Recent Podcasts
Ep #135 Recognizing our parenting weaknesses
Parental burnout is more common today than previously due to many factors that previous generations didn’t have to deal with.
Ep #134: Preventing parenting burnout
Parental burnout is more common today than previously due to many factors that previous generations didn’t have to deal with.
Ep #133: Putting in the work and becoming a parenting master
You can become a parenting master who knows how to help your child best. It just takes a little practice, and practice is is where the magic happens.
Ep #132: Helping a child calm down from a tantrum
When your child receives an ADHD diagnosis, you may think you understand what parenting them will look like. What happens when it doesn’t? What do you do when your child doesn’t have “typical” ADHD symptoms.
Ep #131: Creating a safe place for kids to talk about hard topics
When your child receives an ADHD diagnosis, you may think you understand what parenting them will look like. What happens when it doesn’t? What do you do when your child doesn’t have “typical” ADHD symptoms.
Ep #130: This is not what I signed up for | When ADHD symptoms aren’t typical
When your child receives an ADHD diagnosis, you may think you understand what parenting them will look like. What happens when it doesn’t? What do you do when your child doesn’t have “typical” ADHD symptoms.
Ep #129: Why you’re seeing increased negative behaviors
If you’re are seeing an increase in negative behaviors since the beginning of the pandemic, you are not alone. The uncertainty and change in routine has been difficult for many families
Ep #128: Neurodiversity and helping kids who learn differently
Neurodiversity is the belief that children with ADHD or Autism don’t have a learning disability. Instead they learn differently. By reframing your child’s diagnosis, we can frame their challenges as differences rather than deficits.
Ep #127: When you love your child but don’t always like your child
We can talk to our children about racism, religion, politics, sex, drugs, or social issues without it turning into heated debate. Learn how.
Ep #126: Why kids see time differently
How kids see time is very different than how you see time. Understanding this will be so helpful when you are dealing with giving instructions.
Recent Blogs
Help for anxiety | Using Decision Making skills to help your anxious child
Help for anxiety | Using Decision Making skills to help your anxious child
Anxiety is the anticipation of a future threat and one’s ability to cope with that threat. Throughout childhood it is normal to experience some anxiety about upcoming changes, unknown environments, or participating in a public presentation. Anxiety can even be motivating to prepare adequately for the future. […]
Three things I learned when communicating with kids
Three things I learned when communicating with kids
The Skill of Effective Communication is used in all of the other skills taught by Smarter Parenting. This one skill can help you connect more effectively with your children, spouse, and others. It is not easy and takes a lot of practice, but will definitely be well worth the effort.
LEARN HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
These are the three things that I learned while using this skill with my family.
1. Eye Contact
You can engage more effectively if you look the person in the eyes. […]
What is therapy | What to expect
What is therapy | What to expect
What is therapy and what should parents expect from children going to therapy? We answer these questions below and provide suggestions for parents to help them find the best treatment for their child.
What is therapy
Therapy is a technique where a trained and licensed mental health professional works with an individual to resolve an issue involving mental health. The purpose of treatment is to heal a mental health disorder. […]
How to keep kids safe online | 6 safety tips for kids
How to keep kids safe online | 6 safety tips for kids
Internet access is available to children all around the globe. It can be a positive thing and also dangerous. Because most children are naive, innocent and gullible, most parents ask themselves how they can keep their kids safe while they are online.
Many children today are exposed to computers at a very early age. Mothers and fathers may not even be aware of the online dangers and how to avoid them.
There is much good to be found online. […]
Reduce anxiety in children through Role-play
Reduce anxiety in children through Role-play
Anxiety in children is classified by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worrying about future events. This can manifest in physical, behavioral, and emotional ways making it difficult for your child to function normally in various environments. One way to help children cope with their anxiety is by preparing for the event they are worried about. Role-play provides the perfect opportunity to practice how to appropriately calm down before a situation occurs. […]
Help teens gain body confidence through communication
Help teens gain body confidence through communication
Negative body image is a topic that often troubles teens. Their awareness of it can have a significant impact emotionally and physically if not addressed correctly. Some teens become so consumed obtaining the perfect body ideal that they set unrealistic goals for themselves and forget what is healthy. So much money and time are wasted on poor body confidence.
When discussing difficult topics it is important to use the steps of Effective Communication as it allows your teen to feel like they are being listened to and not lectured too. […]
Improving school performance with Effective Praise
Improving school performance with Effective Praise
Not doing homework and poor grades are areas of contention for many families. Some children seem to excel at school without much effort. While others struggle to get their homework in and take tests. All children need encouragement and praise, but it is especially true of children who are struggling. To help your child improve grades, school performance, and their self confidence there are certain steps you can take. These steps are called Effective Praise. […]
5 Things to know about Trauma in kids
5 things to know about Trauma in kids
When children are exposed to trauma, they usually look to their parents or caregivers for reassurance. These adults provide security and stability to help reassure their children of their love and support. A traumatized child will obviously affect the parents and cause pain for them also.
Parents do not normally have an understanding of the effects of trauma in kids. But, they can increase their understanding of trauma to help support their child’s healing, keep a good relationship with the child, and also help the whole family. […]
Viral Video Dare | Tide Pod Challenge
Viral Video Dare | Tide Pod Challenge […]
5 ways to teach self regulation strategies to children
5 ways to teach self regulation strategies to children
Developing emotional self regulation strategies is an area I am currently working on with my own children. With a five-year-old and an almost three-year-old it can feel like a never ending cycle of progress, meltdowns, and more teaching. However, what I’ve come to realize is that children will have large emotions and occasional tantrums even when we teach them the right way to behave when frustrated or angry. As parents, we are teaching them to balance extreme negative emotions, but there will still be highs and lows. […]