Perhaps you’ve discovered that quality time is your child’s primary love language. Or maybe you’ve decided that you need to get better at spending valuable time with your children. For some parents, knowing what to do and how to have quality time is easy and comes very naturally. But for others, it is a challenge:…
When Should Parents Ask for Help?
Being a great parent does not mean that you never ask for help and that you are able to do it all. It does not mean that you are super-mom or super-dad who can be at every one of your kids’ games, keep the house clean, cook amazing meals, excel at a full-time job, AND…
8 Things Female Athletes Need from Their Dads
Sports dads do not all do things the same way. Studies show that many of them are “softies” when it comes to their female athletes. But youth sports also shows us that many of them are very hard on their girls. A few years ago, a dad on my daughter’s varsity softball team (she was…
How to Praise Your Kids
How to praise your kids? You may be thinking that praising your kids comes naturally and easily. You may feel like you do it all the time and certainly don’t need a “how to” lesson. But I’d like to ask you to be open to the fact that there is a difference between generic praise…
10 Ways to Make Mealtime FAMILY Time
For many households, mealtime is seen as a thing that must be done, kind of like taking a shower or doing chores. Food must be consumed, so dinner is prepared and eaten. Some families graze as individuals come home and others sit down but everyone eats as quickly as possible to move on to the…
4 Guidelines for Monitoring Your Child’s Online Safety
Are you monitoring your child’s online safety? When was the last time you checked your child’s phone or computer? What conversations have you had with your child about online safety? Almost one in three parents have never spoken to their children about cybersecurity, a report reveals, shedding light on a knowledge gap that must be…
9 Guidelines for Grounding Your Children
Do you put much thought into grounding your children? “You’re grounded!” How many times did you hear that when you were growing up? How many times have you heard yourself say it? It’s the “old faithful” of disciplines, the one many parents automatically revert to when they face a behavioral problem with their kids and…
Why is My Child’s Behavior Not the Same at Home as it is at School?
My child’s behavior at school always mystified me. I’d get glowing reports of how great a kid they were, and wanted to laugh and say, “Are we talking about the same person?” That same sweet, agreeable child at school was often quite the opposite at home. Do you ever ask yourself that same question? Why…
10 Traits of a Team Player
Does your child understand what it means to be a team player? Do they see the rewards? The value? Do they understand that being a team player means you not only succeed yourself, but help others succeed as well? Coaches and parents talk about the importance of being a team player, but what really does…
5 Things That Will Sabotage Communication with Your Spouse
Communication with your spouse will drastically affect your parenting. I’ve worked with a lot of parents who struggle with various child-raising issues and often by the end of the coaching package it has become very evident that the real problem was not necessarily their parenting strategy, but their agreement and communication as a couple. So…