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3 Key Takeaways from the Dive Into Roughhousing Masterclass with Dr. Larry Cohen

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(This article is part of the PPC 2022 series. Get free article updates here.)

Very soon we will have the opportunity to delve deep into the world of positive parenting— that’s right, the Positive Parenting Conference is right around the corner! One really powerful masterclass this year is with Dr. Larry Cohen and focuses on his book The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It. 

I imagine many people have a preconceived idea of what roughhousing is and how to do it. “Just wrestle!” Right? Or maybe, “That sounds dangerous.” Dr. Cohen’s grounding and encouraging spirit will not only open your eyes to the many varieties of roughhousing that are possible, but he will also help you prepare for high-quality roughhousing, which (spoiler alert!) is very helpful in raising confident, happy, ethical kids. 

Dr. Cohen, who co-authored the book, is most well-known for his book Playful Parenting, which has been translated into 14 languages and was the winner of the NAPPA Gold Award for parenting resources. He is also a licensed psychologist specializing in child’s play and play therapy; has a private psychotherapy and play therapy practice. So, he really knows roughhousing. 

If you are already a Dr. Cohen fan, this masterclass will take you deeper into his favorite ways to roughhouse with kids. It’ll help support you on your roughhousing journey. If you haven’t yet engaged with Dr. Cohen’s work, this masterclass is a great way to learn all about why you want to start roughhousing with your family right away! [Read more…]

3 Key Takeaways from the “Discipline Without Damage Masterclass” with Dr. Vanessa Lapointe

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(This article is part of the PPC 2022 series. Get free article updates here.)

In just a few weeks we will have the opportunity to open ourselves up to a wealth of learning at the 2022 Positive Parenting Conference. If you are anything like me, you might try to build in a little extra time that week to be able to watch as many of the masterclasses as possible and let the ideas sink in. In preparation for the conference this year, we are giving you a little sneak peek at some of the masterclasses and some key learning moments to anticipate! 

One expert, Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, gives us a heartfelt take on how we can show up for our kids in the ways that they need. In the Discipline Without Damage Masterclass, Dr. Lapointe gets beautifully personal in her examples of how important the work of knowing what our kids need is for our families. 

Dr. Lapointe is a registered psychologist, parenting educator, best-selling author and international speaker. Having founded The Wishing Star Lapointe Developmental Clinic and also serving as its director, she has been supporting families and children for over 20 years. She is also–very importantly–a mom; her work comes straight from her heart. 

I was the masterclass researcher for Discipline Without Damage: How to Get Your Kids to Behave Without Messing Them Up, which is the inspiration book for this masterclass. So, I got an early look at Dr. Lapointe’s masterclass interview with Lisa Hoashi from our AFineParent Team. I am excited to share my favorite takeaways with you today! Take a look below to see if this is a masterclass you want to add to your “Must-Watch” list so you can tailor your conference experience to your family’s needs! [Read more…]

Ten Questions to Inspire Meaningful Dinner Conversation with Your Children

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

meaningful-dinner-conversation-main imageYour family is sitting at the table, with plates of food in front of them. Conversation is flowing naturally, your children are happy and smiling, freely sharing the details of their school day. 

Wait, what?!

For most parents, the movie-perfect dinnertime is a farfetched fantasy. Let’s be real: school, work, homework, sports, after school activities, and a million other commitments often interfere with the family eating together, much less having the time to converse during it! In fact, recent studies have shown that while 84% of parents agree that eating together is important, only about 50% of meals are actually eaten together as a family.

Finding ways in which to increase opportunities throughout the week in which the entire family can eat together may look like a complex jigsaw puzzle of scheduling- and that’s only part of the struggle!

Even if your family does not eat together as often as you’d like, think about the times in which you do. What does it look like? Are there conversations and eye contact or are all eyes and ears focused on phones, iPads, or the TV? Are there connections being made or is everyone retreating to their own worlds?

While you may want conversation and connection to happen amongst the family, it may not come as easy as you would like, especially after a long, hard day of school and work. The next time you find yourself around the dinner table struggling to prompt conversation, remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. [Read more…]

To All the Parents of Shy Kids: Here are 3 Things to Stop Doing TODAY (And What to Do Instead)

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

shy-kids main imageI was a shy kid growing up, evidenced by hilarious home videos at gymnastics or Easter egg hunts, where I would walk hesitantly from station to station or gingerly stroll as I collected a grand total of two eggs. 

While most of the other kids were going wild, being adventurous, and jumping into the action without a care in the world, I preferred to hang near my parents. I would stick close to a comfort person while I assessed the situation and in large groups, I would rather listen than be the one to chime in. I can still be like that now as an adult (although I have, thankfully, long stopped clinging to my parents’ legs).

I still remember situations throughout childhood in which I would overhear other parents say, “Ohh, is she shy?” their voices dripping with sympathy or pity. Every part of my insides would cringe and I would want to disappear.

Fast forward to the present and I now have a two-and-a-half-year-old son who reminds me of the same child I was, clinging to my parent’s leg. He hangs out by my side at birthday parties to assess the situation before jumping in to play with the other kids. As he navigates a playground, I can see him assessing the ins and outs of each slide before taking the dive down. 

[Read more…]

Creativity in Your Child: 6 Ways to Encourage Original and Innovative Thinking

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

creativity_in_your_child_mainLittle kids are naturally creative in ways that we may all wish we still were as adults. The young imagination can create games out of thin air: toys come alive to perform rescue operations of the downtrodden or to live their best life in Malibu.

When my son and daughter were little, I loved to watch them explore how his action figures could go on adventures with her Barbies. Their toys would be swimming in a pool one minute, then saving the world the next, each adventure building upon the one before.

A whole new world of creative play opened up for them as their toys became not only a door to the pretend world, but also a tool to interact with each other in a way that challenged their imaginations. Watching them create story lines and themes almost felt like having a front-row viewing of the exploding growth of their young brains.

But as my kids got older, I witnessed self-doubt make its inevitable invasion as they began to compare themselves to other kids and formulate ideas about what is “normal.” Free play and unrestricted creativity gave way to self-consciousness and wanting to do things the “right way.”

Here’s the thing about creativity and children: as parents, we have the ability to encourage a free-spirited nature even as our children mature and learn more about the world around them. Creativity is important because it opens the door for so many other skills that will benefit our kids as they get older. [Read more…]