Communication is Key to Sharing the Parenting Load
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
2w ago
As I shared in last month’s post, there probably is not enough overt discussion between parents about how to divvy up the voluminous responsibilities of parenting and maintaining a household. Even if the everyday jobs of cooking, cleaning, carpooling and child-care are equally shared (or outsourced), parenting requires a huge amount of thinking, planning and strategizing that’s well-supported by research evidence. No parent configuration is immune.  Disparity can occur whether you’re in a hetero, same-sex or other family configuration. The answer to finding equilibrium – like most problem ..read more
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Sharing the Mental Load/Being a Co-CEO at Home
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1M ago
I’m a teacher at heart. That’s why delivering presentations on parenting is one of my favorite professional activities. Recently, I was asked to speak to a group of Chicago-based business leaders and entrepreneurs about intentional parenting, the foundation of my parent-coaching practice. These executives, members of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), are recognized around the globe as being at the forefront of business leadership.  Although the organization itself is diverse, as it happened, my audience was male – and they were eager to learn as much as I could teach them about ho ..read more
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The Value of Reflection: Your Year-End Parenting Inventory
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
3M ago
At this time of year, I suspect your to-do list is more overflowing than ever. I get it. Mine is too. Actually, it was. In a recent Instagram post, I shared my decision that this holiday season I would focus on the people and activities that have meaning and moment and are aligned with my values. Not surprisingly, these types of things seldom have anything to do with list-making or gift-buying. In that spirit, I’m inviting you to prioritize what matters most to many parents: family. It’s a 3-step inventory for people who parent together – in every family configuration. The inventory is designe ..read more
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Redefining Co-Parenting to Include Married Couples!
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
6M ago
No two people parent the same way and no couple is immune to challenges in co-parenting their child/children. We all bring our personal experience of being parented to the job and we have different priorities, values, cultural experiences, etc. Yet, we need to learn ways to communicate, share authentically and compromise in order to co-parent effectively. This is even more true when navigating separation and/or divorce, but it is relevant in every family. Being married does not mean that the two of you share one approach to raising children. Learning better communication skills insures healthi ..read more
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What To Do With Your Kids' BIG Emotions?
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
7M ago
Back-to-school season brought to mind the posts I’ve written to help families cope with this exciting and challenging life event, from 5 Essentials for ‘Back to School’ Success” to last year’s post-pandemic “Back to School 3.0.” As I often tell clients, it really doesn’t matter what grade your kids are entering: Going back to school each Fall is a significant transition for everyone! And with big transitions come BIG emotions. Big emotions, as you know, are natural for kids of all ages (and for adults, too!). That’s why before we attend to our child facing emotional dysregulation—it’s super cr ..read more
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Take the ‘gratitude challenge’!
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1y ago
I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of gratitude. But like most folks, the past nine months of the pandemic have challenged my resolve in many ways. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by feelings of anxiety, despair and anger about the upending of just about everything we once took for granted. I sometimes feel like Alexander from the award-winning book by Judith Viorst. So far, 2020 has been what that character would call a “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year!” So while I was skeptical when a friend suggested I take the “Gratitude Challenge,” I resolved to practice what I preach a ..read more
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The Power of Play
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1y ago
Everyone knows what “play” is -- right? It’s peek-a-boo with baby…hide-and-seek with toddlers…tag among school-agers…a teenage pick-up game of basketball…or your family’s favorite board game on game night. All true. Yet from a developmental standpoint, what may seem like fun of little consequence actually plays a crucial role in many aspects of child development, including social-emotional, motor, cognitive, language, self-regulation, enhanced sense of agency and executive function. Best yet, the developmental benefits of play compound as children age. Don’t just take it from me. These clai ..read more
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10 Tips to Help Kids Cope with Pandemic-Sized Emotions
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1y ago
10 Tips to Help Kids Cope with Pandemic-Sized Emotions We are all having a tough time dealing with the ups and downs (and let’s admit, it’s mostly “downs”) of the pandemic. Every mom and dad I talk to says their kids’ feelings are uber-ramped up and intense these days. That makes now the perfect time to share my ideas for how parents can help children deal with BIG emotions. As year 3 of the pandemic began with the far-too-transmissible Omicron variant running amok, our kids found themselves back in the maelstrom -- again! ·       Will schools stay open or will it ..read more
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What is Your Family's COVID Story?
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1y ago
As we prepare for another year-end, many of us anticipated things would be different. By every measure imaginable, modern family life across the globe was totally and utterly upended by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. Not a single dimension was left untouched. When 2021 arrived and the promise of vaccines were on the horizon, many of us were lulled into the fantasy that the year would end with the pandemic mostly behind us. Instead, many of our local communities -- and certainly many countries around the world -- are still in the grip of the virus and its personal, physica ..read more
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One Way to Teach Kids about Gratitude
Dana Hirt Parenting Blog » Teen
by Dana Hirt
1y ago
November is one of my favorite months -- largely because it includes Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my family’s favorite holiday and we gather with close friends for a daylong extravaganza of food, football and friendship. As we work to construct a safe gathering this year, I have been very cognizant of my gratitude—for these long standing friendships, for our access to the COVID vaccine, and for meaningful family traditions. Another treasure associated with Thanksgiving is its overt invitation to express our gratitude to those in our lives. Every child, partner, friend and employer I know love ..read more
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