parenting

New wisdom from Heather Shumaker, author of It’s OK to Go Up the Slide and It’s OK Not to Share

Homework struggles don’t happen in our house. That’s because our family opts out of elementary school homework. “What?!” people say to me. “You can do that?”

Home time is family time. Kids need time to play and reboot for the next school day, not go into overtime. Schooling may be mandatory, but homework isn’t.

When children hit school-age, sometimes it feels as if the school is suddenly in charge of your family life. Night after night parents lock themselves in battles with overtired kids. “You have to do your homework,” we say, even when deep inside we know that the crying, wiggling child stuck in the homework chair desperately needs something else. Time to just be home, relax and play. Help with family chores. Or go to bed. But we think we must uphold homework, so we do. We nag. Cajole. Fight. Beg. And as a last resort, we do our kid’s homework.

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Twins… double the love, the fun, and the joy!

But sometimes twins can be double the trouble – or at least that’s how it feels when sibling competition kicks into high gear and you’re trying to manage the chaos in “stereo.”

And it’s not just twins. Parents with siblings close in age can experience the same frustration.

So what can you do to help keep the peace and nurture the amazing relationship between your twins or close in age kids?

Try these 3 simple strategies to keep sibling competition at bay…

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Power struggles and back talk issues? I hear ya!

In fact, “I hear ya” is a phrase I encourage you to try the next time your child complains about doing homework, washing the dishes, taking a bath, or – whatever the complaint department problem is at the moment. “I hear ya” is a great way to respond when your child is itching for an argument.

Instead of launching into a traditional parenting lecture like, “it’s part of being a family”, or “your job is to go to school and get good grades”, or “you’ll thank me when you’re older” – just say, “I hear ya. I didn’t like doing spelling homework either” or “I hear ya, emptying the dishwasher isn’t my favorite thing to do either.”

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And Help Kids Make Healthy Choices!

For many families, EVERY meal feels less like a Norman Rockwell painting and more like a battle of epic proportions.

Mealtime is one of the biggest stressors for parents, especially those with little ones.  Why?  Because kids are winning!

Think about it – eating is one of the few things kids can legitimately control.  Hard as we try – we can’t MAKE them eat.  We can, however, help children make healthier, empowered choices – creating a WIN for parents AND kids.

Ready to “turn the tables” and put the mealtime melodrama to rest?

Try these five strategies:

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Guest Post by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD

Is there an “art of giving?” I believe there is. Much like the creative inspiration that flows through paint brushes and poetry, giving is an individual expression of caring for someone or something beyond ourselves.

Most of us learn the art of giving in our childhoods. I remember how my mother coordinated a neighborhood bake-off so we could take sweet holiday treats to our local nursing home. With several other families, we delivered trays of goodies and sang carols for the residents. I remember how I felt as I witnessed gratitude through the eyes of elderly patients, some of whom could not speak.

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