If you had asked me 6 years ago my thoughts on children sleeping in their parents’ bed I would have scoffed and said something like, “my children will be sleeping in their own beds…” And then I would have made or thought some remark about enmeshed families. I’m pretty ashamed of that now. And I’m […]
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How We Avoid Punishing Our Children
I often see comments in gentle parenting boards asking, “If you don’t punish, what do you do?” Or, “There are definitely circumstances where punishments are necessary, right?” As a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), I frequently have to hold back from defining the term ‘punishment’ because I know that’s not exactly what folks mean. I […]
Please don’t spank your child.
Please don’t spank your child. “But if I don’t spank them, they will grow up to be entitled brats.” Everything you do as a parent will impact your children. Whether you spank or not does not have anything to do with your child growing up to feel entitled. It will, however, impact the way they […]
8 Helpful Phrases for Reconnecting with Your Child
My 3-year-old daughter stood up from the potty and slowly started peeling one square of toilet paper away from the roll. The baby was fussing in the other room and I knew he wanted to eat. Ohmygosh hurry up! I shouted in my mind. She was tired, and no one in the house had been […]
What is a Mother? *In remembrance of MaryAnn Mather, 1929-2015*
I’ve been blessed to have a number of incredible role models in my life, one being my Grandmother, MaryAnn. We called her Grandma Mares, since Mares was my Grandfather’s nickname for her. Grandma Mares recently passed away on July 20th, 2015, after a long and incredibly challenging battle with Alzheimer’s. She was the paragon of […]