My daughter didn’t want to sit with me on the bus!

She was 5.

What kind of 5-year-old doesn’t want to sit with her mom?!?!

I thought I had a few more years before this type of thing started to happen. But nope, she was too cool for her mom on the kindergarten field trip.

That...

“If you’re tempted to touch the microscopes, then put your hands in your pockets.” I heard the group leader tell the children. 

I was a parent chaperone on my daughter’s grade 3 field trip and was having a hard time with what I was seeing.

My experience as a...

When our kids head back to school, it is a time of transition. New teachers, new friends. And there’s still all of the COVID nonsense to navigate. 

Today we’re talking about fear as our kids are back in school.

When I use the word "fear", I'm including worry, anxiety, stress,...

Happy back-to-school season. 'Tis the season of new routines and high emotions.

It’s the season where your super flexible kids become little monsters that dig their heels in over the stupidest things. Hahaha….alright, they’re not little monsters, but it sure can feel like it...

If you have a little one who is super timid, then this will be a great episode for you. I have a little guy who gets quite nervous in new situations, AND…. I was a shy kid growing up.

I was afraid of my own shadow… OK, maybe not actually :) But I would never raise my hand in class...

Who here is ready and eager to get back into the school routine?

I’m going to guess that the answer is 50/50 on that :)

We KNOW there are pros and cons. We know there are good things about routines that make our lives easier.

And.... we also kind of resist routines because it...

If I had a dollar for every time a parent told me "I need to be more consistent" I'd be living a life of luxury on a beach somewhere :)

If being consistent, feels like a chore then you are doing this whole parenting thing absolutely perfectly :)

Sometimes it does feel like a chore....and that's...

If you're confused about what the difference between a consequence and a punishment is, don't stress. It's simple in theory, harder in practice.

In this episode, I break it ALLL down for you and when in doubt, trust that inner commentary in that beautiful head of yours above all else :)

If you...

If you are trying to cut out yelling (or any other tactic you don't want to use), you are in fact learning a new skill. When we're learning a new skill, there is a concept that we need to keep in mind. It's one that I explain to my kids all of the time when they get frustrated learning to read,...

There is a trend going on right now to give your child one day off of school each month to support their mental health. Although I strongly believe in supporting our children's mental health and well-being, giving them one day off a month is missing the point. 

 It's SOOOO hard not to yell at our child even when we try hard not to.

Here are 2 tried and true strategies to interrupt your yelling pattern.

BONUS: They're easy peasy lemon squeezy :)

 Parenting is SOOOO important and we care so much about our child, that it's hard not to worry about screwing them up. 

I was asked the question on a recent podcast interview about how to show yourself grace and compassion even when we're struggling in our parenting.

So here are my...