Internationally recognized author & educator for professionals, parents, and kids
Posts tagged parenting
Better Than You by Trudy Ludwig
32214 years
I first fell in love with Trudy Ludwig’s writing when I read My Secret Bully It was the perfect Read & Discuss student activity to include in my own book, Friendship and Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Aged 5-11 to Cope With Bullying. Since then, I’ve become a avid fan of Ludwig’s books for reading and sharing with kids–including my own daughters, ages 8 & 5.Yesterday afternoon, when our copy of her latest book, Better Than You arrived, we all cozied up on the sofa, eager for another good read. Indeed! Both of my kids are all too familiar with the “Jake-type:” the kid who has an incessant need to one-up everyone else. They both really related to the pufferfish analogy about kids who brag a lot and understood exactly what Ludwig means when she writes, “But when a kid acts like a pufferfish, he takes up so much space that he can also push friends away.” Brilliant. So simple, so clear, and so true.
As a Mom of kids who have been guilty of “puffing” a time or two themselves–particularly with each other–Better Than You was a great conversation starter and powerful reminder of how others perceive puffery and bragging. This book is a must read for kids and a must-share for parents, teachers, counselors, and anyone living or working with kids.
You Don’t Really Feel That Way, Part 2
93414 years
A few weeks ago, I posted an article by a great professional, Blogger, and founder of Kidlutions, Wendy Young. The article was called “You Don’t Really Feel That Way, Part 1.”
Here, Wendy posts Part 2, a follow-up piece that talks about how to validate kids’ emotional experiences and drain off their intense emotions effectively. I love what she has to say and how well she explains the approach. “Drain Off” is my term, not Wendy’s. Actually, it is a Life Space Crisis Intervention term, and marks the first stage of LSCI’s six stage process of helping kids with self-defeating behaviors develop insight into their patterns and improved relationships with helping adults.
I have followed Wendy’s blogs and articles for about a year now and find myself on the same page with her time after time. This is no exception. I hope you’ll check out her work and, if you like it, be sure to also check out www.lsci.org, since our training coincides so well with the kinds of thigs she is writing.
http://kidlutions.blogspot.com/2011/09/you-really-dont-feel-that-waypart-ii.html#comment-form
3 Strategies to Teach Your Kids How to Express Anger Effectively
1014 years
Have you ever been in a situation where you were so overwhelmed with feelings of anger that you were at a loss for words? You had the presence of mind to know all of the things that you shouldn’t say, but weren’t quite sure how to express your true feelings without damaging your relationship.
Adults often struggle with effectively communicating their angry feelings. For children, this challenge is doubly difficult; kids don’t want to get in trouble for expressing themselves aggressively, but they often lack the skills for communicating assertively.
Parents can help their kids develop specific skills for assertive anger expression. Check out these three strategies, excerpted from, How to Be Angry: An Assertive Anger Expression Group Guide for Kids and Teens.
Losing Mom of the Year…Again…
814 years
It’s great to see that my big flops as a Mom can get me published on Psychology Today and even featured in their Notable Quotes!
Mamas: Grab a Tissue, Then Read This…
414 years
…fantastic, funny, bittersweet, heartwarming post from the Pigtail Pals blog:
http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2011/04/the-class-of-2024-makes-me-weep/
Wow.
How to Help Your Daughter Develop Leadership Skills
93714 years
Check out this great article from Dr. Michelle Borba, based on research from the Girl Scouts of America. Great tips, practical strategies, and important reminders for parents on how to help our daughters become confident leaders.
Most importantly: Be the change you want to see in your daughter’s life.