Mom Psych

Technology has added a whole new dimension to parenting. We all want our kids to be safe, responsible users and consumers of media but it can be tough to navigate. In this episode I give parents lots of suggestions from the experts on how to manage, monitor and mentor their children's use of technology.

The long-term goal of discipline is to help our children develop self-control and self-discipline, but in the short-term, we just want our kids to comply, to be obedient, to do what we ask, follow the rules and maintain our routines with as little drama or difficulty as possible. Is that too much to ask? In this episode I share several tips to set limits and boundaries in effective, respectful ways for long and short term results.

School's just around the corner. Kids and parents are getting both excited and anxious. In this episode I share my Back to School, Top 10 List for parents to help them and their families navigate the waters of transitioning their kids to school and themselves to school year routines. I also talk about how to help kids of differing temperaments manage back to school transition.

Why does my child act that way? Could be his/her temperament. Temperament is your child's first and most natural reaction to the world. Their "personal style." We are all born with our own individual temperaments and its stable through-out our life. Your child's temperament can affect your confidence as a parent and that in turn can impact your relationships with your child. Temperament influences behavior and how your child interacts with others. Understanding temperament can help parents better understand their child and how he/she reacts and relates to the world around them. There is no good or bad temperament. What really matters is that there is a "goodness of fit" between parent and child. That "goodness of fit" will support positive outcomes for the child and help you build a deep, meaningful connection with your child.

The power of play and its' developmental impact and influence on your kids' physical and emotional health, educational outcomes and overall trajectory can't be overstated. Did you know that Mr Rogers and Jean Piaget both said that, "play is the work of childhood." Play is how children learn almost everything! Even older kids learn concepts best when they are highly engaged in some form of self-directed, unstructured, independent play. This episode describes the incredible benefits of play and strategies to provide more opportunity for your child to play in our busy over-scheduled world.