Many of the words that were considered acceptable for describing kids’ behavior in the 1970s and ’80s are now recognized as judgmental or damaging to self-esteem. They teach our kids to be hard on themselves and cause anxiety rather than confidence. If we want to raise empathetic kids who remain open-hearted, we need to be …
How do you raise a resilient child when your sensitive child is anxious, easily discouraged, or not very motivated? I hear the following from many parents I work with: “I’m worried that if I let my child “get away” with behavior–such as being unmotivated, trying to get out of things, getting easily discouraged, or whining …
Setting limits with your highly sensitive child can be hard. Often parents who are HSP and empathic, and grew up in authoritarian (or otherwise emotionally disconnected homes), have a hard time setting boundaries. This is especially true when they’re trying to learn connected parenting, and want to have a strong bond with their child. I …
I’m re-reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the story, but I’m also thinking about the hero’s journey as I read about Bilbo‘s occasional longing to go back to his hobbit hole and the comforts of his home that are so well known to him. And it’s reminding me of my own …
It’s normal to feel guilty after yelling at your child or losing your patience with them. That’s because you have a conscience and want to do right by your kids. But it’s also normal to lose patience and yell sometimes–because you’re human! It’s “human” and “real”. And what I mean by that is that all …
Parents often want to know how they can raise a confident child who has a healthy self-esteem and self-worth, and prevent toxic shame. For instance, “When my child makes a mistake, how can I help them stay self-confident rather than feeling ashamed? How can I ensure they’re feeling *guilt* rather than *shame*–so that I can …
If you’re wondering if you’re failing because your child’s behavior isn’t what you’ve been aiming for, and you’ve been learning to use a connected parenting approach but you think maybe it’s not “working”–how can you feel confident in your connected parenting and know that you’re doing a good job? And how can you feel reassured …
Parents often try to teach their kids to say “sorry” by insisting they say it, but forcing your child to say sorry never teaches genuine remorse or regret–especially if your child is upset and doesn’t want to. Parents who take this approach may: I get it! And I agree that it’s important for kids to …
The holiday season brings mixed feelings for many, especially Moms who often carry the brunt of the workload for creating a wonderful or magical experience for others. I thought I’d share a few things that I’m either doing this Christmas, or have done over the years, to create a little less stress and more connection …
Parents who are committed to being the best parent they can be are often also hard on themselves and find it difficult to let go of parenting guilt. However, self-judgment or guilt never help us to be our best. Here’s a different approach to take in your parenting practice that can help you become the …
I gratefully acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people.
