The new year gives us a chance to pause and ask ourselves the big questions: “How am I doing? How can I improve?” If you’re a parent, perhaps you resolve to be a calmer one, a more consistent one, a stricter one, a more involved one. Maybe you’re thinking about the gap between the parent... Read more »
"My child misbehaves so much that I don't even know where to start!" This is one of the most common things we hear on the parent coaching team, and it's an understandable problem. Many parents tell me they feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and anxious when dealing with their child or teen's acting out behavior. They wonder... Read more »
If you spend much time on EmpoweringParents.com, you’ve probably noticed that we talk a lot about "accountability." But have you ever wondered what it means to hold your child accountable? It’s an excellent question and one that we receive often during online parent coaching. When we talk about accountability with our kids, we are most... Read more »
What do you do when your spouse doesn’t parent the same way you do? Hands-down, this is one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Empowering Parents. “I want to set limits and give consequences, but he thinks I’m being too hard on our kids,” said one mother recently. “I’m tired of being... Read more »
Whenever an adolescent doesn’t want to take responsibility, it’s very likely they’ll present themselves as a victim. When your child says, “You don’t understand me,” that’s playing the victim, because what they’re really saying is, “I’m a victim of your misunderstanding." When they say, “My teacher is mean. That’s why I didn’t do my homework,”... Read more »
Parent: “OK, time to turn off the video games and go clean your room.” Child: “That’s not fair! I don’t want to clean my room! That’s boring and stupid!” Parent: “Why do you always do this to me? You’re making me crazy!!!” When parents say things like, “Why are you doing this to me? You’re making me crazy,”... Read more »
Kids grow up watching you for a living, and let’s face it, they learn pretty quickly how to push your buttons. It might be back talk, or constant complaining or eye-rolling, but whatever the behavior, nearly every parent will occasionally lose their temper with their kids. Many parents control their emotions most of the time. However,... Read more »
Picture this: It’s late and getting later. Jessica was supposed to be home an hour ago and Marie, Jessica's mom, feels her blood pressure ratcheting upwards with every tick of the kitchen clock. Marie alternates between fear for her daughter’s safety, and anger at being late for curfew — again. When Jessica finally walks in... Read more »
Do your kids drive you crazy? If you were asked to describe them, after saying, "He's a good kid, but..." would you use words like “defiant,” “whiny,” “unmotivated,” “disrespectful,” “angry,” or “demanding,” with a few positives sprinkled in? If the negatives loom larger in your mind than the positives, the first thing to realize is... Read more »
It used to be said that it took a village to raise a child. But, not every parent shares that village view anymore, particularly when it involves disciplining other people’s children. Whether you’re dealing with a playdate-gone-bad or a step-child who is crossing the line, remember, it’s OK to set limits and ask others to... Read more »
