To the mamas, on Mother’s Day: I hope you have a lovely day today. One that ends with gratitude for family and receiving something you needed. It’s a good time to think beyond today. What else do YOU need in your life? Is there a piece of yourself that’s been forgotten? Some piece that was central to you being […]
“You’re full? But you didn’t eat very much.” “Just two more bites, OK?” “Finish everything on your plate and then you can have dessert.” Our intentions are good. But in bribing–or pleading, chasing, commenting, shaming, or hovering–the message we’re really sending is unintended: Ignore your body’s signals for hunger and fullness. Ignore your body’s natural ability to […]
Q. I grew up in a home where I was never allowed to be messy. My grandmother or mother always quickly cleaned up everything in anger. I don’t want to be that kind of parent! I don’t want my child constantly caught up in my anxiety. My daughter is 14 months. She loves to rearrange things […]
Last week my 3-year-old fell off the swing and face-planted on the ground. She laid there for a second, and I got down next to her. She wasn’t crying, so I said, “What do you see?” “My necklace,” she replied, and she got rather interested in checking out its detail. “Interesting blades of grass there, too,” […]
The TV is gone from our living room. And it was my husband’s idea. He is a sports fan, so we’ll see how this goes. The plan is that he’ll walk down the street to a neighborhood bar to watch the occasional game. Or go at a friend’s house. That’s always sounded nicer to me than watching at home–more social, […]
When your anchors are missing, you feel it. Your ship floats this way and that. There’s a heightened level of turbulence — whining, clinging, hitting — all the signs that kids feel overwhelmed. You get this feeling that your days need more structure. If you’re getting that feeling, too, this post is for you. There are a couple ways to think of […]
Occasionally I speak in summits like this one, and the conversation is lively. Dr. Laura Markham talked about giving ourselves permission to be less productive. Lori Petro talked about healing ourselves if we didn’t grow up with good role models for communication. I talked about letting our kids do things for themselves — and asking […]
Have more parenting questions than I can answer once per week? Of course you do! So do I. Luckily for us, a new 21-day parenting summit is starting up this week: Be The Best Parent You Can Be Live – 2015 Online Event It’ll feature 21 leading experts in child development, education, nutrition, sleep, child […]
“I’m really rushing all the time. I don’t have enough time just to sit down with them.” “I always worry: Am I doing enough with my kids? Am I doing the important stuff that they need?” We can all relate to the parents at the beginning of this video. The ending will bring a tear to your eye: […]
A photographer mounted a GoPro camera in the stroller behind his son’s head so he could capture “A toddler’s view of New York City.” Cool idea! But the poor kid is often looking through the plastic cover of the stroller. He gets this blurry, diffuse view of the world. The photographs got me thinking about a child’s experience from a […]