Healthy Discipline and Setting Limits with Children Archives

I Want to Go to the Park! Now!

Thursday, September 22 2011

he was stuck in “I want to go to the park” land. He whined, cried and begged to go to the park. I tried playing games with him to distract him, to no avail. I made up a song about “I want to go to the park.” He laughed a bit at that silliness, but soon returned to, “I want to go to the paaaarrrrk!!!” I ran around him in circles and tried to get him to dance with me. It only upset him more. His responses to all my questions and actions were, “I want to go to the park!!!” That was when I realized that it was not about going to the park. He was setting himself up for emotional release.

Transitioning from TV

Saturday, June 25 2011

I believe the studies that suggest that TV isn’t really helpful for children because such passivity occurs for the viewer. Yet, I’d let the viewing get out of hand during a difficult few weeks. So, even though I wasn’t over

Sleep Issues: Helping My 5-year-old Sleep on Her Own

Wednesday, January 5 2011

My habit had been to lay down with my five-year-old daughter at bedtime until she was asleep, which often took half an hour or more. She would fall asleep fairly easily when others put her to bed, reading books with

Supporting My Daughter in Learning Multiplication Tables

Sunday, December 26 2010

My daughter pretty much skated through first and second grade math, but now it’s getting a bit more challenging and she has to memorize her multiplication tables. This is not something she enjoys and she has really been resisting it. But

The Gift of a Thousand Tantrums

Tuesday, November 9 2010

This morning Brook, my mostly mild-mannered four-year-old, had a huge tantrum. We were just about to get in the car and join our friends on a hike. It all seemed to be going as planned but quickly took a turn

Setting Limits about Food

Thursday, September 30 2010

This morning my daughter had a tantrum because I didn’t give her as much maple syrup as she wanted. She declared she wasn’t eating breakfast and threw herself into some angry crying. I quieted my mind that wanted to argue

Setting Limits after a Playdate

Friday, September 10 2010

It was one of those necessary limits that we parents set every day and I liked the process as it didn’t build up tension in him or in myself, instead, it diffused it. I didn’t resort to threats or bribes, and I didn’t raise my voice. It made us close and playful.

Dad’s Listening Leads to Cooperation

Friday, September 3 2010

I’ve been working with Cynthia on learning how to build a solid foundation through working with my daughter rather than trying to control her.

Help Your Child Offload Kindergarten Stress

Monday, July 26 2010

This was my first experience with Stay Listening and I loved it! No need to say the right thing, counsel, negotiate, or give advice. Being present, listening, and trusting my son’s emotional processing – this felt right!

Listen, Limit, Listen

Thursday, July 15 2010

I sat there thinking how Mother’s Day was an hour away, I would be getting up at 7 and driving to South San Francisco with my daughter and right now I am probably the absolute LAST person she wants to be with. Sigh. A Mother’s Day to look forward to.

Biting, Pushing, Pulling Hair – Helping Children with Aggression

Friday, July 9 2010

Has your child ever lashed out and hurt someone? Has another aggressive child ever bothered him?

Listening Through a Family Change

Saturday, June 12 2010

Given the morning conversation, I kept telling her that both mummy and daddy love her, that she was safe and that we would both continue to look after her.

The Morning Grumpies Turned Around

Monday, May 10 2010

I moved us over to the couch and pulled him onto my lap and held him while he cried away all the cluttered emotions that were getting in his way.

Setting Limits with a Pre-Teen

Friday, May 7 2010

My wife and I also had to process our feelings: it didn’t feel good to hear how painful it was for us to limit her social life in this way. She felt badly, we felt badly.

Setting Limits To Keep A Child Safe

Monday, March 29 2010

We talked about holding hands crossing the road and I pointed out the safe places for him to ride on his own. That was good for awhile.

I’ll Help You Wait

Tuesday, March 23 2010

I have been working on how to wait when someone else has something my son wants. It all started with hoping to teach my son how to share and play with other kids without my son hitting. Someone would have something he wanted or other way around. So, I have learned to stay close to help him during these times and hold the limit.

Recording our Success Stories

Thursday, March 18 2010

Take some time to write down your success stories and when you’re having a rough day pull them out and remember what a good parent you are.

Emotional Project – Toilet Troubles

Saturday, February 27 2010

The next time I saw him on tippy toes, with a worried look on his face, I moved towards him and put my arms around him. I said “Hey mate, it looks like you need to do a poo. I’m going to help you”. That was all he needed to start crying – he fought hard against me as he cried, “No, No, NO! I don’t want to.”

Tag: Healthy Discipline and Setting Limits with Children