Money, Money, Money
Andrea Ramsay Speers
“Mom, can I have an ice cream?” That’s how it starts. With a seemingly innocent request for a treat – that requires money. This is your first opportunity to share with your [...]
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Being More Patient
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Most parents I’ve met would say that parenting has taught them to dig into reserves of patience they didn’t even know they had. But they’d also probably admit that they could [...]
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Foiling a Manipulation Tactic
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Kids develop a finely tuned awareness of which parent to go to in specific circumstances. Whether they’re looking for money, a ride to the mall, or permission to sleep [...]
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Saying What We Mean and Meaning What We Say
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Here’s an interesting statistic: Today’s Parent magazine took an online poll, in which 58% of parents responded that they sometimes say yes when they wish [...]
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A Listening Experiment
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Have you ever given much thought to how much talking you do? I try to be very aware of how much I talk — occupational hazard, I suppose — and I try to [...]
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Staying the Course
Andrea Ramsay Speers
It’s easy to second-guess ourselves as parents. Whatever the situation is — trying to get our little one to sleep through the night, saying no to a 16 year old who [...]
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“You’re Not The Boss of Me!”
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Power struggles are among the more frustrating parts of the parenting package. Why? Well, as Rudolph Dreikurs points out in his book Children: The Challenge, “Children [...]
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When You Don’t Like Your Teen’s Dating Choice
Andrea Ramsay Speers
Someone asked me recently what to do when you don’t like your teenage son or daughter’s boyfriend/girlfriend. It’s definitely a tricky subject. While as [...]
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When Parents Clash
Andrea Ramsay Speers
What do you do when you and your partner have differences in parenting styles? It’s a surprisingly common dilemma. My experience is that, if we look at parenting as a [...]
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Parenting Book Recommendations
Andrea Ramsay Speers
A number of my clients have been asking for books that they can read that describe the same Democratic Parenting philosophy that I use in our sessions. I thought I might post [...]
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