It’s not an uncommon scenario – your kid wants one thing and you want another, so you get caught up in another power struggle, each of you arguing back and forth trying to be heard and respected. Break the cycle by trying one of these three strategies the next time you and your kid go toe to toe.

It seems we’ve traded in creativity and simplicity for yet another hyped up holiday extravaganza that we can’t wait to show off to our 1,273 Facebook friends! Maybe it’s time to take it down a notch and give our kids a good old-fashioned 1980s Halloween. Here’s how.

In truth, ending loneliness is first about self-acceptance. It’s about giving yourself compassion, grace, understanding, and love. Determining that you are, indeed, worthy of such good things is the first step.

Positive Discipline is an approach that teaches rather than punishes. There are many positive discipline educators, but today I’d like to highlight the work of Dr. Jane Nelsen, founder of the Positive Discipline program and author or co-author of the Positive Discipline Series. She is a licensed marriage, family, and child counselor in South Jordan, UT and San Diego, CA. Dr. Nelsen has created the Positive Discipline Tool Cards which are a wonderful resource for parents to utilize. I’m pulling out 3 of the 52 cards to discuss. These three tools will help you get started with the Positive Discipline approach or, for seasoned positive parents, will give you a nice refresher.

One of the most shocking things about motherhood for me is how long it’s been hard. I confess, when my boys were just tiny tots, I had this idea in my head. I told myself “when they’re 6 and 4, it’ll be easier.” I reasoned that, surely by then they’d both be sleeping well, potty trained, and those wacky toddler behaviors would have passed and things would definitely be smooth sailing from there. Then suddenly my kids were 6 and 4 and it was still hard, just in a different way. They were potty trained and sleeping better, but there was still so much to do and so much to teach. So I told myself, “when they are 10 and 8, this will definitely, for sure, be easier.”

Creativity is good for emotional health. It acts as a buffer against stress, helps children be more flexible and better problem-solvers, and allows free expression.

The fall season brings to mind images of pumpkins, apples, and leaves, so how much fun would it be to incorporate these into a few S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) activities for your little ones? Here are 6 challenges and experiments to try with your family this fall.

It is not uncommon for parents to bring different views on childrearing to the table. You were, after all, raised in different environments and have completely different stories which define your beliefs and attitudes about what it means to be a parent and what that role entails. Sometimes these contrasting views can drive a wedge in relationships and lead to whole host of problems within the home.

The start of a new school year is filled with emotions. In fact, the entire school year has its highs and lows, and it’s a lot for children to process. As they navigate their way through different teachers, new peers, a myriad of social situations, awkward moments, strange hallways, locker combinations, and crazy schedules, those emotional meters may tip out of balance.

Does your child have a hobby? If not, it may be worthwhile to help him find one. Having a hobby provides loads of benefits for kids, including:

There are some things your child needs before the first day of school that money can’t buy. Below is a list of skills that will help make your child’s school year successful.

Hosting an end-of-summer pool party is the perfect way to gather friends together to bid summertime farewell. Here are some great games, foods, and decorations to make your pool-party planning a breeze!

During different seasons and situations, I’ve felt the weight of parenthood like a heavy load laid upon my chest. On the days when parenthood feels heavy, these 10 reminders help me get through.

I used to have a lot of tricks up my sleeve for bringing my son’s behavior into line. he problem was that none of my tricks reached his heart, and so none of them led to lasting positive change in behavior. The change happened when I stopped punishing his actions and started looking for and treating the cause of those actions.

I’m glad I’m not a perfect parent. Here’s why.

We all want to raise emotionally intelligent children because we understand how beneficial it is to their health, happiness, and success. Yet, how are we handling our own emotions? Are we steady or easily thrown? Can we control our moods and impulses? Are we mindfully aware of our emotional states and how they are affecting our children and families? Are we able to meet our children with empathy or are we quick to dismiss, judge, or react? Emotional intelligence is just as important for us as it is for our children, and learning to manage our emotions will help us be a better and more joyful parent.

I don’t think I’m alone in this – I hate when my children feel bad. I don’t want them to have to feel sadness or loneliness, grief or pain. I wish they were in a permanent bubble of joy, and no bad feelings could touch them. When they come home from school feeling sad because they were rejected or when they feel angry because something didn’t go as they’d hoped or planned, my initial reaction is to make it better. Then come the questions I desperately want to ask. “Why did he not let you play?”

Positive Parenting works for all kids because kindness, respect, and love are universal. All human beings need these and all respond to them. This is the foundation of Positive Parenting.

When Father’s Day rolls around each year, I’m all over it. I take my kids to the store to pick out something special for Daddy. I sit down with them to make handmade cards. Last year we painted Super Dad trophies. In other words, I make an effort to teach my children to show love and appreciation to their dad on this special day. When Mother’s Day rolls around, I don’t quite get the same effort. Last year it was the end of the day when I finally said, “You know, it might be nice to have a card or something!” and my youngest son promptly scrawled on a blank sheet of paper and handed it to me. It’s not really the same if I have to ask for it, is it? I went to bed in tears, feeling very under appreciated.

Let’s talk about real life for a second, can we? Sometimes it just doesn’t go according to plan. We can be moving along just fine, being the kind of parent we feel good about being, then life throws something at us that knocks us completely off course. Maybe it’s the death of a friend or family member, or loss of a job or income, advice from a friend when you’re feeling vulnerable, or maybe it’s out-of-nowhere behavior from your child that completely baffles you and nudges you onto a different rail – one you’re not entirely comfortable traveling.

My boys have two weeks of school left, so we are counting down the days to summer vacation, but as a mom, I’m also counting down the number of summers I have left with them; nine with my youngest, and only seven with my oldest. Only nine more summers, and the beautiful days of childhood are gone forever.