No Is Not A Four-Letter Word
Andrea Ramsay Speers
People ask a lot of us. Whether they want us to take on a new project at work, bake a dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale, or water their plants while they’re away, we [...]
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“That’s Not Fair!”
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Kids are sensitive, especially to anything their siblings get. This could be attention, money, dessert, chores…the list is endless. How many times does a parent have to [...]
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A Few Of My Favourite Books
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Looking for something to keep you busy over the next few weeks? Books can be a great way to get information, get inspiration and new ideas, and to keep momentum going between [...]
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Gratitude in the Time of Abundance
Andrea Ramsay Speers
It’s hard not to notice how much our kids have. One study found that not that long ago – only a few decades – the average child had 50 toys. By 1995, that number had jumped [...]
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Hands-On Parenting: Too Much Of A Good Thing
Andrea Ramsay Speers
I first became aware of the term “helicopter parent” many years ago. It was in an article by Amanda Robb in the July 2008 issue of O Magazine. The term was coined by former [...]
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Whose Work Is Housework?
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Not many of us relish doing housework. Most of us hardly get a kick out of cleaning the mini-blinds and baseboards. Kids? They tend to enjoy it even less. But if we all [...]
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Raising Responsible Children
Andrea Ramsay Speers
When I ask parents what kind of adults they hope their children will grow to be, they often use words like responsible, respectful, and independent. Which is a worthy goal, [...]
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The Gift Of Boredom
Andrea Ramsay Speers
“I’m Bored!” As your kids get older, you may find yourself hearing this refrain less and less (perhaps because your kids spend less and less time hanging around the house with [...]
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Sometimes Kids Just Need To Hear No
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Nobody likes to disappoint their children. It’s hard to turn them down, crush their hopes, or deny them. And it’s particularly hard to deal with their unpleasant reactions [...]
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The Importance Of Failing
Andrea Ramsay Speers
It’s tempting for a parent to want to spare one’s kids the pain of failure. No one likes to see someone that they care about – and that they’ve been charged with protecting – [...]
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