happy families
The Gift Of Boredom
“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 [...]
Read more The Gift Of Boredom
Sometimes Kids Just Need To Hear No
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 [...]
Read more Sometimes Kids Just Need To Hear No
Doing What Works (And Quitting What Doesn’t)
People have a tendency to think that if something should work, but it doesn’t, that the next step is to then do that thing harder, more often or more intensely. (For example, [...]
Read more Doing What Works (And Quitting What Doesn’t)
When Parents And Grandparents Disagree
A lot of focus is put on how important it is for Mom and Dad to be on the same parenting page — which is definitely important — but a more delicate situation can [...]
Read more When Parents And Grandparents Disagree
Goals of Misbehaviour Part 4: Inadequacy
This month wraps up our four month series of trying to answer that nagging question, “Why do kids do that?” Having looked at the “goals” of gaining attention, power, [...]
Read more Goals of Misbehaviour Part 4: Inadequacy
Encourage To Flourish
Encouragement Vs Praise What’s the difference? you may be asking yourself. It’s subtle, to be sure, and most of us never really gave it much thought. In a nutshell, [...]
Read more Encourage To Flourish
Goals Of Misbehaviour Part 3: Revenge
The good news is that we are well on our way to understanding what is driving our kids’ behaviour. We’ve talked about the first two goals of misbehaviour, getting [...]
Read more Goals Of Misbehaviour Part 3: Revenge
A Yelling Resolution
I was reading a little poll in an old Today’s Parent magazine. Even though it was from the December 2009 issue, I thought it would be interesting to post the poll and the [...]
Read more A Yelling Resolution
05Feb
Goals Of Misbehaviour Part 2: Power
Last month we began our quest to answer the question, “What are they thinking?!?” (“they”, of course, being our children). Recognizing that no behaviour happens by accident [...]
Read more Goals Of Misbehaviour Part 2: Power
Goals Of Misbehaviour Part I: Attention
Have you ever looked at your kids and thought, “What are they thinking?!?” It’s a common parental response to outrageous, wacky, disruptive, or hurtful behaviours. But there [...]
Read more Goals Of Misbehaviour Part I: Attention