Empowering or Enabling?

Empowering or Enabling?

We all want our children to be happy and successful in their endeavors.  But as parents, we sometimes unwittingly cross the line from empowering our children to enabling them.  When children are small, it is necessary for a lot of parental involvement in day to day...
Effective Alternatives to Punishment

Effective Alternatives to Punishment

In past generations, it was generally accepted that in order for children to learn, they needed to be held responsible for their misbehaviours by being punished. This may have come in the form of physical punishment like spankings, through threats and intimidation, or...
Helping With Childhood Fears and Anxieties

Helping With Childhood Fears and Anxieties

We all encounter situations that cause us to feel afraid or anxious.  As children are exposed to new experiences, and as they gain a better understanding of themselves and the world, they will no doubt experience fearful and anxious moments. Fear and anxiety are...
Responding to “It’s Not Fair!”

Responding to “It’s Not Fair!”

“She got a bigger cookie than me!”  “We always get to do what he wants!”  “All my friends get to stay up later than me!”  “It’s not fair!” Children are very aware of what’s “fair”.  However, this sense of fairness is based solely on their own wants and needs.  When a...