Raising Kids
There was blood everywhere: my shirt, his shirt, the floor. It was pouring so fast from my son’s mouth, all I could do was reach for the towel hanging on the oven door handle, prop it gently against his mouth and attempt to catch as much as I could. It had been a day. Well…more like a week. Using positive parenting strategies with my [...]
toddler
2-Year-Old Not Listening? Try This Remarkable Tip
I’m not going to sugar coat this for you. I struggled horribly with my 2-year-old not listening. As a mom who researches things like how to make kids listen and how to be a positive parent to a strong willed child, the twos about did me in. Yes, really. (That's why I started researching why parents yell...) But here’s the real [...]
4 Surprising Reasons Why Empathy Doesn’t “Work”
I hear it time and time again, “Empathetic parenting doesn’t work with my kid.” Your child wants a toy at the grocery store. He wants to get out of bed multiple times per night. He refuses to take a bath. He throws all his food on the floor. Related: 10 Perfect Bath Toys for Older Kids to Keep it FUN You empathize with the situation [...]
Schedule / Routine3 Mom Tricks to Help Kids Stay in Bed
She heard her cry through the monitor for the fourth time that night. It started with toddler night waking two years ago. At age four, she was still going strong. Each time she finally drifted off to sleep and settled into a deep sleep, there she was calling her to wake. What do you do when a toddler keeps getting out of bed? On top of [...]
The Real Reason Why Kids Never Want to Go to Sleep
I cringe every time I catch myself doing this. We are starting our bedtime routine and the bedtime tantrum begins. As soon as my son knows bedtime is starting, he weighs in with “No sleep, no rest, no bath.” This is his response to everything. This chant—no sleep, no rest, no bath—it’s basically his life motto. When you put your [...]
The Parenting Tip You’re Missing to End Power Struggles
It all started with the elevator buttons. We were leaving the house. I was in a hurry to get my strong willed toddler off to school, and I pushed the elevator button. This was the beginning of toddler power struggle number one. He wanted to push the elevator button. He was super frustrated. Pushing the button makes him feel [...]
How to Help a Toddler Adjust After a New Baby
As I was folding laundry, my toddler reminded me, “Mama. Baby cry. Mama.” I continued folding. He continued reminding me. This is our new routine to help our toddler and newborn adjust. When we first brought our daughter home from the hospital, I was overwhelmed about how to help my toddler prepare for the new baby. I knew we [...]
15+ Best Ways to Manage Aggressive Behavior in Toddlers
When my daughter was born a few months ago, I was anticipating lots of hands-on management of aggressive behavior in toddlers. It's no secret around here that my toddler struggled with biting for over a year. He is energetic, curious, and often unaware of his own powerful strength. Related: One afternoon, I laid my daughter [...]
7 Parenting Hacks for an Easier Bedtime with Kids
Inside: If you are struggling with toddler tantrums at bedtime, these are easy, yet effective tips to help for a smoother bedtime with toddlers! Plus, tips for an earlier bedtime! Sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, my forehead pressed against my hands which clenched the wheel beneath them. My sweet baby girl wailed in [...]
Bossy Toddler: How to Keep the Upper Hand
Funny there’s no chapter in any parenting book called Advanced Toddler Negotiation: How to Keep the Upper Hand. I think there should be. Because somewhere between the ages of 18 months and 3 years old your sweet obedient child will turn into a rebellious teenager overnight. Of course it seems cute and funny at first. But after a few [...]
