Logan, my three-year-old, was playing with family last night and came to me and asked for a drink of water.  She sat down with her glass and said: Lo: Mom know what! Me: What’s up? Lo: I hadda use a baf-rewm, an it was fah away, an I was gonna pee on mysuwf because I […]

Starting this year I am a contributor over at Positive Parenting Connection!  My post this month is about the importance of modeling desired behavior for children, even when it may seem they aren’t “getting it”: “A 3-year-old most likely isn’t ready to reciprocate kind words in the heat of a tantrum or when another child […]

Logan and I rode the wave of a beautiful tantrum this afternoon.  The tantrum itself wasn’t beautiful, of course, but the experience was. It started because she was pillow fighting and refused to stop (she was the only one playing).  I asked her if she wanted to put the pillow back onto the bed herself […]

“Was Gamma’s fuwst name?”  Lo asked me last night as we sat nursing before bed. “Irene,” I responded. “I-ween?  I-ween Gamma.  Oh.”  I smiled.  Irene Gramma. “Yes.  Do you remember Gramma?”  My mother has only been gone since April but that’s almost a year ago now, and Lo is only 3.5. “Yesth!”  She replied quickly. […]

In parenting gently, almost as important as self-care is truly believing in my daughters. When one of them behaves in a way that causes me to feel angry or hurt or confused, it helps me to trust that they aren’t doing it to hurt me or to purposely anger me. I consciously look for signs […]

If you’re reading right now, and you’re a parent who maybe this morning or yesterday or just a couple of minutes ago, you yelled at your daughter or you hit your son or you ordered your toddler to their room in a booming rage – this one’s for you. If you’re at home, or at […]

Oh, the outfits, Logan. The outfits. I don’t know what’s up with you and these – outfits. Why do you change clothes so often? Why do you like certain pieces so much more than others? I truly don’t understand, My Little One. I watch and I listen and I help you search. I look into […]

When I say I don’t punish my eldest, Ryleigh, 9, most (mainstream) parents assume that means she doesn’t listen, or that there’s nothing she “must” do.  Gentle parenting is absolutely not permissive.  For me, gentle parenting means that I am constantly finding ways to instill self-discipline in Ryleigh. There are many definitions for the word discipline […]

There are often great discussions going on, on my blog’s Facebook page.  Sometimes though, there are comments from parents who disagree with a particular method or idea.  I don’t mind this because we are all learning and I invite others to share their ideas with me.  Being a gentle parenting page though, I do feel […]

What do you do, immediately after having reacted poorly to your children? I acknowledge it, right then and there.  I am so used to it now.  :)  This was a process.  In the beginning I’d only admit to myself that I was wrong.  Later I started to come back to the girls and tell them […]