MyParentingSource Articles

Have you ever wondered when your crying baby will rest peacefully? Tried every game and disciplinary action in the book to get your child to eat peas?

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Teach your child to manage his anger by giving your child words for his feelings.

Anger often escalates when a child feels misunderstood. Simply enabling your child to communicate by giving names to his feelings can help him feel more calm and be understood.

Is it safe to say that all of us as parents at one point or another have asked our children to apologize? Apologies are transparent when you think about it. The ‘I just want to get out of trouble and get this over with’ apologies are really obvious. With these types of apologies there is li
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Teach Gratitude With Gratitude

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Some kids appreciate every little thing you do for them. Their eyes light up equally at the offer of a story or the appearance of an empty giant cardboard carton that holds the promise of hours of creative play.

Other kids seem dissatisfied no matter how extravagant the gift.

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to do more, buy more, be more when what you offer your child attracts only a cool reception. Feeling inadequate over her disappointment will not be helpful. Neither will your anger.

You can’t feel thankful on demand, and neither can your kids. When they’re disappointed, accept their feelings with empathy. Avoid labels – such as “ungrateful” – because these tags become part of a child’s self image. The very characteristic you seek to prevent is actually reinforced when you attach a negative label to your child.

Instead, teach gratitude by sharing your own grateful moments with your children – and let your delight at their spontaneous expressions of appreciation show.

Teaching appreciation for small things is not the same as teaching kids to say “please” and “thank you.” Authentic appreciation has its source not in manners, but rather in an understanding of the value of the gift and the feelings of the person offering it.

So combine lessons in courtesy with lessons about the values you want to convey to your children. For example:

Help your children feel the meaning behind the gift. Imagine with them: “Aunt Sally thought to herself, ‘It’s Julia’s birthday! I wonder what she would really, really like! A drawing set? Or a new ball?’ And she thought about it and thought about it…”
Allow kids to wait with anticipation for things they want. Help them appreciate the value of the things they want by earning them. Don’t rush to replace lost or broken belongings. Instead, help your kids budget for a replacement.
Above all, gratitude is something children learn by seeing it in action. So be highly visible with your own genuine appreciation for little everyday miracles – such as your 6-year-old who joyfully runs out to the driveway to greet you at the end of a long day. Children gain a spirit of gratitude by having parents who are grateful for them.