If you don’t think it is a big deal to be replaced by a baby brother after being the princess of the household and the apple of daddy and mommy’s eyes for 2 or more years,
try to put yourself in your child’s place.

Imagine: You have been happily married for 2 or more years and your husband treats you like you are special and wonderful. One day he says, “Guess what, I’ve decided to bring home another wife. I’m so happy about getting another wife and I’m sure you will be too. We will all be one big happy family.” You get the picture.

When the new baby arrives, both parents are exhausted and sleep deprived. Mom may be breast feeding which takes a lot of time and energy. Mom holds the baby close and quickly comforts the baby when he cries. Dad certainly plays with baby’s two year old sister, but may seem to have less energy and patience. Maybe your toddler is getting a little less outside play time. Your toddler may perceive correctly that she is getting less attention and baby gets a lot more. Continue reading “Sibling Rivalry: How Do I Get My Toddler to Calm Down?”

• Do you feel confused about how to respond to your children’s emotional displays?
• Do emotions sometimes feel like misbehavior to you?
• Do your own feelings feel overwhelming at times?

Emotional intelligence increases children’s self-worth and cooperation. It improves communication skills, strengthens the parent-child connection, reduces family conflict, and impacts all of your child’s future relationships. This live online class will provide parents with concrete tools to strengthen their own emotional intelligence and that of their children. Even if you wish most emotions would just disappear, this webinar will help you find a path through the confusion.

Continue reading “Emotional Intelligence: Teach & Model”

Some children display behaviors that challenge and sometimes defeat parents and other adults. Some of these behaviors may include chronic oppositionality as well as screaming, swearing, hitting and throwing objects. This live online class will help participants recognize why children may behave in these ways and apply effective responses that are not focused on punishment, but instead help children identify and repair lagging social skills, self-control and other unsolved problems that lead to such harmful behavior.

Continue reading “Challenging Children: When Punishment Doesn’t Work”

Parents often don’t recognize hidden stressors in children’s lives. This live online parenting class will examine such stressors and help participants more effectively use the parent-child relationship to achieve positive change. Self-regulation refers to how we manage stress and this class will teach parents how we can help our children learn to help themselves. You will be able to apply strategies that help children improve their mood, attention, and cooperation.

Continue reading “Self-Regulation: Helping Kids Calm Down and Cooperate”

Studies show that youth who feel they can talk with their parents are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as promiscuity, using substances, violence, etc. Talking isn’t lecturing and this webinar will strengthen your listening as well as talking skills in ways that will help protect your teens and maybe even save your sanity.

Continue reading “Talking to Teens: Communication for Connection and Safety”

Family meals are associated with school success, lower rates of teen problems and an assortment of positive outcomes. Yet, parents find it hard to keep consistent mealtimes and often mistakenly use feeding and mealtimes to try to enforce healthy eating through unhealthy means. This webinar will provide parents with best practices for feeding children that support both health and family connection.

Continue reading “Mealtimes: End the Power Struggle”

• Is your child spending too much time in “time out”?
• Are you concerned that you are too strict or too easy?
• Do you sometimes think there must be a better way?

Kids raised with “firm and friendly” discipline are more confident and cooperative. You will discover myths that keep parents repeating the same behaviors that don’t work and often actually increase misbehavior. This training provides evidence-based, straight-forward strategies that effectively increase and sustain child compliance.

Continue reading “Positive Discipline for Peace at Home”