The Process Of Change
Andrea Ramsay Speers
January is often a time of change. We start off the new year with the best of intentions; some of them stick, some of them don’t. While our enthusiasm and motivation ride [...]
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Favourite Holiday Traditions
Andrea Ramsay Speers
I know I keep coming back to the importance of traditions and spending time with your children and creating meaning in your family, but, well, it matters a lot! I [...]
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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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When Parents Disagree About Parenting
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Who knew that parenting could be so hard on your marriage?? When we meet someone and children aren’t even on our radars, we don’t really know that our parenting styles might [...]
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Guiding Lines
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Here’s a thought from Jean-Yves Frappier, the head of the adolescent division at Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal and president of the Canadian Association for [...]
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Don’t Talk To Me Like That! How To Handle Back Talk
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Your kids probably tested the waters of talking back when they were younger, but you may be shocked at the quality –and sheer quantity — of disrespect you face now [...]
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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. [...]
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Back To School Woes
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Summer is here and the living is easy. Then all of a sudden it’s not summer, it’s September and school is here. And not everyone is excited about it. Some kids may be [...]
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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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But Sometimes They Just Push My Buttons!
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Patience is an elusive concept for parents. It can either be something we have (or don’t – as in, “I don’t have a lot of patience for that behaviour”), something we are (or [...]
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