You know the drill: Your child is screaming at you, ignoring you, being irresponsible or hurtful. Suddenly, you’re yelling at the top of your lungs, matching him decibel for decibel. Later, you think, “Why did I fly off the handle again? I’m so tired of letting him push my buttons so easily.” Yelling is a natural... Read more »
When you’re the parent of an acting-out child, it’s easy to feel as if you’re to blame for their behavior. As a result, you can fall into the trap of trying to fix things for your child instead of letting them deal with the natural and logical consequences of their behavior. In this interview, James... Read more »
If you spend much time on EmpoweringParents.com, you’ve probably noticed that we talk a lot about "accountability." But have you ever wondered what it means to hold your child accountable? It’s an excellent question and one that we receive often during online parent coaching. When we talk about accountability with our kids, we are most... Read more »
What kid doesn’t love it when Mom or Dad spends money on them? When you can afford it, buying things for your children is fun. But there’s a point where we buy things for our kids for the wrong reasons: to win their allegiance or simply to get them to stop screaming. Where is... Read more »
Parenting is one job that never gets a holiday break. As families are celebrating holidays, parents are also coping with sibling bickering, backtalk, temper tantrums, and power struggles. Here at Empowering Parents, we hear about these struggles every day. The fact that you, as a parent, visit our website and are willing to reach out... Read more »
Being a mother or father is a balance of taking care of your kids while letting them grow up and learn from their mistakes. Your role of simply loving and protecting your baby from pain and discomfort changes to one of accepting that your child or teen will need to experience natural consequences for his... Read more »
How many times has this gone through your head? Your “difficult” child—the defiant one who’s constantly acting out and upsetting everyone—has just done it again. Maybe he’s called his little sister a foul name, smashed your favorite framed family photo, or screamed in your face. In a moment of defeat, you think, “What... Read more »
This is the story of James Lehman, my husband, and my partner in changing the lives of thousands of parents and kids worldwide through The Total Transformation® program. His story is both incredible and common. It's a story of struggle, triumph and always looking forward to doing the next thing right. It's a story of hope. Imagine... Read more »
It’s important to teach kids how to negotiate because it’s a necessary life skill. But don't let them negotiate away your power as a parent. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you give-in or over-negotiate with your kids. As parents, we don’t set out to over-negotiate. But then our kids whine, argue, and resist. They... Read more »
Sometimes you just have to let your child fail. Parents often do their kids a disservice when they protect them from natural consequences, when they take over for their kids to ensure that their kids don’t fail. While it’s natural for parents to worry about failure, there are times when it can be productive for kids—and... Read more »
