Thanksgiving is that time of year when we hear lots of advice to be thankful and to 'count your blessings.' We see the cute Pinterest ideas that show ways to be grateful and to keep track of the blessings we have received. All these things are good. We should be grateful. We should remember the [...]
I remember as a young foster mom struggling with really tough behaviors. Having never had kids before I wasn't sure what was typical kid stuff and what was a result of trauma. I did have one persistent thought. I wasn't up to the task. I felt overwhelmed and tired from constant meltdowns and rages that [...]
Parenting Scripts Without Shame When our kids do various things that drive us bonkers, it can be easy to use shame and blame to try and get them to stop. We get frustrated and often revert to our old way of parenting. Instead, letâs try some short and simple scripts that can keep us from [...]
Advocating at School Back to school can be a hard time for many families. The nervousness of meeting new friends, new teachers, and being away from home can cause some big, and sometimes baffling, behaviors. So how do we equip our kids with the skills they need to be successful? How do we communicate with [...]
Compliance or Relationship? Often moms will vent to me about how sick they are of kids arguing with everything they ask them to do. They just want them to do what they are asked to do without an attitude. I can totally relate! I have those days when all I want is compliance. Just one [...]
Teachable Moments Often in parenting we are looking for "teachable moments" where we can help our kids learn something from a mistake. The biggest problem with this is that when these moments happen our kids are dysregulated and not able to learn from their mistakes. We have to take a moment and help them calm [...]
Finding Balance I have always been a "worst case scenario" person...in my head. You know what I mean right? Like when my husband calls to say he is headed home from work, and then when he doesn't come home at the time I think he should, I imagine that he has gotten into a wreck [...]
No one told me it would be this hard. Or maybe they did and I just didnât hear them. Sure I remember hearing stories of sleepless nights and crying that went on for hours (wasnât that just supposed to be the kids?). High fevers that caused worry. Tantrums that would leave you scratching your head [...]
Getting to the Heart of Behaviors    When faced with challenging behaviors where do we begin? Connected parenting says to look for the need behind the behavior. Another way to say this isWhat's at the heart of this behavior?It can be hard to figure out how to address the challenging behaviors, but here are some practical [...]
I got to work check-in at prom on Saturday night (hence the cheesy purple scarf that was part of my âflight attendantâ dress code) and see everyone all dressed up and excited for a fun evening.Somehow in the midst of it, I missed my own kids coming through. I texted them and told them I [...]