Connect more easily with your child by changing the way you listen

As parents, we want to build and maintain strong relationships with our children. We want them to find us trustworthy and supportive, nurturing and wise, generous and attuned. One of the best tools we have for succeeding in these goals is our ability to listen to our...

Better parenting starts with better beliefs

Parents (and non-parents alike) have plenty of opinions on what makes “better” children and “better” parents. Nursing. Attachment parenting. Continuum Concept principles. Bed-sharing. Early literacy. Limited media. Time outdoors. Unschooling....

You are enough

In today’s world we parents often sense that the weight of the world is on our shoulders. What we do is so vital. How we do it so important. The responsibilities on our list sometimes seem endless. The “stakes” are so high. Is it any wonder that many...

Parents have “discipline” all wrong

I just finished reading How Do You Discipline a Child in the Post-Hitting Era? and am amazed that parents can still be so confused. The problem is that we use the word “discipline” when what we actually mean is “punish.” Discipline is a trait...

Apologies aren’t enough (from parents)

In my post, Apologizing — a skill of a masterful parent, I wrote about the importance of parents making apologies to their children. I emphasized that apologizing helped parents “cultivate a long-term, respect-based relationship with our children,” in...