I have four boys. Sometimes, they are so sweet they can melt your heart. Sometimes, they are bouncing off the walls, and it seems they’ve forgotten every rule you’ve ever made! What’s a parent to do? Certainly follow through with your usual consequences, such as time out. But then what?

I’ve found that often, when your son is in his fifth time out in as many minutes, he needs another form of discipline. He needs the Preemptive Strike.

Instead of waiting for him to throw something else or find a fun use for Mommy’s scissors, do something…

Sleep is definitely one of the most important things in a child’s day. A child who does not get a sufficient amount of sleep is likely to have more trouble concentrating. Consequently, lack of sleep also can lead to poor behavior. It is important to note that the amount of sleep a child needs changes over time. One to three-year-olds should get from twelve to fourteen hours per day, this includes the typical naps. Three to six year-olds need nearly 11 to 12. Seven to twelve-year-olds need 10 to 11 hours, while twelve to eighteen year-olds should get eight and a…

Generally speaking, I have semi-adventuresome eaters in my four kids.  My wife and I are foodies to the nth degree- we eat everything and will try cooking in any style.  So, our children get all of our experiments.  But sometimes when you are at a restaurant, nothing saves you as a parent like the power of chicken nuggets.

Chicken nuggets, fingers, or strips (they go by so many names) are the fool-proof child meal at a restaurant. Almost every American parent knows this, and almost every restaurant knows this.  So, from Thai restaurants to seafood shacks, you will find the stalwart…

Nowadays, a lot of people are struggling financially because of the downturn in the economy. Consumer spending is curbed because people are saving their money for rainy days. But for moms and dads, the situation can become complicated when they are shopping with the kids. Parents always think twice before indulging in their favorite restaurant or buying new shoes for themselves. However, when their kids ask for something, their hearts inevitably melt, and they can’t say no to their kids.

No matter how trivial the item is, parents’ often don’t want to disappoint the child. It is important to realize…

My husband and I took two of our children shopping for new school clothes this past weekend.  As they are both middle school students, they both are fashion conscious.  However, I am not willing to spend an exorbidant amount of money on clothing that they will outgrow in a few months.  So, while driving to a local mall, I explained that we could shop at the “cool” stores, but items bought there probably would need to be on sale for us to purchase them.

We decided to shop in the aforementioned cool stores before shopping in less desirable stores.  That handled…