A Fine Parent

A Life Skills Blog Exclusively For Parents

How to be More Present with Your Kids In Spite of Day-to-Day Busyness

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(This article is part of the Positive Parenting FAQ series. Get free article updates here.)

How to be more present_Main Image_24746926The other day, my 8-year-old daughter paused mid-conversation and said “Mummy, I wish we were always on the same map together.”

Clearly, I had been missing something while we were chatting.

We had been casually discussing ideas for her upcoming birthday party, when she mentioned the sorts of things that other parents do for their kids’ birthday celebrations.

Some were too extreme (jelly wrestling, anyone?). Others were a bit too risky for my personal liking (Go Kart racing, just for starters). And others fell firmly into the “Sorry honey, but it just costs too much” basket…aka, backseat limousine parties.

Clearly I missed the memo that we were at the age when the backyard ‘sausage rolls and musical chairs’ parties were being phased out.

But there was something else I clearly missed, too. Because somewhere along the way, the wires between trying to be a communicative, ‘open to suggestions’ parent and a ‘this is how we do it’ parent had got rather tangled.

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Dr. Tina Bryson – Positive Parenting Conference 2018 Preview

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(This article is part of the PPC2018 series. Get free article updates here.)

Here is a quick preview of Dr. Tina Bryson’s talk from the Positive Parenting Conference 2018.

In this talk titled How to Help Your Child Develop a “Yes” Brain, Dr. Bryson and I discuss:

  • What a Yes Brain is
  • How raising kids with a Yes Brain can open up a whole world of opportunities for them
  • How to help them develop a Yes Brain

Those of you who know the work of Dr. Siegel and Dr. Bryson will need no further introduction. For those who aren’t, suffice it to say, you want to be familiar with their work 🙂 Don’t miss this talk where we discuss everything from empathy to emotions to good behavior and how a YES brain helps in all these cases (and then some!)

Dr. Michele Borba – Positive Parenting Conference 2018 Preview

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(This article is part of the PPC2018 series. Get free article updates here.)

Here is a quick preview of Dr. Michele Borba’s talk from the Positive Parenting Conference 2018.

In this talk titled How to Raise Kind, Compassionate and Empathetic Kids (and Why It Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Them), Dr. Borba and I discuss:

  • What empathy is
  • Why helping our kids become kind, compassionate and empathetic could be the best thing we do for them.
  • Several different ways to help kids develop this skill, even if they seem like they aren’t naturally kind and compassionate

If kindness and compassion are core family values you want to teach your kids, or you are frustrated with the lack of kindness your kids sometimes display, or for that matter you want to give your kids an advantage to succeed at life (be it academics or in finding happiness) this talk will give you all the tools you need. Dr. Borba has spent decades studying this, and has some amazing insights and super practical tips!

Maryann Jacobsen – Positive Parenting Conference 2018 Preview

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(This article is part of the PPC2018 series. Get free article updates here.)

Here is a quick preview of Maryann Jacobsen’s talk from the Positive Parenting Conference 2018.

In this talk titled How to Help Your Child Overcome Picky Eating, Maryann and I discuss:

  • Why some kids tend to be Picky Eaters
  • A wholesome, positive approach for handling picky eating
  • Some of Maryann’s best tips for helping our kids develop healthy eating habits

Has your child ever looked at something you labored over to cook and declared it “yucky” and inedible? Ever had any dinner time battles? (Who hasn’t right?) Do you have a child who will eat everything in one food group, but won’t touch another with a 10 foot pole? This talk is for you!

Dr. Becky Bailey – Positive Parenting Conference 2018 Preview

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(This article is part of the PPC2018 series. Get free article updates here.)

Here is a quick preview of Dr. Becky Bailey’s talk from the Positive Parenting Conference 2018.

In this talk titled Why Kids Misbehave and How to Respond Using Conscious Discipline, Dr. Bailey and I discuss:

  • Why kids misbehave, and how to actually appreciate these instances of misbehavior!
  • What misbehaviors are expected behaviors depending on a child’s developmental stage
  • The STAR technique from Conscious Discipline approach for handling these situations when we are triggered, with example scenarios

If you get easily triggered by a certain misbehavior by your child, or if your child seems to have regressed and something that wasn’t an issue before suddenly is, this is a talk you definitely want to watch! Dr. Bailey is an old hand at this and has some amazing insights and nuances for us to watch out for.