Doesn’t it feel nice when someone listens to you?   Open communication is such an important part of fostering a relationship with our kids. It’s that relational connection that is the foundation of all our parenting, and hopefully what will continue to grow after our kids have grown up.   However, listening well doesn’t always […]

We don’t want our kids under parenting-control. We want to guide them to their own self-control. We want them to be able to manage themselves in hard situations and be able to make good choices when we aren’t watching.   What does this mean and how can we do it?   Self-control is a skill […]

It’s incredibly frustrating to try to reason with a toddler who has no concept of logic. We’ve all been there.   Having an understanding of childhood and brain development can work wonders for parents who are struggling with their kids. Knowing what our kids are cognitively and emotionally capable of at any certain age can […]

There are so many characteristics that can define a positive parent.  Typically, we think of a positive parent as kind, empathetic, disciplined, guiding, loving, and so many other things.   Positive parenting has been around for many years now. Here is a quick recap of positive parenting: Focus on positive guidance and not harsh punishment. […]

There are dozens of parenting labels out there – connection parenting, attachment parenting, positive parenting, gentle parenting, conscious, intentional. Most of these have a positive spin to them, although they can easily be misunderstood as permissive parenting. There are more that have a more negative connotation – helicopter, authoritarian, detached, neglectful, punitive. Parents can easily […]

Parents today are facing many hardships that make the already difficult task of parenting even harder. We can feel overwhelmed, alone, undervalued, unappreciated, and worried. Parenting is such an important job, and we want to do our best. But sometimes we don’t know how to do “our best.” And sometimes, that struggle can cause us […]

Parenting is training our kids to become successful, respectful, responsible adults, while also focusing on building a strong relationship that will last a lifetime. One important area of focus is in teaching life skills. The skills we teach our kids set them up for success as adults. These life skills are much more lasting than […]

It’s hard to hear our kids say unkind things about themselves. We parents often want to shift their thinking immediately so they have a more positive view of themselves. (We hear them say, “I’m so stupid!” and immediately counter with, “Oh no, you are so smart!”) And while we mean the best, when we do […]

Having an optimistic outlook is much than living life with rose-colored glasses. It’s a mindset that can really set us up for resilience and growth. Life is sure to throw us curve balls, and having an optimistic outlook can really help us through these difficult times without minimizing the difficulties we will face. Fostering this […]

One of the best things we can do our kids, is help them develop a growth mindset. Kids with a growth mindset believe they are capable and can handle challenges. These are definitely characteristics I want my kids to develop and have as adults.   Fixed Mindset: People with a fixed mindset typically believe they […]

We want our kids to do their best. We want them to succeed. One of the best ways we can set them up for success is helping them develop a growth mindset.   In this article, we will talk about two of the main mindset types: Growth and Fixed. We will also discuss a few […]

The Power of “Even Though” Building Resilience and Gratitude in Difficult Times   As parents, we want to equip our kids with the tools they’ll need to handle the struggles of life. Resilience is one of those tools we want to give our kids in their success toolbox. Building resilience is an on-going process throughout […]

The key to our parenting is our foundational relationship with our kids. We can know every parenting skill ever developed, and none will work as well if we don’t have the relational base with our kids. Focusing on enhancing and fostering your relationship with your kids won’t magically make all your problems disappear. But it […]

Families are busy. We can’t always make the time to sit down and have conversations with our kids and talk about the many important things we want them to learn in childhood and adolescence.   Two of the top things parents can do for their kids to help them grow into healthy adults include family […]

“Some experts say that depression and anxiety are the new normal … As parents, we cannot accept this.”   Messy Hope: Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Depression, or Suicidal Ideation by Lori Wildenberg is a powerful book to support families during difficult times   As a parent raising kids in today’s world, there are many […]

  Adults can easily turn our kids away from open conversation.   Now, doing this once in a while is part of life. We are busy and can’t always stop everything for someone else. Doing these things once in a while shouldn’t hurt the relationship communication too much.   However, habitual practice of these can […]

Permissive, Authoritarian, and Authoritative Parenting   Parenting researchers and family experts have coined several types of parents. These labels aren’t a one-sized-fits-all kind of thing. Often, we tend to be more like one type than others. But before we get caught up in labels, remember that just being an intentional parent, who strives to do […]

We see it all the time. Being thankful or expressing gratitude for the good things in our life is good for us. We heard it from our grandparents, and now we see it from researchers and scientists. It’s all so true. Gratitude and thankfulness are good for us. Not only for us, but we can […]

We were created for connection. Study after study has shown that our ability to emotionally connect to others plays a huge role in our overall emotional and physical health. This connection happens through emotions, feelings, vulnerability, and relationship.   Teaching our kids emotional intelligence is one of the best things we can do to help […]