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Have you ever wondered why some parents seem to effortlessly inspire their children while others struggle to keep their attention? It all comes down to how we approach behavior and responsibility.   There are two primary ways parents and teachers build responsibility in children: control-based leadership (Theory X) and motivation-based leadership (Theory Y). Each approach […]

Imagine if every interaction you had with a child was a financial transaction. Every encouraging word, smile, or success adds a deposit to their Brain Bank—a reservoir of confidence, resilience, and emotional well-being. On the flip side, criticism, stress, or failure act as withdrawals, depleting their mental reserves. Just like financial health, a child’s mental […]

An athlete is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” Athletes in specific sports train to be at the top of their game, but how much better of an athlete would they be if they had a well-rounded cross training […]

All children act out from time to time. However, children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), as defined by the Child Mind Institute, “have a well-established pattern of behavior problems that are more extreme than their peers.” Children with ODD display aggressive behaviors and have a hard time recognizing social cues. To diagnose, the behaviors are […]

Parenting can be tricky. We want our children to be resilient, empathetic, and able to self-regulate. However, with the busyness of life, the experiences that build these characteristics fall by the wayside, and “no” becomes an automatic response. Children are continually being told what to do and what not to do. As a result, the […]

All parents want their children to exhibit positive behaviors that will help them transition smoothly through the different stages of their development. And while parents have the best intentions, they often don’t use the most effective discipline strategies to achieve that goal. Granted, parents do their best to implement the knowledge and experiences that they […]

We have all experienced, from time to time, that uneasy feeling you get when something doesn’t seem right. Often, we can’t put our finger on it, but we know that we feel bothered. For children, that uneasy feeling may show up as grumpiness or irritability, which can interfere with learning. Serotonin is a significant chemical […]

One of the biggest struggles in parenting is understanding why perfectly sweet and smart children can, in an instant, turn into the most difficult beings ever faced. It’s often as if a switch was flipped and chaos has ensued. This typically results in parents becoming frustrated at their children and disciplining them in the heat […]

How can you set your child up for daily success?  One of the most effective ways to do this is to focus on prompting instead of punishment.  Here’s what you need about prompting your child toward good behavior and decisions:   Friendly Competition One of the ways to prompt your child toward good behavior is […]

Nowadays it seems that children are only interested in their video games, smart phones, and social media platforms. Parents are frustrated with their children’s lack of motivation for and attention to other activities that they are at a loss as to what to do. Therefore, parents often respond by taking devices away and punishing their […]