Photo Credit: Creative Child Magazine Often a go-to for all behavioral problems, punishment is an extremely common method of behavior modification, but is it really the best way to help kids do better? When we use punishment, our children are robbed of the opportunity to develop their own inner discipline-the ability to act with integrity, wisdom, compassion, and mercy when there is no external force holding them accountable for what they do. – Barbara Coloroso Here are just three reasons to stop punishing kids and three ways to help them behave better without punishment: 1. Punish ..read more

EY-Parthenon is currently conducting research via a survey to better understand the decision-making process for parents looking to enroll their children in private early childhood education, or preschool. Prior to entering the main survey, you will be asked a short list of questions to ensure you have the appropriate profile to participate. If you are selected following these screening questions, you will be asked to complete the survey which will take approximately 20 minutes, and will be compensated $25 in the form of a Tango Reward Card (redeemable at many popular retailers s ..read more

  Self-awareness is an important part of parenting. I believe that knowing, understanding, and accepting ourselves is key to being thriving mothers. In my new book, The Gift of a Happy Mother, I admit, “If introversion were on a sliding scale, I’d be toes off the ledge on the ‘extremely introverted’ side.” Author Jenn Granneman describes introversion succinctly. She says, “Introverts live in two worlds: We visit the world of people, but solitude and the inner world will always be our home.” The challenge with being an introverted mother is that solitude is so very rare in those early years, a ..read more

From the time that our babies learn to walk and talk, we are hit with warnings. The “terrible twos” are coming. You’re in trouble now! Just wait until she’s a threenager. Oh please, that’s a breeze compared to my middle schooler. They’ll walk all over you if you let them! He’s just trying to see what he can get by with. She’ll keep pushing boundaries just to push your buttons! We are, in fact, smothered with messages about how we must get a handle on our children or there will be hell to pay for years to come. Our culture is constantly feeding us negative ideas about children. When they ar ..read more

Has parenting become a competitive sport? Are we now more concerned with having the best-behaved, best sleeping, fastest reading, most accomplished, and most obedient child, or are we concerned with one of a parent’s most important duties – keeping their child’s heart safe? In circles and groups around the country, parents are showing great concern for having accomplished and obedient children. They read books and scour articles and ask their doctors and friends – how can I get my child to do what I want, when I want? How can I make them as inconvenient as possible?   The crucial question tha ..read more

  Most of us had parents who operated from a fear-based mindset. As a result, we may have naturally adopted that mindset as our own, and that negative or fear-based mindset could be what we are operating from each day, affecting every interaction and decision.   The fear-based mindset says: 1. I have to control my child’s behavior. 2. My child learns through consequences and/or punishment not to repeat bad behavior. 3. I am the dominant figure; my child is under me.   Here’s how to tell if you are parenting from a fear-based mindset. Do you use time-outs, counting to three, or threats of p ..read more

  “When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you ca ..read more

We say, “Don’t do that,” and they do it anyway. We say, “Stop” and they continue. We say, “Pick that up” and they do so just to throw it back down again. It looks a lot like defiance, so parents often feel like this is the time to start punishing their toddler’s behavior. However, what’s really going on is more about development than defiance, and once we understand a toddler’s brain, we can approach these situations in a way that both helps our children behave better and honors where they are developmentally. The prefrontal cortex of a toddler is very underdeveloped. This is the area of the ..read more

This is a free series brought to you by Rebecca Eanes and Jolette Jai, founder of The Jai Institute for Parenting. Each week, we will be discussing new topics on how to practice positive parenting so you can build relationships, strengthen connections, and cultivate peace and joy in your homes! Session Three: Mindshifts Each free session is approximately 10 minutes long and will be posted each Wednesday. Join my newsletter to have these sessions delivered to your inbox each week. Rebecca’s bio. Jolette’s bio. Mentioned in this session: The Newbie’s Guide to Positive Parenting The Jai Institut ..read more

This is a free series brought to you by Rebecca Eanes and Jolette Jai, founder of The Jai Institute for Parenting. Each week, we will be discussing new topics on how to practice positive parenting so you can build relationships, strengthen connections, and cultivate peace and joy in your homes!   Week Two Session: How Our Stories Affect Our Parenting Each free session is approximately 10 minutes long and will be posted each Wednesday. Join my newsletter to have these sessions delivered to your inbox each week. Rebecca’s bio. Jolette’s bio. Mentioned in this session: Positive Parenting: An Ess ..read more