If your kids have regular household responsibilities, then you've already conquered half the battle. Now holding them accountable for those responsibilities is the next step. Keep your tots on task with a clever chore chart that turns even the most mundane of tasks into a game. We've found nine unique ways — from a smartphone app to a DIY reward system — to keep your family functioning efficiently.
Verbal defiance from a toddler who is just beginning to test limits is relatively easy to take in stride, but many parents are unnerved when bigger kids talk back. As Circle of Moms member Amanda P. shares, it's not only irritating, but downright disrespectful: "My 7-year-old thinks he can smartmouth us whenever he wants, and that it's fine for him to be disrespectful, especially to me."
Seeking suggestions from the Circle of Moms community, Amanda asks, "What do you guys use for a disrespectful child? I don't want to sit back and do nothing only [to see] this escalate into something bad. Any advice?"
First, take a deep breath so that you don't wind up arguing back, say our moms. Then, try these four tips for taming the sass.
The first day my child started school, he became the subject of the class bully's attention. Starting at school for the first time is nerve-racking enough for both parent and child, but to have that first day memory shredded by bullying is truly awful.
It's only natural to want to be the best parent you can for your children, but could you be doing too much? As mom Cyd S. asks the Circle of Moms community, "What do you do if you are accused of being a helicopter mom?"
When you, your child's teacher, or someone else suggests that you are doing too much for your child, the first step to take is to "step back and evaluate yourself and your actions," mom Shawnn L. recommends. "It's hard not to helicopter," she admits. "So, if you've been told that you are a helicopter, evaluate your behavior and how you approach interactions with your child's/adult's teachers."
If you see any of the signs that you are overparenting, then "you may want to try to correct a thing or two," Shawnn says. Here, Circle of Moms members offer four tips to give your parenting style a healthier balance.
Have you ever witnessed a child who constantly dominates a conversation, or a child who grabs objects out in public, even after being told not to touch? What about a child who just doesn't seem to know how to wait his turn? Are these kids "bad," or are they kids who need help learning how to control their impulsive natures?
No one is perfect. Not your kids, not you, and certainly not me. I'm a parenting expert, educator, and coach, and I am not a perfect parent. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. We all make mistakes and have lessons to learn from our experiences in life. Oh, the messes I've made from time to time!
Each misstep in life has a purpose and causes further fallout for us to deal with. Each misstep is a teacher of sorts. No one likes that fact, and every parent forgets it at times. Whether it's due to stress, the fast pace of life, or our own childhood wounds, there are times when we forget that our child is just a child, and has only made a mistake, not committed a crime.
Toddlers aren't the only children who have tantrums! Teenagers often throw their own angry tantrums, resorting to foot-stomping, door-slamming, yelling, and more. If you're looking for ideas on how to respond to your teen's emotional outbursts, here are five key steps Circle of Moms members suggest.
Before I ever became a mom, I was a teacher. While I don't claim to be a perfect teacher or a perfect mommy, I do believe that I relate to children quite well, thanks in part to my time spent "in the trenches." Those six precious years of forging relationships, offering guidance, and teaching science to 150 students each year taught me several things that have also served me well as a parent. Keep reading for the eight most important.
A few weeks ago I wrote an article called The Common Discipline Mistakes Moms Make (and Regret). When the article was shared on the Circle of Moms Facebook page, there was some interesting feedback that I could so easily relate to as one of the mistake-making moms I was writing about.
One mom wanted to hear about the things parents are doing right. Another mom suggested it would be helpful to provide some answers about how to fix the discipline mistakes we are making.
Both comments really hit home. After all, we help our kids feel good about themselves by telling them what they are doing well, and if they are making mistakes, we give them strategies to help fix them. Don't moms deserve the same?
With that in mind, Circle of Moms members chime in to help us all learn to fix some of these common discipline mistakes.
When bloggers told us about the weird things their kids do, they revealed some seriously hilarious and strange behaviors — from licking grocery carts to constant quacking! Circle of Moms members describe their kids doing some pretty strange things, too. The good news is that as bizarre as some of these kid behaviors may seem, many of them are pretty normal.
