SAVE YOUR SANITY

Parenting Teens: 10 Tips That Will Save Your Sanity via MomSmack.com

 Rating eye rolls!  I love this!!
 Read all 10 here

Click here

SCHOOL CONTRACT

We started out the summer with an idea for a contract - here is a version for the school year. It is so important to discuss and agree on expectations ahead of time!

Click Here

SPECIAL OFFER!

Special Offer! “What I wish I knew before my kid turned 13! - A compass for navigating the teen years” is my next webinar.  The first 5 people to sign up will get the special price of $125. 

“What I wish I knew before my kid turned 13!”

A compass for navigating the teen years

This program is for anyone who is engaged in the process of raising, nurturing and educating teens by offering hands on, easy to understand; practical strategies to help parents and mentors navigate their relationships with teenagers. We will discuss Communication, Conflict, Trust, Discipline, Emotional Literacy, Self Esteem and more.

Focus will be on creating usable tools for building successful, strong and positive relationships. Together we will clarify goals, hone skills, and create a road map for success, in such a way that the adults survive and the kids thrive!

4 week program, each week includes live Q&A sessions, PDF’s, Reference materials and access to Facebook membership group

Module One:                Got Conflict?

Understanding the Teen aged brain

How to handle backtalk & defiance

Module Two:                Say What?

How to speak "teenager"

Speaking so your teen can listen

Module Three:              Why is it so hard?

Drugs, sex (and other difficult topics)

Trust &Discipline

Module Four:                           Making it work!

Building Self-esteem

Creating a Tool Belt for your teen

For more information or to register, click here

SUMMER CONTRACT

Summer vacation is upon us!  Having a 'contract' with your Teens and Tweens is a great idea so that expectations are clear. 

"Summer will be here before you know it and the one thing we have learned over the years is that a summer contract is a game changer. Kids need to know what is expected of them. Rules need to be signed off on so that you don’t have to argue all summer. Put this summer contract in place and if arguments arise refer to it. Make sure you offer tons of positive reinforcement when they are getting it right!!"



For an example
Click Here

GET YOUR CONVERSATION ON

Often I have parents who are frustrated that they can't seem to get their kids to talk with them. Kids often feel like the dinner table is The Grand Inquisition... Here is a great article and super suggestions for breaking the ice.

How do I get my kids to talk to me?

Listening and talking are learned behaviors. How your children will communicate with others and you is something they are learning from you.
Are you talking with and listening to them every day? About things that don’t matter, not just peppering them with questions? Is your homework done? Is your room clean? Did you do what I asked you to do?






Read the article by MomSmack
Click Here

MASTER YOUR FEELINGS, MASTER YOUR LIFE

In December I launch a pod cast series Master Your Feelings Master Your Life on iTunes to help folks get off of the emotional roller coaster. It quickly rose to the top of iTunes New & Noteworthy categories: Health, Self Help and Kids & Family.
Registering more than 7,000 downloads in under six weeks.

Have a listen, I'd love to hear feedback, and if your are so inclined, ratings and reviews are encouraged!

Check out the pod casts on iTunes  click here

PARENT UNIVERSITY

I will be presenting a workshop at Parent University on Saturday, November 15th. Come join the discussion and discover helpful tools to improve relationships. This is an open event, all you need to do is register!

For more information, here is the link

http://youthagency.org/parent-university/

A NEW APPROACH TO "GROUNDING"

 Here is a creative new way to approach the challenge of consequences and grounding.  Kids earn back their freedom and social privileges - check out this idea

Whoever came up with the idea that grounding kids meant sending them to their rooms clearly wasn't thinking big. Lynette, a mom whose blog typically chronicles her incredible adventures in cake making, posted a photo of what looks to be a chore chart. But instead of monetary incentives, the kids must earn 500 points to get "ungrounded." Chores such as "load dishwater" and "cook dinner" can earn them anywhere from 10 to 100 points.

 For all of the details
 Click Here

ARE PUNISHMENTS AND CONSEQUENCES DIFFERENT?

Are Punishments and Consequences Different?  YES!


"Cause and effect are fundamentally different from a child doing something, and the parent (or school) giving them a "consequence." That's not a consequence at all, but a punishment. The result of this is that our children don't learn a valuable lesson. Instead, the result is that they resent us. And resentment leads to further acting out on the child's part."

To Read full article  click here

QUIT KVETCHING!!

Quit Kvetching and Conversations that Count

We all need a good venting session every once in awhile, but ongoing negativity is difficult to handle. Annie Fox addresses the issue with clarity and good suggestions.



Do you know the Yiddish word to Kvetch?  On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up.



To read the entire article click here

On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf

Do you know the Yiddish verb, to kvetch? On the surface it simply means: to complain. As in, “Just get your homework done and stop kvetching already.” But actually, kvetching goes beyond complaining into the realm of eternal dissatisfaction where nothing is ever good enough and it becomes one’s mission in life to let everyone know exactly where and why things don’t measure up. - See more at: http://blog.anniefox.com/2013/01/23/quit-kvetching-tips-for-getting-teens-to-stop-complaining/#sthash.CiEkuICq.dpuf