Nobody likes bribery. We don’t like it in our government and we don’t like it in our parenting. Bribing your kids feels icky to think about. We just want our kids to behave out of the goodness of their hearts, right? Shouldn’t they simply WANT to behave? (Excuse me while I laugh hysterically.) I think
why bribing your kids won’t work: the difference between bribery and reinforcement Read More »
Punishment is such a dirty word. I feel dirty about it. It’s negative and icky and sinks like a sick pit in my stomach when I think about it. And when I have used it with my children, it has worked in the moment, but has long term consequences. In behavioral terms, though, punishment is
changing the way you think about punishment Read More »
Our usual bedtime routine was interrupted, and over the past weeks, it’s become harder and harder to keep our child in her own bed. Now, it’s a nightly ordeal. Help! How to keep a child in her own bed at night: create a bedtime pass for kids Oh, the agony of prolonged bedtime ordeals! All
Ask the expert: Help! My child won’t stay in her own bed Read More »
“I can’t wait until you die,” said the teenager riding in the car next to me. “I hate you.” I kept my eyes on the road, gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and breathed. When your teen says I hate you, or similar, it hurts, no doubt about it. But I was no stranger to
When your teen says I hate you (what he really means) Read More »
Parenting advice is everywhere, but when it comes to raising kids, there really is an easy button of parenting. And the easy parenting tip you aren’t using enough is right at your fingertips. Picture this: it’s 10 am and it’s quiet, which is pretty rare in a house full of preschoolers and toddlers. I’m not
The easy parenting tip you aren’t using enough Read More »
So, your child has been prescribed ABA therapy. What next? ABA therapy is a commitment. ABA can also be a sacrifice of your time and resources and your ideas about your parental interactions with your child. To make that commitment and sacrifice, you need to understand your role as an ABA parent and what you should
What’s expected of you as an ABA parent? Read More »
If you’re working from home while simultaneously keeping kids on task during distance learning, you deserve a medal! (And that’s pretty much all of us right now, isn’t it?) Here’s how to deal: teach your kids the art of self-monitoring during online learning (hey, this may even help you stay on task at work, too)!
Keeping kids on task during distance learning (through self-monitoring) Read More »
When you are raised in the South, there are a few things that you can expect with certainty: plenty of fried chicken, church on Sunday, and a spanking if you ever sassed your mama. Spanking was a regular part of my childhood, and I certainly don’t think I was emotionally or physically scarred by that
Is spanking children effective? Why I stopped spanking Read More »