Parenting Doctors Podcast

To emphasize personality functioning minimizes the power of love in parenting.   There is a misperception in parenting – you are smart if you can describe your kid’s personality really well.    Shaping, reinforcing, instructing, teaching, guiding, instilling, strength-building are all more important jobs as parents than coming up with descriptions of your child’s personality.  

In Part 1, I suggested two belief changes for all parents: - Conflict is positive, not a negative in family life. - Promoting conflict as a healthy pillar in childhood development, maturity, and education.   - I suggested 3 phases of sibling conflict: problem identification, solution exploration, and solution focused agreement. In Part 2, identifying emotions, summarizing the other person's (sibli...

Conflict is Good Since the beginning of time, siblings have fought.  Everybody in my generation who had siblings understands sibling rivalry and arguing.  Arguing is a part of life.  I’ve taken some time to look at sibling conflict from a different parenting angle. I see conflict as good and I encourage arguing.   

  1. Reward desired behavior- reward behavior in the direction of the desired behavior. 2. Praise effort more than results. 3. Count to 10, breath, take a step back – be like an eagle taking a broad perspective, not a snake that strikes out. 4. Identify clearly want you want the child to do with clear expectations.  Communicate everything, assume nothing…. 5. Take time to discuss how all actions h...

Dealing with kids and their fickle friendships can range from an inconvenience to a nightmare.    Kids have rocky relationships and up and down behavior and nagivating this terrain can be rough.   One client said to me, “My daughter is having a birthday party in a week.  Recently, a girl in her class told her that she couldn't’ wait to attend her birthday party.  The next day, she ignored my daugh...

If we had a bug in our ear, we could receive feedback whenever we are in a situation when we are rushing, impatient, intolerant, lack compassion, reluctant to take the time to explain our perspective, and not taking the time to listen to our children's perspective.  

Movie Review of the movie Inside Out.  The movie focuses on the five characters of Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, & Fear.  While limited, this is a great movie on emotional intelligence.  Introduces children to emotional integration and putting words to feelings and emotions.   

A Book Review on the best book out there for parents and youth sports.

A four-year old was shown some marshmallows.  He could have one marshmallow now, or he could have two marshmallows in 15 minutes. There is a striking difference between those children who can wait for two marshmallows.  How does this apply to parenting?

It is helpful for parents to reflect on the three clear reasons why inappropriate behavior is reinforced:  (1) ignorance, (2) intolerance of being inconvenienced, and (3) shortcuts.   Either we don’t understand, or we dread hassle, or we are anxious to shortcut a learning opportunity.  

Emphasize Choices Not Orders: How to let your children be free without the family chaos! We discuss how emphasizing choices is helpful, particularly during those uncomfortable (but necessary) moments of disciplining children.