My kid, my darling sweet and cute third child, just lied to my face. Twice. Then, she stuck her tongue out at me, stomped up the stairs, and slammed her door. Woah. Now, before I could even reply or follow her up those stairs, I stopped and wondered why. Why was she acting this way? She could be acting this way because I’m a bad mom and I let her do and say whatever she wants. But I know that’s not true. I’m far from a perfect mom, but I am a loving mom who consistently reinforces our only two family rules. And I … [Read more...]

Inside: Find parenting goals that are perfect for your individual family AND 8 of the best parenting goals that will make your life easier. As we head into any new year, it’s the perfect time to start reflecting. What worked for me last year? How can I do things better? What do I resolve to change? And as adults, we usually focus on weight loss goals or promises to exercise more, or desires to quit a bad habit. Rarely do we focus on improving our parenting skills. In the hustle and bustle of everyday parenting craziness like … [Read more...]

Inside: Learn how a growth mindset in parents is the key to a child feeling successful.   Last night, around my family dinner table, we threw a party for my 9-year-old son. We toasted him, we praised him, and we whooped and hollered. My son, who can not spell well (his last spelling test was a solid ‘F’), just aced his first spelling test. 18 out of 18 correct. And we were all overjoyed. But were we celebrating the perfect score? Nope. The 'A+' grade? Nope. The lack of red marks he usually receives? Nope. We were … [Read more...]