Families are busier than ever and one of the things I find they often struggle with is effective communication. When a family describes a situation […]
Can Praise Be Harmful to Children?
It seems like it is common wisdom to praise our kids for things like their athletic skills, musical ability, intelligence, creativity, talent, and so on. […]
Encouraging A Growth Mindset: A Presentation by Dr. Vickie Schafer
Recent research by Dr. Carol Dweck has found the importance of encouraging a growth mindset in our children. Children who learn that success comes from […]
Teens & "Sexting"
I discussed teens & cell phones (particularly texting addiction) in my previous post. A new problem that has arisen in recent years is teens engaging […]
"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (book recommendation)
I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable and informative read. In this book, Gladwell engagingly analyzes what it takes […]
Role Modeling – The Power of Apology
Nobody’s perfect, right? At least that’s what we tell our kids. However, sometimes it’s hard to live up to our own standards. This post, in […]
You Are a Role Model for Your Child/Teen
Regarding parenting, I’ve never been a big fan of the “do as I say, not as I do” approach. Our kids see us as role […]
Life Through a Lens
My eldest son’s graduation was this past Friday…from preschool. Not that there was a ton of pomp and circumstance, but there was a ceremony (in […]
Use of Praise with Children – Part 3
I call this technique the “principle of opposites.” It’s simple but effective. What is the most annoying behavior of your child? Does he frequently interrupt […]
Use of Praise with Children – Part 2
When praising children, another helpful approach is to be specific about the praise. Often we assume that, when we say “good job,” little Billy knows […]