Newlywed’s Tim & Jan brought 5 year old Josh to class the first night, not realizing it was for parents only. He was pretty good the first 2 hours, but 3 hours is a long time! They had been having many power struggles due to the changes and having a new step dad. A few [...]
Dad was helping the kids get ready for summer camp. He squirted some sunscreen in his hand and called for 7 year old Max to come get some on. Max stood where he was and refused to come. Dad made his request a second time and Max just stared at him with the “look” (of [...]
- By Deborah Godfrey With our busy lives, we often look to short term, easy answers for everything. We have fast food, computers, the latest gadget or gizmo to save us time, money or stress. Many of these new ideas are great and do make our lives easier. The area of raising our children, however, [...]
by Deborah Godfrey So often parenting becomes a chore. In order to be effective, we must spend a great deal of time training our children, and especially following through with consequences to misbehavior. Sometimes it seems there just aren’t any more smiles or laughs from mom or dad. I think children can often be won [...]
Are your expectations for your child too high or too low? Expectations that are too high make a child feel like he is a constant failure. The child will either give up, or put so much pressure on himself that he becomes sick, afraid and stressed. The hormones released in children under stress block their [...]
9 Things to do Instead of Spanking – by Kathryn Kvols Research confirms what many parents instinctively feel when they don’t like to spank their child, but they don’t know what else to do. The latest research from Dr. Murray Strauss at the Family Research Laboratory affirms that spanking teaches children to use acts [...]
- By Deborah Godfrey I’ve been a gardener for as long as I can remember. My dad always had a plot wherever we lived in Camarillo. The height of my learning was when I was 10 and we moved to an acre in Santa Rosa Valley. My dad bought a rototiller and a good 1/8 [...]
We have less power struggles, more closeness, less fighting, more hugs, and everyone is feeling good.” – Sheryl Jo Bedal, mother of 3 “My coping skills have improved by understanding children are children. My children show much more independence and trust amongst themselves.” – Aminda Flores, mother of 4 “This class has reinforced the best [...]
Stephanie had been staying up late since it’s summer. On this evening Mom and Dad wanted to retire at a reasonable hour since they were both recovering from colds. Stephanie was up watching TV and ignoring their requests to go to bed. She finally shut off the TV only to pick up a catalog (JC [...]
-by Carol Welcher During the developmental stage of 2-4 years of age, children are supposed to push boundaries, manipulate, and tease. This how they learn how much power and control they have in their world. It is not something bad that has to be stopped. Children are supposed to do it. It is not your [...]