by Susie Windle | Apr 25, 2012 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills
Sometimes parents feel all they do is enforce family rules and arbitrate kids’ battles. Usually three reasons explain a parent’s frustration when this is the case: (1) ambiguous rules, (2) inconsistent follow-through with consequences, and (3) children’s wishes for a...
by Susie Windle | Apr 18, 2012 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play
One of our basic human needs is to feel a sense of belonging. Children and adults often behave in ways to have this need met. For children, receiving attention is an indication that they belong. This situation means that children need to know that they can ask for the...
by Susie Windle | Mar 28, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play
The appearance of aggressive themes in the pretend play and conversation of three- and four-year-olds can be a sign of developmental progress. As parents, we want our children to be appropriately assertive and independent, so we do want to foster the feelings that can...
by Susie Windle | Mar 21, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions
In the best of circumstances, parents sincerely love their children, want them to be happy, and want to parent them in the most nurturing way. Most parents would also admit that the complexity of the parent-child relationship sometimes triggers a reaction rather than...
by Susie Windle | Mar 14, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Effective social behavior is fundamental to living life. Caring about others, getting involved with others, recognizing friendship, and appreciating intimacy are important parts of our lives. We need connection with other humans, and social activity is foundational to...
by Susie Windle | Mar 7, 2012 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play
As a parent, you may experience times when an energetic child ruffles your feathers. If you have an active toddler, try to remember that busy toddlers are just as eager to please as toddlers who aren’t quite as “bouncy.” Their heart-felt desire is to connect with you....
by Susie Windle | Feb 22, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
The brain is more than a single organ inside a single skull. The brain is social and thrives on relationship. As scientists have learned, what happens between brains has a lot to do with what happens within each individual brain. As parents and caretakers, it is...
by Susie Windle | Feb 8, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Last week we discussed how to connect physical sensations to emotions as one way to help children become more aware of their specific feelings. Being aware of emotions is the first step toward deciding what to do next. Another way to help your kids make connections to...
by Susie Windle | Feb 1, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Sensory Information, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
One way to help children develop emotional awareness is connected to their physical sensations. Parents can help their kids learn about this connection between their bodies and their emotions. As kids become more aware of what is going on inside their bodies, they can...
by Susie Windle | Jan 4, 2012 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions
Parents know the importance of a sincere apology. Perhaps that is why we teach our children to say they are sorry when they have done or said something that inconveniences or hurts another. Sometimes, however, offering an apology is only the beginning. Our children...
