What to Do if Your Kid Leaves Dirty Dishes Laying Around
Poised, charming 23-year old Annie sat on the couch in my counseling office today and told me a brilliant parenting strategy that her dad pulled on her when she was a young teen.
Dear Kerry: “My 13-year old Can’t Stand Me”
Dear Kerry, I am in a really hard corner of parenting – my 13 year old daughter, who I have loved and adored since the day she was born – cannot stand me. Everything I say is met with eye rolls, every request I make is countered with a snarky “Why don’t you do it?” […]
Standing Up to Teen Defiance
Siblings and rivalry go hand-in-hand so it’s no surprise that 14 year-old Preston taunts and pesters his younger brother, Kyle. Recently, Preston refused to stop pestering his brother and was provoking him by throwing things, hassling him and doing anything he could to elicit a response from his brother just for entertainment. This was much […]
A Teenage Storm Today Makes Way for a Sunny Tomorrow
There are many versions of a “Teenage Storm” – surly, annoyed, resentful, hurtful – perhaps it includes silence or is filled with an angry outburst claiming that you don’t understand. It could be your teen manipulating your emotions in the storm – looking for an opportunity to take advantage of your weakness. Whatever your particular […]
Empty Threats Make Weak Parents
A father had no less than a gaggle of children in the grocery store… Granted it was a Saturday, granted they were in the toy isle, and granted he was alone. I watched him try to corral all of his kids for about five solid minutes – he would get two listening and then another […]
And Then My Daughter Said.. “You’re Not a Rock Star!”
I started using my new Love and Logic skills of empathy and going brain dead. My 4 year old daughter wasn’t too happy when I set a limit about eating snacks before dinner. She started arguing back and I calmly said “I know.” I could tell she was trying to figure out a way to […]
This Little Song Stops My Toddler in Her Tracks!
Dear Kerry, We used to have 5 tantrums a day with my 2 1/2 year old little girl. After switching from time-outs to the Love and Logic’s “Uh Oh Song” we maybe have one a day. The best part is that now that I can redirect her behavior with just the words “Uh Oh.” It was […]
Getting Kids to Pick Up – With No Nagging!
A dad I work with just announced to his 3 little boys that he has a new plan for a “Sunday Shelf.” Here’s how it works: • When the kids don’t pick up their stuff as asked, dad picks up for them and puts everything on the “Sunday Shelf.”• On Sunday, he pulls it all […]
How Many Ways I Can Be Naughty at Bedtime?
Three year old Wes used to play his favorite game at bedtime. It was called, “See how many ways I can be naughty.” He was the only one enjoying the game. His single, working dad certainly did not. Wes was very creative in how he played the game: he ran away when it was time […]
Little Kids Want to Be Big Kids
Little kids want to be big kids, and parents can leverage that desire to get cooperation when behavior problems arise. In one example, 4-year-old Emma’s mom asked her to blow her nose. “No!” Emma shouted. Remembering how important it was for Emma to feel like a big kid, Mom said, “Oh, that’s right, I know […]