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Whose Work Is Homework?

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, nagging, parenting, Pet Peeves, school, self esteem, stress, teens, tweens

If it was meant to be fun, it wouldn’t be called homework, right? But does getting assignments and essays done have to be such a battle? In fact, that’s the last thing it [...]

Bribes Versus Rewards

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, gratitude, happy families, nagging, parenting, school, self esteem, teens, tweens, Uncategorised

Here’s an interesting question: what’s the difference between a reward and a bribe? Many would say that the distinction comes down to the use of the word [...]

The Importance Of Attachment

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, happy families, parenting, self esteem, teens, tweens

“Attachment” is something that parents, particularly of babies, think about. How do we help our kids develop healthy attachment, and how do we know if we’re doing it right? [...]

Encouraging Respect In Our Kids

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, happy families, nagging, parenting, Pet Peeves, self esteem, teens, tweens

“Respect” is an important word for parents. We want our kids to respect us as parents, respect all we do for them, and respect other people. We want them to [...]

The Process Of Change

Andrea Ramsay Speers

mental health, parenting, self esteem, stress, Uncategorised

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 [...]

Favourite Holiday Traditions

Andrea Ramsay Speers

happy families, holidays, parenting

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 [...]

Raising Responsible Children

Andrea Ramsay Speers

chores, communication, entitlement, gratitude, keeping kids out of trouble, nagging, parenting, Pet Peeves, school, self esteem, teens, tweens

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, [...]

When Parents Disagree About Parenting

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, couples, happy families, marriage, nagging, parenting, Pet Peeves, stress, teens, tweens

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 [...]

Guiding Lines

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, happy families, keeping kids out of trouble, parenting, teens

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 [...]

Don’t Talk To Me Like That! How To Handle Back Talk

Andrea Ramsay Speers

communication, happy families, nagging, parenting, Pet Peeves, teens, tweens

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 [...]