A giraffe threw a temper tantrum on my kitchen floor last week.
 
Now, this wasn’t just any giraffe.  This giraffe is “Baby.”   My two year-old’s baby, to be specific.  My son loves to give Baby rides in his wagon or on his tricycle.  He sleeps with it, runs to help it when he sees it endangered, and carries it tucked in the crook of his neck, sweetly rubbing its back and telling it what a “cute baby” it is.  This giraffe-boy …

Rewards for children are generally misused. Unfortunately, because parents are drained from their current lifestyle overload, they believe that their children must be motivated in order to behave well.  Parents might even argue that children will not fulfill every day tasks like homework, chores, and other responsibilities unless they are given a reward.
This discussion gets right to the heart of why the work of parenting is not an easy one.  It is true that if left to their own devices …

Sometimes you just wish you had a simple technique as an option when your child, tween, or teen is doing something you do not approve of.  If you’re a fan of Kim Payne then you may know that he works with schools using the Social Inclusion approach.
The Social Inclusion Approach teaches a “justice without blame” method to conflict resolution.  It can easily be adapted for parents at home with their children.

This approach, developed and refined over 25 …

Social problems such as teasing and bullying are known to us all. Most of us have been a part of a bullying situation in one way or another.  When your child is going through a time of intense social struggle it can put a lot of pressure on the entire family.  This is particularly so if he or she is being aggressive towards others.  There are many things a parent can do to help.  Such as:

Looking at the way in …

It’s so common for parents to believe that they are respecting their young children by providing them with choices and freedom and decision-making, when, in fact, the power you are bestowing upon them is such a burden to them and can be the very reason for tantrums and defiance. Ultimately, if continued over time, you can develop your little one into the family tyrant.
Communication is critical.
This week, let’s focus on ensuring that we are stating our few requests calmly, providing …

I think this week it is essential for me to focus on building in down-time for my three kids.  I will be sticking to our routine as much as possible to try and preserve the sanity of everyone in our house! ~Amy
…focusing on some down time with my kiddo… ~Lisa
I am going to continue to work on simplifying our home environment. ~Clelie
Picture Courtesy of http://inspiredbyscript.com
The above quotes were small changes that our simplicity community committed to …