8 Discipline Mistakes Parents Make. © Stephanie Rausser You know the drill: You give your child an ultimatum -- "Get dressed or we're staying home! " -- and naturally she says, "Okay, we'll stay home! " Might as well plant a big "L" on your forehead. We all see our discipline efforts backfire on occasion (hey, you're tired!)
, and of course there are those battles just not worth fighting (no kid ever flunked preschool because his teeth were furry). Way to Blow It #1: Tell a Big Ole Lie "My two-year-old daughter, Chloe, fights me about going to her babysitter's house every Monday," says New Jersey mom Gina Kane. A Better Way: Little white lies are so tempting in a pinch. Way to Blow It #2: Back Down You want a surefire way to make sure your kids never listen to you? A Better Way: It's no fun to be the bad guy, but if a child acts out, there has to be a consequence. Instead, give a warning, and then, if your child does it again, give an immediate consequence such as a time-out. Plus: 13 Discipline Tricks from Teachers Boys vs. The Hardest Stage of Parenting = All! The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are newborns.
All they do is eat and poop and cry and they can't do anything for themselves. You are certain you will never sleep again. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are toddlers. They're into everything and eating everything, including everything they're not supposed to eat, and no surface is safe from their grubby, grabby hands. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are preschoolers. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are in elementary school. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are in middle school. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are teenagers. The hardest stage of parenthood is when your children are grown. The hardest stage of parenting is the one you're in right now.
The good news is, it's also the easiest. Photo Credit: deltamike. Avoid Feeling Guilty About the Babysitter. Babyproof your Home-Room by Room Guide. How to Raise Gifted Children. From Mozart in the womb to Chinese lessons in preschool, there are many parents eager to give their kids a jump-start on the sort of smarts our modern-day lifestyle equates with success.
Sure, we talk about too much pressure, overscheduling, test stress, why can't kids just be kids anymore, dang it. But few of us are immune to the competitiveness that seems to have gripped every playground and preschool birthday party in America. Foreign languages are the new ABC's, kindergarten is the new second grade, 90 is the new 80. “I remember sitting in a play area with another mom when my son was a toddler. The other mom was crowing: ‘My child knows the whole alphabet. Somehow, in spite of this genius-mania, U.S. students are struggling to keep up with their international peers. Sometimes it's simply that she started talking early, or that she wrote her name when others her age could barely wield a crayon.
But can it be measured? First things first: “Genius” is a cultural term. 1. If you've ever..then you're doing it right. Have you hugged your kid today? (image)