and she was in tears herself not knowing how to help.

I started by asking the Mom to check in...

Do your kids get super engrossed when they are in front of devices or playing video games?  Do feel like a broken record, having to repeat yourself over and over again, issuing threats until your kids finally break away?  Many parents tell me that they have issues with getting their kids to listen, especially when they are on devices.

They think that their kids are ignoring them and choosing not to listen,...

Do you know any adults that lose it easily or really struggle emotionally when they are faced with challenges?  I don’t know about you but I’ve met my fair share!  Knowing what I know now, I do my best to be empathetic because chances are high that they simply weren’t taught how to cope as children.

This is an area that I work on with parents often because it’s common for children to...

We are hearing the terms “emotional regulation”, and “co-regulation” more often in child development, parenting circles, and from pediatricians — but do you really know what they mean and why they’re important?  

According to Psychology Today, emotional regulation is the ability to exert control over one’s own emotional state. This can include rethinking a challenging...

When you’re getting ready for a trip, do you take the time to plan out what to bring with you and what you’re going to do?  

When my kids were little, we often took them to the beach.  We would get all packed up, and invariably once we were there I would have forgotten something — a garbage bag, the sunblock stick for the nose, the baby powder to get the sand off the kids before a fresh...

As a parent, how do you handle your child’s big feelings that lead to unwanted behavior?  When your child is not behaving as you would like, do you get frustrated and start focusing on getting them to STOP?

It seems like the logical answer.  That’s what I did when my children were little and what many parents do today.  Because let’s face it, unwanted behavior from our kids can...

Before you had kids, did you imagine what kind of parent you would be?  

Years ago (before I had children), I read a story about a boy that tried to pour himself a glass of milk from a pitcher.  The pitcher was too heavy, so he ended up spilling the milk all over the kitchen floor.  Instead of being upset, his mother took the time to work with him, filling the pitcher to different levels and then...

As you get closer to the end of the year, have you started to reflect back on 2022 and think about what you want for 2023?  Personally, I love this time of year.  The holidays are over, and the world slows down for a few days before we officially ring in the new year.  I find it a great time to reflect and center ourselves again, and get intentional about planning for what we want in the upcoming...

Does your list get longer as the big holiday gets closer?  Almost everyone I talk to these days has a glazed-over look on their face as the list of everything they have to get done seems so long and daunting.  I won’t lie, the holidays snuck up on me this year, and my own list seems daunting.  I needed to generate my own support and encouragement to get myself through this next week, so I decided...