Time To Think
Andrea Ramsay Speers
In the daily grind of making lunches, arriving on time, homework, and all of the other activities that fill our days, it can be easy to lose sight of our big-picture parenting [...]
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Fears And Phobias
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Kids develop fears. It could be separation anxiety as a toddler, a fear of clowns as a preschooler, or a dread of public speaking as a school-ager. About one in 30 children [...]
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Whose Work Is Homework?
Andrea Ramsay Speers
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 [...]
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Encouraging Respect In Our Kids
Andrea Ramsay Speers
“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 [...]
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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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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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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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