Encouragement

BoredBoy

Lights, Camera, Action… with Energy!

Many years ago I co-directed a youth theater production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” On our last day of performances, we had a matinee and an evening performance. The matinee performance started under lots of stress. We were missing our stage hand, our sound person and two actresses, and everyone was stressed. The only thing we had time to do was say a prayer. We usually took time getting into character and doing energy-building exercises before a performance, but we didn’t have time that day. The play had to go on.

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discipline

What Children Think of Negative Consequences

I recently asked a group of 10-year-old children what kinds of negative consequences their families have. “At our house, we sweep the floor and clean,” said one boy. “Mom gets mad and goes into a bad mood,” said another boy. “Mom used to send us to time out, but we don’t do that anymore,” said

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Girl making her bed

Morning Routine Motivation

2 – What kind of opportunities do you give for kids to follow through before getting consequences?

Example: It’s each of the children’s responsibility to make their bed, tidy their bedroom and get dressed before breakfast at 7:30.I try to say encouraging things to get the kids to hurry along by letting them know how much time has passed and how much is left before breakfast — even advertising what’s coming for breakfast to motivate them.But when they don’t do it, or don’t do it on time, I suddenly wonder what I should do.Do they miss breakfast?

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BusinessManAndWomanHighFive

Praise for Parents!

I want to thank you all for your great comments over the years regarding your success and transformation as parents! It’s so good to hear your stories.  I’m constantly receiving emails with comments like, “I’m learning that I have the same behavior that bothers me about my child,” or “I have [this/that] weakness that I’m working on.” Please keep your comments coming. What amazing examples you are of parents who are focused on governing themselves. I hope you are all happier because of what you have chosen to see in yourselves. Recognizing a problem is the first step toward freeing yourself.

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mom and teen

Stopping Conflicts Before They Start

A friend of mine asked me what she could do for her teenage exchange student. This student was in the middle of a multiple, day-long teenage tantrum. The mother had told her exchange student that she couldn’t attend a sleepover because the family doesn’t do sleepovers. The teenage exchange student, in turn, became very emotional

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Stories

10 Ways to Create Stories That Unite Us

My son, Porter, loves to visit a restaurant near our home named “Porter’s Place”. Recently our family was eating there around a big round table and one of the children said, “Dad, tell us that story from your childhood about the fire you shouldn’t have started in the field near your home.” At this point

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AdobeStock_164626779

Lest We Forget: The Vision of Educating Young People

This is the time of year the focus of the world is on education and preparing our children to learn and grow toward success. We enroll the children in classes, schools, programs and activities in hopes they will get an education to prepare them for the future. Is our current educational plan adequate for the

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freedom

To Find Personal Success, Give Yourself a “No” Answer

Self-government is being able to determine the cause and effect of any given situation and possessing a knowledge of your own behaviors so that you can control them. This means that each person decides what type of person they ought to be and plans for how to become this person. When, as it always does,

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10 things kids think about

10 Thoughts Children Have That Might Surprise Parents

“He’s not breathing really well, and they tell us he’ll likely die in a day or two…” a mother was explaining to a group of adults about her father-in-law, and her young son’s grandpa. Her son was sitting in an adjacent room with his good friend, but he wasn’t playing as his mother likely thought

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sibling rivalry

6 Steps for Making Siblings Friends, Not Foes

One night, after my parents left to go on a date, my brother and I started fighting. I vividly remember the fight getting to the point where both of us were standing on a couch threatening each other with broomsticks. This sad memory changed me. Many times over the years I’ve had that memory return,

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AdobeStock_64424846

Resolutions Are All the Same, and That’s the Way it Should Be!

No matter how many different types of resolutions we choose to write down and work on this coming year, all the items on our lists are actually just one resolution. At first glance this statement may seem like an attempt to simplify resolutions to make successfully accomplishing them easier. But understanding that all resolutions point

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Eye to eye

1 Skill To Improve Calmness For The Whole Family

While swimming with my family one day the calmness of our pool experience was interrupted by one very loud, very stressed mother. If only this mother was able to see the hearts of her children and everyone else in the pool area. If she could have taken a moment to do just one simple skill

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