Posts Tagged "guilt"

Undoing Harsh Words

Posted by in Blog, Coaching Kids | 0 comments

Undoing Harsh Words

For a number of years, I assisted Rachel Macy Stafford with replies to readers' comments on her powerful HandsFreeMama blog. Rachel's posts are deeply moving and motivational accounts of real-life moments with her daughters and evoke an outpouring of emotional responses like this one from the mother of a 4-year-old who was struggling to find her patience. This reader's comment and my reply are...

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New Twist on Blame

Posted by in Blog, Coaching Kids | 15 comments

New Twist on Blame

Kids know something that we don't. Blame is a valuable power-building tool. That's right. There's actually something good about blame: Blame is a natural power builder. One parent told me about her two young daughters jumping from couch to chair to couch in the living room laughing and yelling at each other, "It's your fault!" "No, it's your fault..."Another shared that her child repeatedly...

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Sibling Rivalry

Posted by in Blog, Coaching Kids | 5 comments

Sibling Rivalry

Child: "You always buy her whatever she wants! You never do that for me! You love her more!" When your child challenges your fairness, remember to say what the child is feeling without defending your actions. This is harder than it sounds since we are programmed to defend. But, if a child fusses about unfair treatment and we jump in with all kinds of defenses like, "I bought her those shoes...

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