Problem Solving
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Good communication is important in a family, but we can get stuck when we’ve shared what our issues are, and the person we’re sharing with has a different view. [...]
Read more Problem Solving
Happiness At Home: How To Balance Work And Family Life
Andrea Ramsay Speers
What Is Your Definition of Success? If you want to create balance in your life, it is important to know how you define success. The following list is a place to start. Cross [...]
Read more Happiness At Home: How To Balance Work And Family Life
Date Nights
Andrea Ramsay Speers
I’m sure all parents of young children have heard of the importance of date nights. How can it be avoided, when we talk about how tired and disconnected from our partners we [...]
Read more Date Nights
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 [...]
Read more The Gift Of Boredom
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 [...]
Read more Sometimes Kids Just Need To Hear No
Doing What Works (And Quitting What Doesn’t)
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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