Search Results for: blog do you apologize to your kids

Do You Want To Yell Less and Love More?

The past three days have been very peaceful around here. Not quite, mind you, but peaceful nonetheless. I think that I know why, too. You see, a few days ago, I came across a wonderful blog called The Orange Rhino Challenge. The blog is a chronicle of one mom’s commitment to “Yell less, love more”. Once I read about how not yelling has made a huge difference for both The Orange Rhino and her family, I decided that I, too, want to stop yelling at my kids. I do my best not to yell, but it happens. I have yet … Continue reading →

Are You Too Critical?

How often do you start the day with a morning lecture? My 8-year-old daughter’s answer:  “Too many!” She’s probably right. If she asks for help locating her backpack, I spend five minutes “suggesting” that she hang it in the back hall where she can easily find it. If she complains about taking the same home lunch to school every day I “propose” that she expand her palate because there’s only so much I can do with strawberries, crackers and plain chicken. When she whines about not having enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast before school I “recommend” moving up … Continue reading →

Embrace Your Mistakes + Snow Globe Sugar Cookie Recipe

Many parents feel uncomfortable appearing less than perfect around their children.  Ironically, childhood experts maintain that moms and dads, who unabashedly show their children that making mistakes is part of life, give their kids a priceless gift and a leg up in the real world. Well, Hallelujah!  I’ve finally done something right in the eyes of so-called parenting experts. My kid sees me mess up all the time.  Okay, maybe not all.the.time.  Still, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes… and then some.  However, in making my litany of blunders, I’ve learned another important lesson.  By embracing your imperfections you … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of February 12 – 18, 2012

The Special Needs Blog Week in Review is a great way to quickly catch up on everything that appeared in the Special Needs Blog in the past week. It is a good way to make sure that you haven’t missed anything. You can scan through this list to search for blogs about whatever particular special needs your child happens to have. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup for the week went up on February 13, 2012. I would like to point out an episode done by The Coffee Klatch that is titled “NY Times Op Ed Gone Wrong – Ritalin Gone … Continue reading →

Hospital Apologizes to Mia’s Family

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has issued a statement of apology to the parents of Amelia “Mia” Rivera. This apology is not to be taken as an indication that the hospital has made the decision to give Mia the kidney transplant she needs. It is probably more to quell the growing controversy that started after Mia’s mother wrote on her blog about their first meeting with a doctor. If you have not been following this story, then allow me to catch you up about it. Amelia Rivera is three years old. She goes by the nickname “Mia”. She has … Continue reading →

Halloween Costume Kids Shouldn’t be Caught Dead In

I’m not a huge fan of Halloween costumes that feature a ton of blood, gore and severed body parts. However, I can see how some older kids would get a kick out of showing up on a neighbor’s doorstep covered with decapitated plastic rodents, green ooze spilling from fake chainsaw lacerations and a rubber ax anchored firmly in one or both eye sockets. Again, not exactly a costume I would encourage my kid to sport on All Hallows’ Eve, but I gotta say, it’s better than having her going door-to-door asking for candy dressed as “Anna Rexia.” You read correctly—“Anna … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Guilt Get the Better of You

Guilt can be a destructive emotion. It can take over and overwhelm us. Don’t let guilt get the better of you. It’s easy said but sometimes not so easy to do. We all feel at times that we let people down, or that we don’t behave the way we should. As we’ve no doubt discovered, there will always be those to criticize and heap guilt on you. This can happen when we don’t do what other people expect us to or think we should. It can happen when, despite our best intentions, plans don’t work out and we are not … Continue reading →

Simple Ways to Say “Thanks” With Your Preschooler This Thanksgiving

I work with small children. One of the few ideals that I brought into my life as a parent was that I wanted to have a child who would be polite. Of course, like all of my parenting ideals, that one is regularly crushed when my child loudly announces at the playground, “I want that swing! I don’t want you to be on that swing! Get off the swing!” Ah, four-year-olds. However, through interminable repetition, I do seem to have a child who says please and thank you. Please and thank you are very important in our house. So when … Continue reading →

Do You Force Your Kids to Apologize?

Why is it that parents are often segregated into two camps: Those who do and those who don’t? Those who apologize to their kids and those who don’t. Those who drag their kids to the mall on Black Friday and those who don’t. Those who allow their kids to run around naked in public and those who don’t. Those who whip slices of pizza at their unruly kid’s head when they are frustrated and those who absolutely, undeniably, under no circumstance, who even consider doing so. And, finally, the ultimate division in parenthood: Those who force their children to apologize … Continue reading →

Do You Apologize To Your Kids?

How often do you say you’re sorry? Not for accidentally stepping on your child’s foot while making a mad dash to remove a burning ham from the oven. Or for being late to pick up your son from football practice, or for inadvertently tossing out moldy bread that was your daughter’s science experiment. Those are instances that incontestably deserve an apology, and most parents acknowledge this fact. But, how often do you apologize to your kids for displacing your anger, frustration and resentment on them about things that have nothing to do with them? That’s the question I dared ask … Continue reading →