Kiss in front of your kids. Smooch. Squeeze each other. No, I’m not taking about anything that causes heavy breathing — I’m talking about: Promoting a sense of security that can never be achieved through words alone. Telling your child, “Mommy and Daddy will never get divorced,” doesn’t come close to what they understand by watching you laugh together, speak […]
Every child gives his or her parents multiple opportunities per day to practice wants vs. needs parenting: I want a popsicle! I want to take Prunella’s toy! I want to stay up! I want to go to the dance! I want an iPad! Wise parents hear these wants and send them through their Needs Filter: I […]
Naps: bane or blessing? The thought of a regular time each day when our children sleep (and we can think our own thoughts and do things hard to accomplish with little children underfoot) can seem like an enticing but elusive dream. I wrote (a long, long time ago) about the why of napping here, […]
Picture your household at 5:30 pm. What’s happening? How does everybody feel? What is each person doing? Is there chaos or contentment? If your family includes children under six or so, I bet the answer to that last question depends mostly on one thing – what they were doing three hours earlier. Naps? Why Bother? […]
First, I must tell you that I have never climbed on top of a booth at a restaurant unless I did it as a very young child, and if I did it then I am sure my good parents commanded me to get down instantly or receive a spanking. Yesterday I broke a decades-long history […]
Isn’t it a relief to find out there is only one thing you really have to teach your child? What? You don’t agree? You are thinking about toilet-training and bike-riding and no-hitting and possessions-sharing and friend-choosing and all the myriad character traits and skills good parents ought to instill in their children. Oh, I know […]
Recently, I ran across the following in two places, and it struck a chord with me about some ways our family could stand to improve: Showing kindness — Courteous words instead of sharp retorts. Smiles instead of blank looks. Enthusiasm instead of dullness. Response instead of indifference. Warmth instead of coldness. Understanding instead of the […]
I have been spending more time than usual thinking about what others like, and in many ways I find it hard going. Me, I’m easy – I know what I prefer – but when I am in charge, how much of the deciding how things will be ought to be what I think best and […]
In My Kitchen, In My Life is a place where women (and the odd male) can be encouraged, nudged, and occasionally kicked in the pants toward living their lives on a higher plane. Oh, and readers get plenty of chances to laugh at the author's foibles, which is always worth a click.
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