Welcome to this bit of a meeting place for parents and grandparents where you will find our books at the left, a helpful article on the right, and a box at the bottom where you are welcome to ask any question about children you've been wondering about, lately. Keep an eye on the answer box, as we will find an expert (or two) and post an answer within a few days. Many thanks for dropping by!
Behavior TipsAre you tired of bickering during daily routines encroaching on way too much of your family time? Here is a book that offers a two-week program that teaches your children to discipline themselves. Hard to believe? Here are the step-by- step secrets of how it's done, and why it works. Communications / Parenting Paperback $4.99 Hardback $9.99 Find it in our Bookstore Homework Helps
A mysterious little student handbook that will take the mystery out of all your writing assignments and help you even after you get out of school. With these simple secrets you will be able to get a good grade every time...no matter what grade you are in! English Grammar / Writing Paperback $4.99 Hardback $9.99 Find it in our Bookstore |
Changing Channels
The River of Life is wide and swift and success is most often measured by merely making it to the end without piling up on the rocks or drowning along the way. There are many methods of travel. Some simply jump in fully clothed and let the currents carry them however and wherever they will, and others build amazing watercraft to help them along. Still others band together and travel in floating societies, each member specializing in something the others cannot do. These societies have become quite sophisticated. Now, after millennia of advancing humanity, it is possible to make it all the way down without knowing how to swim. Some have even finished without ever actually getting wet. And along the way, we have built ourselves up philosophies that tell us it isn’t really necessary, anymore. Everything is taken care of. No worries. If something goes wrong, we’re covered because the insurance people are doing their jobs, and they can handle it. That’s what we pay them for. Which makes for a nice smooth journey, except for one thing… our children keep jumping over the side. They do not realize the danger of being up so high and are forever fascinated with the water. We call these the “rebellious years” and comfort ourselves with the knowledge that nearly everyone goes through them. Nevertheless, they can give us some of the most heart-wrenching experiences of our lives. Whether you are the parent or the child. It is in our nature to want to experience things for ourselves. To accomplish something “on our own”, to divide the waters from the waters, and to ultimately see what lies at the end of the River. We don’t talk about what lies at the end of the River (even though EVERYONE ends up there) because – in our elaborate societies – it simply isn’t in good taste. And we spend a good deal of time these days trying to teach our children how to get along in the societies rather than how to get down the River. Figuring out the River is rather old-fashioned, considering the boat is already headed there – so, why all the turmoil? Because for everything the societies take out of you, the River gives back. Children know this because... READ MORE... From the Answer Box...Question: My kids never do anything I ask them, they just keep doing what they want. What can I do about that?
Lilly's Answer: Try the "When and If Rule."
Choose something you know they like and then let them choose if they want to meet your conditions to get it. Example: "When you finish cleaning your room, you may have a popsicle." However... should you have a particularly stubborn child who could care less about popsicles at the moment, simply startle everyone by singling out a sibling (or someone else) by saying: "Wait a minute! Sarah, I really like the way you got busy so fast! I think you should have a popsicle, right now. You can finish cleaning up afterward." Which almost always gets the desired response since nobody likes being left out. |