Audio Series – Conscious Discipline

10 Principles of Positive Discipline – Part 1

Growing up do you remember thinking, when I have children I’m never going to ______? And can you reflect it wasn’t long into the journey of parenting or teaching you found yourself doing or saying the very things you said you would never do? We all come into our adult lives with pre-programmed messaging. This […]

10 Principles of Positive Discipline – Part 2

Think of a time you have felt under attack or someone was placing blame on you for something that happened. In that moment, how willing were you to seek a solution to the problem at hand? Fear and negative discipline strategies place children in the lower centers of their brain leaving them unable and unwilling […]

Best Beginnings – An Infant Care Conversation

Remember finding out a baby was coming into your home? What things did you rush out to buy to prepare for this little one’s arrival? What kind of information did you seek on how to care for an infant and eventually toddler? Our model for relationships, self-regulation, and model of self are developed in the […]

Conflict Resolution – Part 1

Have you ever wondered how you find yourself in the same conflicts repeatedly? What do you tend to focus on when what you think should be doesn’t match what is? Conflict begins within ourselves when we resist what is. When we don’t live up to who we think we are, we begin feeling not good […]

Conflict Resolution – Part 2

What strategies have you tried to help children solve conflicts? Often our strategies model the very behavior we are asking children not to do. When we are upset we are always focused on what we don’t want. Finding solutions from this view point is impossible. Supporting children in conflict moments requires adults see from the […]

Preventing Power Struggles – Part 1

Have you ever found yourself wondering how to respond when children say things like, “NO!”, “I don’t want to!”, and “You can make me.” What thoughts tend to run through your head when you hear these or similar phrases? Understanding the relationship between power, control, and responsibility is key in managing ourselves in power struggle […]

Preventing Power Struggles – Part 2

What happens when adults feel guilty after a power struggle with children? Do you have strategies for repairing the relationship once a power struggle has happened? Permissiveness always follows guilt. We want children to take responsibility for their own upset and actions yet we as adults struggle with the very same thing. It’s critical we […]

Setting Limits Without Guilt

“Put your toys in the basket, okay?” “Are you ready for bed?” “Do your homework now!” “Don’t make me take the phone away.” Do these sound like statements you frequently make to your children? Adults tend to ask questions or make statement implying there is a choice when there really isn’t a choice. Or we […]

Transforming Aggression into Healthy Self-Esteem – Part 1

What beliefs do you currently about children who act in hurtful ways? How do you currently respond to children who behave aggressively towards you or others? Every aggressive act stems from a perception of excessive pain. Helping children transform aggressive behaviors into helpful ones requires we see the misbehavior as a call for help. Changing […]

Transforming Aggression into Healthy Self-Esteem – Part 2

“She bumped into me.” “He took my pencil.” “I saw a child hitting their mother when I was out the other day.” There are three types of aggression and each requires a specific response to help children transform hurtful to helpful. Adding language to children’s experiences and actively teaching children about their feelings support the […]