I recently read a great blog post that said trust your intuition because kids don’t come with parenting manuals. I agree, there’s no instructional booklet, insurance or map that show the “best” way get from A to B (by A to B, I mean baby to 18!). That’s why, normally, I would feel a bit… [Read more…]
April 21, 2009
When parenting, it’s super easy to veer off track and hit the ditch. Yelling- grouchy, stressed-whatever. I’ve been following the Parenting on Track home course for about 3 months and I’ve come to realize there are a few now-obvious reactions I should NOT do when a kid is driving me mad. 1. DO NOT use… [Read more…]
April 6, 2009
Spring’s here. And you know what sounds are popping up everywhere I turn? Whining, yelling, whining, yelling. We’re sick of being inside. We’re mad at each other for crowding personal space. We’re annoyed that there’s not much motivation flying around. We need some sunshine. Take a peek outside—I see little buds breaking through. It’s spring.… [Read more…]
February 28, 2009
This week, I was totally discouraged with my efforts at parenting. It just so happens that was a good thing. Bottom line: this week was chaotic, and unfortunately, I had a bit of a relapse into yelling, snapping and demanding from my kids. I felt terrible but with all the external stress from a MIL… [Read more…]
February 24, 2009
Imagine if anyone ever said that to you? Can you visualize the distress and emotional shutdown? The final goal of behavior, as discussed in the 12 Week Parenting on Track Home Course, is avoidance. Vicki makes some solid points about how the cycle of “helping” children can actually create “hurt.” Children who have parents that… [Read more…]
February 23, 2009
Revenge is a dish best served cold. old klingon proverb Nothing speaks to today’s topic, REVENGE, like yesterday’s surprising TNT line up: Kill Bill 1 & 2. Being my favorite film, I think I’ll let myself “go there” to make my point. When a child is misbehaving, REVENGE can be one of the 4 Mistaken… [Read more…]
February 20, 2009
Have you ever had a stand-off with a person that stands no taller than your knee? Have you ever felt the your face flush with anger- you know when you start to percolate, like…no way are we going here right now? Have you ever said, no you will NOT do that! only to hear watch… [Read more…]
February 18, 2009
Have you ever encountered this? The mom, mom, mom, mom…look at me…look at me…watch me be annoying….hear me whining…see my crazy dance? did you hear me say that? Look! MOOOOOmMMMMoMOMOMOYY… I’s say it’s one of the most exhausting parts of being a parent. You’re trying to make dinner, take a phone call, pay attention to… [Read more…]
February 11, 2009
I just finished the week 5 lesson. What did I learn? To pick your values wisely or else… …you’ll have to stick to something you cannot or do not wish to uphold! Cheap FAMILY Value Meal: -we value quick fixes -we value pointless back and forth exchanges -we value inconsistent consequences -we value mixed messages… [Read more…]
February 9, 2009
Tom and Jerry put on a great show. And that’s the plain truth. We all know their relationship is entirely based on the conditioning they’ve endured chasing, egging, making up, dueling (with weapons) and plotting against each other. Like myself, I’m sure you’ve found parenting can quickly become a game of cat & mouse, where… [Read more…]
February 4, 2009
This week’s lesson shifted my focus. Up until now, I have been looking at “symptoms” aka “bad behaviors:” whining, griping, “noodling” and all that. Well, at this point, I need to look at every undesired behavior- from annoying habits to fresh attitudes- with one thing in mind: what-the-COWBELL does this kid REALLY want? Whether it’s… [Read more…]
January 29, 2009
…of a child’s ability to contribute to the family. Part of making a timeline for training means that I have to stop and recognize where my kids are on the continuum. I kind of already “went there” so I won’t go on about the specific tasks the boys can do (zzzzz…..). I will, however, mention… [Read more…]
January 29, 2009
As a parent, I have 18 years to do guide my kids into independent self-sufficiency, right? WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. This week’s lesson really provided an ah-ha reaction. It made me realize that by missing the starting gun, children have to make up for lost time in the final stretch toward adulthood. Creating a timeline is… [Read more…]
January 27, 2009
Belief, according to wiki, is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. What psychological state am I in when: My kids act up and say, “stupid mom”? Skip reading before bed? Wear suits to the pancake shop? Build happily with trains? belief: These kids are so disrespectful,… [Read more…]
January 26, 2009
Steering clear of politics, I’ll go with enlightenment. Believe me, mid-winter in VT will have you pondering your existence. As will parenting. And with this week’s Parenting on Track lesson, I had to do some reflecting (aka, the ABCDE survey) on my reactions to my children’s behaviors. I had to ask myself, “what do I… [Read more…]
January 25, 2009
It started yesterday morning. Hubby left town and I had to get two boys dressed and out the door by 8:10. It seemed like things were pretty smooth sailing as breakfast was dished out by about 8am. Well, at about 8:04, things turned. One had to go the bathroom (seriously? right now?) another didn’t like… [Read more…]
January 22, 2009
Well, it took a matter of moments for me to have a nice “stand-off” with my munchkin. He’s addicted to You Tube (do you know how many Thomas the Train track & episode variations you can find?) check this one out… and so when I said, “No,” he said in a LOUD VOICE “Shut Up.”… [Read more…]
January 22, 2009
if my kid calls me "idiot-mom" in front of strangers, what the hell will they think? Probably that I AM an idiot mom!!!
January 20, 2009
Incident report from the SAY NOTHING DO NOTHING week: Well, I’m happy to announce nothing TOO out of control- nobody got locked in the garage or stayed up until 2am or went 5 days without brushing. In fact, despite the incidents, the week was not particularly squirrely or maxxed out. It was, however, MESSY. See… [Read more…]
January 18, 2009
Anyone who’s ever hit the point where they say, “how did it get like this?” knows exactly what I mean. It’s that moment after a binkie blow-out or when you break a sweat over a sippy cup- and you look up and say, “Wait! This is not going how I envisioned!” (honestly…If I had to… [Read more…]
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May 5, 2009
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