Instead of telling my kids that I’m proud of them, I tell them they did a great job and that they could really be proud of themselves.
I read it somewhere and I liked the rephrasing. It helps build inner confidence and acceptance while I still show them I appreciate what they have done.
So far, it’s worked pretty nicely with my kids.
Contributed by – Debra
I want my children to be kind and sensitive to other people, so I try my best to involve them whenever I get a chance to do something good.
For example, recently a new neighbor moved in and I wanted to welcome them with a cake. I talked to my kids about it, and discussed how hard it can be to move to a new place where you don’t know any other people…
Then, I offered them to help deliver the cake and draw a welcome picture. It was a great feeling for all of us.
Contributed by – Ananya
My 3 year old, like all other 3 year-olds, can sometimes go into a real tantrum. So, when I’m about to either lose it and get very angry at her or just give up and let her do whatever she wants, I stop and breath and recite this mantra in my head – “Be tough but kind”. It helps me relax and focus so that I can calmly stick to my rules and not get excited by the tantrum, while staying in control without giving up or losing it on her.
Contributed by – Melody
When my kids come home from school, instead of asking them how was their day (answer is usually just “fine” or “fun” or “OK”), I ask them if there was one Interesting thing that happened today at school. When asked this way, they actually stop to think, and then tell me something they learned or a funny story that happened to them.
This way, I get to know something real and a bit deeper about their day…
Contributed by – Allena
During bath-time, the kids can get pretty crazy and difficult. My idea to solve it was to offer each of my boys who go nicely to the bath to pick their favorite song, and then we play it during the bath. It turned the whole process in to a lot of fun. The boys are dancing and singing and just having a blast!
Contributed by – Madeline
Instead of constantly nagging my kids to eat their veggies, I found an alternative. While they spend their daily time on the computer, I place a nice plate of cut up vegetables in front of them.
They finish it in no-time, and usually ask for more! 🙂
Contributed by – Maya
Go ahead let them sleep in your bed. l guarantee, they WILL leave eventually and you will miss them terribly.
Contributed by – Anonymous
All children are different and the parents too. I have been disturbed by my 3 year old daughter and I used to just burst and rebuke her. But then I tried to engulf and contain the anger and deal with her with politeness only.
I have found a big change in her, just by absorbing my own anger and calming myself in tough times.
Now, I deal with her calmly at all times. She started to say “mom is the best mama!” instead of – “I don’t like you…”
Contributed by – Mehwish Usama
Maybe it’s my fault my eldest daughter is a tad too girly. She’s inherited my disdain for all bugs with the exception of butterflies and ladybugs of course. Growing up in Florida where the bugs are gargantuan in size didn’t bode well for me but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned how to conquer my fears, especially if I’m armed with a full can of Raid. One night, I’d finally fallen asleep when my eldest taps me awake. “Mommy, there’s a monster in my room,” she tells me. Why I’m the one that gets woken up instead of her father, I have no earthly idea. “Ok, let me take a look,” I say and follow her to her room. “It’s over there,” she whines, pointing desperately at the corner. My eyes are bleary and nearly sealed shut so I do my best to pry them open and look for “the monster.” “There it is!” she screams. I look and it’s not a monster. It’s a bug. And not even a monstrous bug. It was a very teeny tiny moth.
But I played it cool and slayed the monster with my mommy superpowers! I tried to make out of it the biggest show possible and my daughter eventually joined in and assisted in capturing and killing the monster. The whole thing turned out to be very empowering for her.
The next few nights, she slept calmly and undisturbed!
Contributed by – sam
Our elder son is a stubborn boy. When he gets upset, he rolls up into a ball, and won’t speak to anyone. Sometimes, he isn’t even willing to tell us what’s wrong in the first place. I found a solution that has helped us many times in the past, and that is to create a made-up character. I gave the character a funny name and a funny high-pitched voice. Surprisingly, the character had the same exact problem as my son. He was wondering if anyone could help him figure out what to do. My son slowly get up and begin to talk to the character in an attempt to help him out and solve the issue.
Sometimes, if I didn’t know what’s wrong, the character would just cry and be very upset. My son would try to console him and would say “What’s wrong?” I would answer that “I’m very sad, just like you. Why are you sad?” then, my son would go on to reveal what’s bothering him. I would of course reply with astonishment – “Really?! That’s exactly what happened to me!!”. We would then go on and find solutions to our mutual trouble… 🙂
Contributed by – Anonymous