In my clinical psychology practice, I have listened to many parents of gifted children express regrets over the path not taken. They bemoan not having spoken up sooner. They wish they had demanded more intensive educational services. They regret not having planned more strategically for their child's future. Often isolated and confused, they feel depleted...
Home » Archives for July 2015
The Newbie's Guide to Positive Parenting
I'm giving away 5 PDF copies of my bestselling book, The Newbie's Guide to Positive Parenting Second Edition!Connection is the key to joyful parenting and raising emotionally healthy, responsible kids. Make a positive transformation in your home as you let go of fear-based techniques and embrace the philosophy of positive parenting. Filled with practical...
3 Steps to Positive Discipline
Several years ago, I became frustrated when conventional discipline strategies not only made my son’s behavior more problematic, but also damaged our relationship. I started seeking alternatives, feeling that neither of us were benefiting from my traditional methods, and that’s when I discovered positive discipline.Today, I’d like to share with you...
You Blew It. Now What?
Despite our best efforts to be conscious, positive parents, we humans make mistakes. We’ll never be perfect, and that’s okay for our kids to see, because they’ll never be perfect either. Seeing how you admit mistakes and make amends can be a really great lesson for them.Mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve, for us and for our children, and...
Accept Feelings, Limit Actions
Over the years of moderating a , I have had the opportunity to listen to many parents voice their concerns about changing their parenting paradigms to peaceful, positive parenting. One of the major goals of positive parenting is to raise emotionally intelligent children, and this is because research has shown that children with high emotional intelligence...
The Toxic Effects of Shaming Children
Shame has long been wielded as a powerful tool to modify a child’s behavior. When made to feel unworthy, children will usually try harder to please their parents, giving the illusion that it’s “working,” but those feelings of worthlessness cause deep scars which can take a lifetime to heal.Shame isn’t only common in abusive homes, but is generally...
3 Simple Steps to Effective Parenting
Has parenting lost its joy? Does the end of the day find you overwhelmed, upset, or disappointed at the outcome yet again? I totally get it! I was there, too! Thankfully, I discovered three terrific secrets to effective parenting. It’s not easy, but it works. If you want to get back your joy and go to bed at night feeling good about your day, try these.Step...
Discipline Through Play
Discipline doesn't mean to punish. The root word, disciple, means to teach. Rather than focusing on busting bad behavior, it is more effective to teach what is acceptable. There are many ways to teach a child, and I have found that teaching through play has a big impact.We are aware that play is vital to childhood. Children learn openly through play....
10 Tips for Well-Behaved Kids and Happy Parents by Amy McCready
10 Tips for Well-Behaved Kids & Happy ParentsA Parenting Checklist to Curb ChaosBy Amy McCready, author of The “Me, Me, Me” EpidemicAre you one of “us”? You know, the parents who make endless to-do lists in an attempt to make our chaotic lives just a little moremanageable? Life with kids is certain to include curveballs so having a...
Gifted adults: Key questions that can help improve your relationships
What can gifted adults do to improve their relationships?In a recent post, that gifted adults often experience were outlined. These behaviors, feelings and patterns can complicate matters for gifted people seeking romantic partners, or when trying to express their needs in relationships. Their tendency toward intensity, impatience,...
Emotions Coaching - The Heart of Parenting
I'm teaming up with to give away 3 copies of the ! Emotion Coaching: The Heart of Parenting presents a 5-step method that builds emotional intelligence and creates positive, long lasting effects for children. Easy to learn, and used by parents, educators and care-givers, it supports kids through life’s ups and downs in a way that builds confidence...
Finding Age Appropriate Books for Gifted Readers
One of the biggest concerns I hear from parents of gifted children is where to find age-appropriate reading materials for their children. More often than not, one of the early signs of giftedness is being an advanced reader; like years and years advanced for their age. This poses a significant problem for parents because very young children ‘can’ read...