In this episode: A mom is at her wit’s end and describes a series of challenging family separations and transitions, including the birth of a sibling. Now one of her twins yells and screams from morning until night. The other twin is defiant and “is always telling me ‘no’ and doing things he knows he’s … Continued
In this episode: Janet responds to an email from a parent who’s struggling with how to start setting limits with her 15-month-old. She says she wants to “parent with respect, with a gentle approach and natural consequences,” but her daughter’s constant testing has her feeling exhausted. “And I know the hard stuff is only beginning!” … Continued
In this episode: A mother of two (3 and 5 years old) writes that she became a parent “with every intention of validating my children’s emotions and teaching them emotional expression.” Now she feels that perhaps her good intentions have backfired, and that her children’s whining and crying aren’t always genuine but may instead be … Continued
In this episode: Janet responds to a parent whose daughter decided at 4 years old that she didn’t like herself, chopped her hair short and switched out her wardrobe for boys’ clothes. While this mom has tried not to make a big issue of her daughter’s choices, now that she’s 6 years old she admits, … Continued
In this episode: Janet responds to a Facebook message from a parent who describes her 6-year-old as argumentative and resistant, and she’s running out of patience. She says, “I recognize that he is testing limits and trying to establish his voice and independence in the world,” but she has other kids and feels her son’s … Continued
In this episode: A parent writes that her 18-month-old “has been testing the limits with tantrums.” At home, she and her husband try to ignore the behavior or redirect. In public, however, they tend to give in to their daughter’s demands. She writes, “I’d hate for her to learn she get her way by throwing … Continued
In this episode: Janet is joined by Susan Stiffelman in a lively conversation about setting limits, tantrums, what your children want versus what they need, emotional resilience, having compassion for yourself, and the positive effects your confident leadership has on children as they become teens and young adults. Susan is a best-selling parenting author (Parenting … Continued
In this episode: A parent has noticed positive results from limiting her daughter’s TV time, and now she wants to remove all screens from her daily routine. “I’d really love some advice on how to go about this,” she writes, “and what to say when explaining why this change is happening.” Transcript of “Not Easy … Continued
A common misconception many of us have is that children who cling are weak or passive. In fact, it’s often just the opposite. Their tenacious insistence that we give them our constant attention is a sign of a strong will. As parents, we might feel sorry or guilty for separating from a child who whines … Continued
In this episode: After reading Janet’s book, a mom is excited about the changes she’s made in her approach to setting limits and accepting her toddler’s emotions, but she’s concerned that her husband is not open to adjusting his parenting practices. She is hesitant to discuss it with him but wants “the harmony I feel … Continued
I’ve been encouraged lately by a slew of online articles focusing on the importance of self-care. It’s one of the fundamental truths of successful parenting: Happy parents are better parents, which makes for happier kids. Self-care is not only unselfish, but mandatory for maintaining our sanity while raising healthy children. But even with all this … Continued
In this episode: A mom writes that she’s recently noticed her 2.5 year old avoids looking her in the eye — as if she’s ashamed. She’s worried that her stern lecturing and irritation when setting limits has damaged her daughter’s spirit, and she wants to know if it’s too late to make reparations. Transcript of … Continued
In this episode: The mother of two boys feels they are constantly testing her and always at her side demanding attention. They won’t allow her a moment to handle the daily chores like laundry or cooking, never mind her personal needs. “They think it’s funny, “ she writes, “and I undoubtedly lose my patience. I … Continued
