Good news: many parents see an increase in warmth, connection and positive behaviors by learning simple playtime tools to focus attention on positive behaviors. Using the PRIDE Skills (Praise, Reflect, Imitate, Describe, and Enjoy), we take a quick break from all the correcting and directing of everyday parenting and learn new ways to call attention to desired behaviors, nurturing and reinforcing the good stuff we see from our kids.

Anxiety puts puts our kids at risk of missing out on life experiences as they will develop the tendency to avoid new or challenging situations. So how do we balance supporting our kids when their alarm bells are firing, without reinforcing their anxiety?   We use a “Wise Minded” approach and implement our best DBT skills!

Just in time for the transition back to school, let’s talk about how to help your child manage anxiety! Changes are hard and anxiety is a powerful force, but we can support our kids as they face the back-to-school jitters using evidence-based tools.

Praise is a cornerstone of most parent’s daily routine. And with a few minor tweaks, you can substantially boost the impact of your praise. These strategies for praise really work to increase positive behaviors all while improving your child's self esteem and increasing the warmth in your relationship. How good is that?

Dads are so important. This Father’s Day, let’s work to change how we talk about their role in the family. In our families, we can allow space for “masculine” to include the qualities of being nurturing, attentive, and gentle. The qualities of fathers.

Parents practice the first step in Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) every day. We explore the world of dialectics: seemingly opposing forces that co-exist, rather than exclude one another. The secret is the "and": I love my son in a deeper way than I can describe and if he doesn’t stop whining immediately I might lose my mind. In DBT, we allow that every perspective is accurate in its own way and holds a kernel of truth. Freedom exists in this grey area; I am free to acknowledge that parenting needn’t be either joyful or challenging. The truth is all of the above. 

Just like you want to invest your finances wisely, you also want to invest your Parenting Currency wisely to get the strongest dividends. Shifting how you invest your attention dramatically increases your parenting joy, improves your relationship with your child, and promotes positive behaviors

Our perspective shapes our reality. Our kids don’t need perfect parents who beat themselves up about parenting. They need loving parents who practice the same patience and compassion for themselves as they do their friends and family.  You can challenge any thoughts creating emotional distress and embrace a more joyful and compassionate approach to parenting

It’s so easy to be stressed, to fall into a near-constant state of overwhelm, to be too busy to enjoy the little moments, to live in the anxious echo-chamber of our heads. When this is our daily state, we communicate to our kids that parenting is not a joyful task. I find joy in comforting parents who not only struggle, but compound this struggle with self-judgement and shame. Parenting is possibly the most important thing any of us will ever do. And we all need support, dialogue, and tools to become the parents we want our children to have. In the following series, I will share tools from an evidence-based models (PCIT and CBT) with the hope that you can use them to reclaim the joy in your role as a parent.