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Are You Spoiling Your Child?

What do you define as “spoiling”? I have been accused of spoiling my daughter on many occasions, to which I reply: “She isn’t spoiled, she is blessed.” Apparently, my definition of “spoiled” differs from others. To help set the record straight on spoiling, childhood experts have come up with a number of questions parents should ask themselves: *Does your child treat you poorly? *Do you find that you struggle to say “no” to your child? *Do you make idle threats? *Are you afraid of upsetting your child? If you answered “yes” to any of the aforementioned questions, then experts say … Continue reading →

How to Make Your Own Flash Diffuser

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The best lighting for photography is outdoors on a slightly cloudy day. Photography enthusiasts like myself often get frustrated when we’re confined indoors. The lighting is never quite as nice. You could buy expensive studio lighting, but who has the time or money to carry that around all the time. For most purposes, it’s impractical. If you are lucky enough to have an expensive camera, you can turn up the ISO, skip the flash and you’ll still get great photos. If not, your next best bet is to use your built-in flash. The problem with the pop-up is it will … Continue reading →

Setting Limits with Toddlers

Setting consistent limits and boundaries are not only good for the peace of your family, but they are also good for your toddler. Setting limits tells your toddler what behavior you expect from him, as well as the consequences of misbehavior. When developing limits for your toddler, you first have to understand of what behavior your toddler is capable. Expecting a two-year-old to throw out his paper cup when his drink is done is perfectly reasonable. Expecting him to sit still for a piano recital is not. Different toddlers grow and develop at different rates, so keep that in mind … Continue reading →

Weight Loss: Setting Realistic Goals

Losing weight is not an easy task for most. A common mistake that people make when they attempt to lose weight is setting their goals too high instead of keeping within realistic limits. If you consider that it takes a 3500-calorie deficit in order to lose just one pound each week you will understand that expecting to lose more than a couple of pounds per week is not advisable. If you do so you will be setting yourself up for possible disappointment. In doing this you will likely lose interest in your endeavors and be subject to discouragement and defeat. … Continue reading →

Are Your Customers and Clients Controlling You?

The other day I wrote about how we cannot control what our customers and clients do—no matter how much we might want to or how much energy we put into sales and customer service. There is a flip side of this coin, however, in that we might be letting our customers and clients control us! Do your customers and/or clients have more influence over your life and your home business than you would like? There is no denying that customer service is incredibly important in any sort of business. Even if you have a small consulting business with only a … Continue reading →

Are You Being too Vague?

You may think that you are so bonded with your kids that the should be able to gather you meaning from just a look or a word; or maybe you are feeling too harried to explain what you want them to do. Our children, however, need us to be as clear, concise and direct as possible. Being too vague can cause problems in terms of limit-setting, discipline and expectations. You might be surprised what can come across as vague to your children. For example, when you say something like “Behave” or “Were you good?” you might think you are being … Continue reading →

Ask Yourself: “Is it Worth the Trouble?”

We’ve talked about picking one’s battles with children here in the Parents blog and we’ve talked about power struggles and all sorts of other “struggles”–not to mention all the different times that family life calls for letting go. But, what about those times when giving in and letting go ARE NOT the orders of the day? What about those times when digging in and holding one’s own as a parent is really the best thing to do? Sometimes, fighting those battles really is worth all the stress and trouble… While I can think of plenty of times when I have … Continue reading →

Let Your Kids Know They Can Blame it on You

I remember very clearly the few times in my adolescence and growing up years that I was able to “pass the buck” on my parents and how much I appreciated it. Sure, there were plenty of times when I felt oppressed by their unjust rules and all the times I thought they didn’t understand me–but there were also those times when I was grateful to be able to say: “My parents won’t let me” or “my mom said no.” I know for a fact that my own kids have felt the same way. They have been plenty angry at times … Continue reading →

Do You Follow Your Own Rules?

How often do you violate our own rules and then wonder why our kids have a hard time following the rules you set? As parents, we sometimes have the attitude that we don’t have to follow our own rules. However, when we do, we send the wrong message to our kids. If we take a lackadaisical attitude toward rules, then our kids won’t feel the need to follow these same rules. Sometimes we violate the rules without even thinking about it or we figure our kids aren’t really paying attention but, let’s face it, our kids watch our every move. … Continue reading →

Sometimes, There’s More of a Reward for Misbehavior Than Good Behavior

The truth is, when children choose to repeat annoying or unsavory behavior, there is a reason. They are getting SOMETHING out of it. As parents, we try to influence them to give up the bad behavior–we may use positive rewards, take away privileges, etc. in an attempt to change the behavior, but if the child clings to the “bad” behavior then there is something more that he or she is getting from it than what we’ve been able to offer. This is where the investigative part of parenting comes in as we try to determine the motivation for the child’s … Continue reading →