Search Results for: blog identify your triggers

How Long Can You Last (Before You Lose Your Temper?)

We all have our triggers—even the most patient single parent among us can be pushed to the breaking point. I think it can be helpful to figure out what our tolerance level is, whether or not we are more prone to crankiness and impatience at different times of the day, and if there are combinations that can make us more likely to lose our temper. Just as you would analyze your child’s temperament and figure out when it is best to try new things or how to organize your day to avoid meltdowns, you might also want to consider your … Continue reading →

What is “Wasting Time” to you, May Not Be to your Child

Time management is a big topic of conversation here in the Single Parents blog. We seem to be constantly brainstorming ways to get more done in an average day and to do it was as little stress and pressure as possible. One of the side effects of our needing to get a great deal done in the course of a day is that we can push and pressure our children to stop wasting time and to keep up and multi-task along with us. This might seem like a reality of single parent family life, but it is not always fair … Continue reading →

What Clouds Your Judgment?

Even in the world of business, we all have our triggers. We might be completely clear-minded in certain areas and able to use wisdom and experience to make good decisions–but there may be other areas where our judgment can get clouded and we are not as focused and objective. I think it helps to do a little self-discovery in order to determine what those triggers are that cloud our judgment when it comes to our home businesses. This way, we can be on the look-out and make some accommodations when we lose our objectivity. As I mentioned earlier–we ALL have … Continue reading →

Are Past Relationships Affecting Your Parenting?

For some strange reason, one of my daughters reminds me of my sister. She always has—at least since she was a toddler. It used to be that every once in a while I would even slip up and call her by my sister’s name. While I haven’t ever gotten down to the bottom of all the ways they remind me of each other, I have learned how to NOT let my past relationship and interactions with my sister affect how I deal with my daughter. It sounds easy and obvious enough, but it might be surprising how often we let … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Dealing with Toddler Back Talk

Question: I’ve heard you say a few times that you don’t allow your toddlers to talk back to you. At first, I thought you meant preschoolers but in one of your posts you even make mention of insisting that your 14 month old doesn’t say ‘no’ to you. How exactly do you accomplish this? I don’t mean to offend you, but you sound horribly strict. If you haven’t yet read the first blog answering this question, you might want to do so before reading this one. In it, I explain why I think it’s so important for toddlers to learn … Continue reading →

Identify Your Triggers

There is a great deal of psychology that goes along with parenting–and it is not just child psychology. We have to dig down and understand some of our own issues and personal psychology in order to be effective, present, parents. It is quite easy to blame our children for all the tussles and miscommunication, but the fact is, we bring our own triggers and issues into our interactions with our children too. If you can identify your own triggers, you may be able to maintain control and be less likely to get into power struggles with your children. Additionally, owning … Continue reading →

Do You Get Angry with Your Child? I Do, Because Anger is a Natural Feeling.

Related articles: Emotional Intelligence and Clear Communication; Dealing with a Passive Aggressive-Manipulator; The Cycle of Violence: Part 7, Stand Over. Anger is natural and normal. Just like any other emotion, we have the innate ability to feel angry and the right to let others know what we are feeling. However, often the behaviors that we display when we are angry are the problem. The behaviors we display are not our emotion – they are our behaviors Just as children get angry and throw a tantrum, so too do us parents. These tantrums are unacceptable and let other big people know … Continue reading →

Single Parents with Migraines

It is hard being a single parent. So what happens when you have a migraine and need help watching your child? Luckily for me, I live with family members who are usually able to help with my son when I’m sick. I have disabling migraines and it is very difficult to watch my son when it hurts to open my eyes. I woke up this morning with a horrible migraine. My head was hurting. My eyes were stinging. My neck was hurting and burning. I was absolutely miserable. I got up and made my son’s breakfast. I tried to take … Continue reading →

Sensitive Eyes

Sensitive Eyes sounds like a good title for a dreamy romance novel… but I was thinking more of your actual eyes being sensitive to things. Maybe I’ll write that romance someday, though! You may already know if you have sensitive eyes. Symptoms can include: Bloodshot eyes Excessive tearing or watering A generally uncomfortable feeling Basically, sensitive eyes are easily irritated by things that don’t bother most other people. You may find your eyes easily irritated by smoke, dry air, wind, chemical fumes, and more. A number of different things can lead to sensitive eyes. A healthy, normal eye has a … Continue reading →

Tips for Dealing with Argumentative Sore Spots

Do you have an argumentative sore spot in your marriage? You might even have more than one. So often in marriage we can think of the big issues like money, change, work, or family issues, as being the things we tend to keep on top of and try not to argue about. We might be really careful to discuss these issues and then find wham! It’s the little side issues that trip us up and cause to argue. I know for example, and Mick would agree, that we’ve never had problems talking about and coming to reasonable and logical decisions … Continue reading →