My Balanced Parent coaching couples who are working on improving their relationship love it when I have them play my "Random Acts of Connection" game. Random Acts of Connection is a game where the couple chooses little tasks to carry out between appointments aimed at nurturing friendship, love, and connection, and then come back and report how it went. It is an incredibly powerful intervention for a few reasons. Read on for more and to get your own copy of the game!

I am often asked by the parents I work with for quick, easy ways for them to learn more about my approach to parenting. These parents are often very busy and don't want to spend their precious free-time reading parenting books. They want to spend it playing with their kids, chatting with friends, doing yoga, or connecting with their partner. This is something I support whole-heartedly! Your time is valuable and you should spend it doing what you love! Let others (like me) do the reading and distill it for you!

This morning my two children insisted on eating their breakfast with their chairs snug next to mine. A mommy sandwich we call it! While my personal space was a bit crowded, I have to admit it was quite lovely. In the past, a situation like this might have devolved into a big meltdown from both girls as they each fought for the bigger piece of me. But I have discovered something that has brought more peace and ease to these moments for me and my kiddos, and I wanted to share it with you. I have been actively practicing letting go of a scarcity mindset. Let me explain.

Discovering the Heart of It All

Years ago, when I was freshly engaged and planning my wedding, I came across a poem that really spoke to me in a deep and lasting way. It posed questions that struck me to my core and helped me to re-examine what I wanted from marriage and my relationship. I had intended to use this poem as a sort of "touchstone", to help me be sure that I was living the life that was true to myself. But of course, life happens, and that poem slipped from my mind as I got married, finished grad school, became a parent twice over, and made some major career/lifestyle changes.

Then the other day, out of nowhere, a line of it drifted into my mind and it was like saying hello to an old friend.

HOW CAN I GET MY KIDS TO LISTEN??

This is one of the most common questions I get from parents, and I totally get it. As parents we are inundated with society’s expectations for our kids’ behavior and respect and obedience are some of those expectations. So when parents say they just want their kids to listen, what they are really saying is that they want their kids to obey them, or at the very least follow directions. But is this what we really want for our kids?