The Parenting Mentor

Ali has two daughters, and her three-year-old--who has always been very adventurous and independent--has lately become curious and daring to the point of potential danger. Ali is looking for ways to keep her daughter safe without shutting down her bold curiosity or constantly telling her no. Today, we talk about how she can do this. I discuss the power of reframing "No, because this will happen" i...

Allana's 5-year-old son has trouble controlling his anger. When he wants something, he wants it, and he'll ask and ask until he gets it. When he doesn't get it, he'll throw a temper tantrum and sometimes act out physically in his anger. Today, Alanna and I talk about what could be behind these temper tantrums. We talk about how being the oldest kid can affect the amount of attention a child gets a...

Elle has two kids, and her ten-year-old daughter is struggling at an age where, if it weren't for COVID, she'd be starting to look to peers to discover who she is becoming. She doesn't get the chance to interact with her friends as much as she'd like, and she tends to let her feelings build up until they turn into a meltdown about something often unrelated. Today, we talk about what Elle can do ab...

Whitnee has a 2.5-year-old son who is struggling to cope with big changes as the family moves to a new city. He always wants Whitnee to play with him, even when she's not able to. How can Whitnee help him to understand that she can't spend all of her time playing with him, as much as she'd like to? Today, I share with Whitnee the importance of validating his feelings. We talk about why, in the mid...

Ashley is a mom of two with another little one on the way. Her oldest daughter--3 and a half--is very helpful with specific tasks when she feels that she's contributing to the household, but when it comes to picking up after herself, she'll manipulate and lie to get out of it. Ashley is looking for practical tips to discourage this behavior. Today, we talk about getting your kids to clean up after...

Lauren has two incredibly loud and energetic boys. Between the lockdown, running her own business, her husband working full time, and the boys needing help with school, it adds a lot of stress, noise, and distraction in the house. Lauren is looking for ways to handle this situation. Today, we talk about the possibility of reframing this crazy year as a life skill and self-sufficiency learning year...

Jennifer has three kids, and her youngest--the 2-year-old--won't sleep through the night. She goes to sleep with no trouble, but every night she'll come into her parents' room in the middle of the night and join them in their bed. Between homeschooling the boys and running a business, Jennifer and her husband need sleep, so this isn't a sustainable practice. Today, we talk about a potential soluti...

Salwa's 4-year-old daughter is incredibly smart and mature. She understands and makes connections at a much more advanced level than other kids her age. But when she doesn't understand something, it has a devastating effect on her and she tends to shut down. Further, the problem has begun to leak into other parts of her life: her inability in most areas will produce the same effect in her. Today,...

Marnie has three older kids--14, 17, and 20--who get frustrated because, when they come to her with problems, she offers solutions and tries to fix the problems for them. Marnie is looking for a new approach to this situation. Today, we discuss the job of parents, and how it's not to solve kids' problems for them. We talk about the importance of asking questions to help them solve problems on thei...

Adrianna's 6-year-old girl has always been incredibly cooperative, but recently she's become very defiant. Whether it's refusing to do what she's asked to do or arguing with the answer to her own question, she feels that she's smarter than her parents and questions everything. Today, Adrianna and I talk about what may be behind this sudden change. We talk about every kid's eventual realization tha...

Erin has two boys, 7 and 9, who can't sit still at dinnertime. Erin and her husband want a nice family dinner every night, but the boys complain about the food, jump up and down, and can't seem to get the cleanup done. Today, Erin and I talk about what she can do about the situation. We talk about how it might be a good idea to cut family dinners down to five times a week, and I offer the suggesti...

Isabelle's kids--a 12-year-old girl and a 10-year old boy--get on each other's nerves. He knows just the buttons to push and she overreacts immediately when he pushes them. Today, Isabelle and I talk about what steps she can take towards solving this problem. We talk about how it's not her fault or failure as a mother, and how it's natural and normal for people who love each other to get on each o...

Angela's family--particularly her three daughters of very different ages--have been living on top of each other for a year (since COVID started), and their frustration is spilling over. Often they'll get along great, but often they'll get on each other's nerves. Emotions explode and stress ensues. Today, Angela and I talk about how to deal healthily and effectively with this kind of situation. We...

Allana's 5-year-old son has trouble controlling his anger. When he wants something, he wants it, and he'll ask and ask until he gets it. When he doesn't get it, he'll throw a temper tantrum and sometimes act out physically in his anger. Today, Alanna and I talk about what could be behind these temper tantrums. We talk about how being the oldest kid can affect the amount of attention a child gets a...

The Parenting Mentor Sessions is the place where real moms and dads call in and open up about their parenting struggles. Here, you can listen in on my conversations with these parents to get strategies, skills, and scripts to reduce the everyday anxiety that inevitably comes with being a parent. Today, I give some background. I offer my own story of raising two kids, and I share how I gradually le...