Parenting

• Feel like you cannot get through to your kids? Like they just don't listen?
  
• Are you fantasizing about sending your kids away?
  
• Are you tired of the power struggles?
  
• Would you like to have that nice balance of being a parent first, and a friend second?
• Are your efforts at discipline creating more stress and anger in your home?
• Is your relationship or marriage suffering because of parenting issues?
  

Generally speaking, there are some basic considerations to be mindful of when parenting children of any age.

First, if your kids feel included in the creation of some of the rules, rewards and consequences, and ideas, then they will be more invested in the process, and more likely to cooperate with the expectations.

Regarding communication, strive to be:

* Non-threatening (you want them to feel safe to ask you questions, tell you their mistakes and ask for help)

* Non-shaming (again, if they feel that you will simply judge them for their mistakes and decisions that you disagree with, then WHY WOULD THEY TELL YOU?)

* Nonjudgmental (related to non-shaming. Your kids will not communicate with you as much if they feel judged, especially as they approach their teenage years - when the stakes of communication are overtly much higher)

Read the rest of this article; I go into more depth about communication and other parenting issues like Discipline, Reward Systems, etc.

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