Why Gentle Parenting Will Make You and the Kids Miserable.

Why Gentle Parenting Will Make You and the Kids Miserable.

Coming right out and not only telling people that a particular parenting style doesn’t work but also why gentle parenting will make you and the kids miserable needs some explanation, I admit. Let’s start with this.  A 12- to 15-month-old toddler slaps her mom right in the face. A third person captures mom’s startled but […]

4 Parenting Styles were just the start

4 Parenting Styles were just the start

I often hear parents discussing their parenting style like a badge of honour, but have you ever wondered where parenting styles come from? It all started with the four parenting styles of authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved parenting and their impact on children, which were developed in the 1960s by Diana Buamrind. She was a […]

Child Centered Parenting Doesn’t Work.

Posted by on Sep 22, 2022 in Articles, parenting style, resilience | No Comments
Child Centered Parenting Doesn’t Work.

I have a great job, though sometimes I have to confess to feeling as though I’m swimming up stream.  The prevailing parenting style du jour is child-centered.  It may sound unusual for a parenting professional to come right out and say that child-centered parenting doesn’t work, but it doesn’t and I’ll tell you why.  Firstly, […]

How Do I Develop My Child’s Talents?

How Do I Develop My Child’s Talents?

Perhaps you’ve just watched your little one in the school play and you think, “Wow, he can really act and sing too!” The next question you need to ask is, “How do I develop my child’s talents?” Knowing how to develop a child’s talent is an important part of helping children find their place in […]

How Income Changes What Parents Worry About

How Income Changes What Parents Worry About

You probably don’t think about it much as it’s not on most people’s radar, but have you ever wondered how income changes what parents worry about and, if so, what are the differences? Surely all parents worry about the same things, don’t they? Worries such as whether or not their child goes to sleep or […]

My Child Hates The Car Seat

My Child Hates The Car Seat

Hi Annie, How are you? I hope you had a good Christmas. I have a problem in that my child hates the car seat. She’s two.  Every time we go on a trip, she screams that she wants out. We’ve tried various ways to help her enjoy the trip, such as car snacks, toys, and […]

How Long Is Too Long In A Baby Swing

How Long Is Too Long In A Baby Swing

Hi Annie,  My question is how long is too long in a baby swing?  We have a 3.5 month old baby girl who is content in a baby swing while we eat or make supper. She is also in the swing on occasion during the day while my wife makes lunch, etc.However, my wife said […]

My Child Whines

My Child Whines

Hi Annie, My child whines. In fact both my kids have a real problem with whining. When my daughter went through it, I thought it was a stage and it would stop by itself, but it hasn’t. She’s now five, and my son is copying the habit, and he’s only two. I’m a single mom, […]

My Child Keeps Interrupting

My Child Keeps Interrupting

Hi Annie. My child keeps interrupting. Have you got any ideas about what to do with a child that interrupts all the time? I’m a foster mother, and I have a three-year-old girl that never lets me have a minute on the phone without her constantly pulling at me and interrupting. She shouts or screams […]

Is Happiness All There Is?

Is Happiness All There Is?

There’s a great song I love. It goes like this: “If that’s all there is, then let’s keep dancing. Let’s break out the booze and have a ball.” I couldn’t agree more, especially about breaking out the booze on a warm summer evening, but it does beg the question: is happiness all there is? Is […]

I Can’t Get My Toddler To Sleep

I Can’t Get My Toddler To Sleep

Dear Annie. I can’t get my toddler to sleep! Our 13-month-old son started at a day home 3 weeks ago when I went back to work, and he does not seem to be adjusting very well. He cries and cries, and he won’t take any naps there, so he is exhausted when we pick him […]

How Do I Improve My Child’s Imagination?

How Do I Improve My Child’s Imagination?

For those of us who had imaginative childhoods, I’m sure one of the biggest questions on any parent’s mind is, “How do I improve my child’s imagination?” To me, there is nothing more beautiful than the imagination of a child. When I was little, in elementary school, I wanted to fly. The dream of flight […]

What Do You Do With A Child That Says No

What Do You Do With A Child That Says No

Hi Annie. I hope you are having a great day! My question is, “What do you do with a child that says no?” Our son is seven. We taught our kids to believe that they are their own boss. This was mostly to help with bullying, but we told them that they are in control […]

I Need Parenting Help!

I Need Parenting Help!

Hi Annie, I live in Chicago, so I am not near you, but maybe you could point me in the direction I need. I have three children. 12, 4, and 16 months old, and I need parenting help!I am a stay-at-home mom that never seems to accomplish anything. My 12-year-old is in school. The four-year-old […]

My Son Won’t Sleep!

My Son Won’t Sleep!

Hi Annie,  My son won’t sleep! He’s 3 1/2 years old and gets up 1–4 times a night, comes into our room, and says, “Mom.” I go back and tuck him in. Sometimes it’s that easy; other times it’s a battle, and he shouts, “I don’t want to go to sleep.” Sometimes he says, “No, […]

Want To Be Your Child’s Friend?

Want To Be Your Child’s Friend?

Do you want to be your child’s friend? All parents love their kids, and pretty much all of us, I’m sure, have wonderful dreams of doing things together and getting along well as adults. But just as we recognize that it may be great to be your child’s friend when they’re an adult, is it […]

My Son Is Very Disrespectful

My Son Is Very Disrespectful

Hi Annie.  My son is very disrespectful to me. He’s 3.5 years old. He roars, swears, and has tantrums at the drop of a hat. He does not act this way toward his father. I am wondering if there is any advice you can give me. We also have a two-year-old boy who is following […]

How Can I Get My Child To Behave?

How Can I Get My Child To Behave?

The Key To Making a Real Parenting Plan – Understanding Reality. If you’re dealing with multiple temper tantrums and challenging behaviour and you’re asking, “How can I get my child to behave?” then I have a question for you. Firstly, do you believe in magic? Do you think gnomes live under trees in your yard? […]

The Problem With Parenting Today

The Problem With Parenting Today

I made a post on Facebook the other day alluding to the gigantic North American industry known as the “parenting industry.” I call it the problem with parenting today. I bet you didn’t think of parenting as an industry, but it is, and it’s huge. As I alluded to in my post, though, it’s not […]

Everyone Wants To Be A Star

Everyone Wants To Be A Star

I love humble, don’t you? There’s nothing nicer in the world than meeting someone who is just terrific in whatever way but doesn’t really know it, or at least if they do, they’re humble about their abilities. The trouble is, that’s not what I see. Instead, everyone wants to be a star. A case in […]

Ways To Make Your Child Happy

Ways To Make Your Child Happy

Like any parent, I’m sure you want to know ways to make your child happy. The answer is really quite simple. It’s actually one simple secret, but let me set the stage for you. Recently, I came back from holidays in Europe, where I went to Holland to see and be with all my husband’s […]

How Do You Stop A Child Interrupting

How Do You Stop A Child Interrupting

Dear Annie, I am looking for some advice or suggestions on how to teach my 6-year-old about personal space. He is a very social child and enjoys being around kids, adults, etc., but he always seems to need to get the attention of others. When he arrives at school, he yells, gives hugs, and just […]

My Son Won’t Do As He’s Told

My Son Won’t Do As He’s Told

Hello. I have a four-year-old son who is in preschool and has a VERY dominant personality. The bottom line is that my son won’t do as he’s told. He has trouble listening and following the rules. He wants to do things his own way. He has this problem at home as well. He bosses his […]

How Can I Help My Child Overcome Fear

How Can I Help My Child Overcome Fear

Hi Annie, I have a question. How can I help my child overcome fear? Recently, my son has started to get really worried about me. I had to help clean up after a party the other night and left after the fireworks, and my husband put him to bed. He cried for two straight hours, […]

My Toddler Won’t Sleep Alone

My Toddler Won’t Sleep Alone

Hi Annie.  My toddler won’t sleep alone.  I have a twenty month old son and a six month old daughter and we’ve just moved house and given our son his own room for the first time, but the trouble is he hates it.  He used to have his bed in our room and I’ve done […]

I Have An Unhappy Baby

I Have An Unhappy Baby

Hello Annie, We have 17-week-old fraternal twin girls, and I have an unhappy baby. We recently relocated the family to Calgary, where we have no support network or friends, and we appear to be having issues with one of the girls. While twin A is always content and happy (and easy to pacify), twin B […]

I Hate Crafts

I Hate Crafts

Hi Annie, This may seem like a weird question or comment, I guess, but I feel guilty, but I hate crafts. I’m just no good at them, and they bore me! I get that it’s cold and there’s not much else to do, so we meet with my girlfriends and their kids a lot for […]

I Don’t Want To Yell At My Child

I Don’t Want To Yell At My Child

    Hi Annie,  I don’t want to yell at my child, but I’d like to know how to get my eight-year-old boy to do things without me having to yell at him. It’s not like he didn’t hear me the first time. Hi Lesley, I know what you mean. Many parents say to me, […]

My Child Won’t Sit On The Potty

My Child Won’t Sit On The Potty

Hi Annie, My child won’t sit on the potty. Jade is terrified of the potty and the toilet. If I ask her if she wants to go without a diaper, she has a meltdown. She is genuinely scared, and although I am in no immediate rush to potty train, I would like to try and […]

How To Handle Transitions

How To Handle Transitions

Hi Annie, I’m looking for some advice on how to handle transitions. I will be returning to work from my second maternity leave in March. My main concern is for my 5-year-old daughter. She has really enjoyed me being home, being able to pick her up from kindergarten every day, and just having me at […]

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