Positive Discipline Parenting Blog
Sproutable's Positive Discipline blog.
Real tips. Real talk. Read & grow.
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Winning Cooperation or Winning a Power Struggle?
Do you remember being a child and thinking, “This is so unfair! I’ll never forget what this feels like. I’ll never treat kids like this when I’m the adult!” I sure do. Luckily, I get[...]By Danielle Taylor
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Winning Cooperation or Winning a Power Struggle?
In Positive Discipline, we talk about “winning cooperation” from the children we work with. Why would we spend our time & extra effort on “winning cooperation” over just fostering obedience? Why do you want to win cooperation instead of winning the power struggle?By Danielle Taylor
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When Kids Say Really Mean Things to Nannies
Nothing can prepare you for that first time a nanny charge says hurtful things to you. You would think it gets easier but it never does. You are human after all, with feelings too. It is so hard to imagine that even at 3, 4 or 5 years old that vitriol will come out of […]By Julietta Skoog
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When Kids Say Really Mean Things
Nothing can prepare you for that first time your child says hurtful things to you. You would think it gets easier but it never does. You are human after all, with feelings too. It is so hard to imagine when they are sweet little babes in your arms that vitriol will come out of their mouths…maybe as teenagers, but that is so far away. You have time. Nope.By Julietta Skoog
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Turning nap strike into genius hour
By the age of 3, your child has approached many amazing milestones. They are scootering, potty training, running, hopping, even coloring and telling jokes and stories. With all this development comes a price- nap strike! It is common for children around the age of 3 (usually right before) to “drop the nap.” Don’t be fooled! […]By Julietta Skoog
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Connecting with Early Elementary Schoolers
A huge tenet of Positive Discipline is building & nurturing the relationship between you and the child(ren) you care for. We call this connection. Some connection-building is instant and easy: you’ll end up bonding with just about any child in your circle, but if you find yourself in power struggles or asking “why aren’t they listening to me?” then it’s time to focus on building connection.By Danielle Taylor
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Three Time-Tested Positive Discipline Tools for Nannies
One of my all-time favorite Positive Discipline books is “Positive Discipline Parenting Tools” which Dr. Jane Nelsen wrote with two of her adult children, Mary Tamborski & Brad Ainge. This book breaks down each of the 49 unique tools that we use in Positive Discipline with stories & examples. While this book is written with parents in mind, the content and all of the tools are relevant and applicable to nannies & other caregivers too.By Danielle Taylor
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Liar, Liar: Why I Don’t Stress When my Nanny Kids Fib
Something I see pop up occasionally in online nannying groups is concern & frustration over nanny kiddos telling lies. I totally get it; nobody likes being lied to! I see suggestions of taking things away, lecturing & punishing, forced apologies, and even trying to scare kids out of lying. In fact, I remember being told “you’ll go to hell if you tell a lie” when I was a young child, and it was terrifying! I’ll offer you a different solution: let it go.By Danielle Taylor
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3 tips for teaching kids to be a good sport
“That’s not fair” “You cheated!” “I never win!” Sound familiar? Most kids have a tough time navigating games where there is a clear winner, or when they feel a sense of unfairness. This is because they are still learning! Getting comfortable with losing, being flexible with not going first or getting the color game piece they want, and having patience taking turns all takes LOTS of practice. It is still cognitively challenging for young children to see “fairness” because they are still growing into their capacity for perspective taking, which is why it is important to start now!By Julietta Skoog
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My Top 5 Toddler Parenting Tools
My little baby is now a full-blown toddler. Every stage of development has been such an exciting leap, but it’s at this stage that I’m getting a glimpse into the inner dialogue of my little one’s brain. He is learning to talk and along with language comes a newfound sense of independence and autonomy. This is great when I need to clean up after meals or shoot off a couple of emails, because he can now play by himself for longer periods of time, or even better, help me around the house. It’s a challenge when I have an agenda of what needs to happen now and it doesn’t align with HIS plan. I now understand why virtually every parent of a toddler says their child is “strong-willed”. There’s a parenting myth about the terrible two’s, but what I’ve found is that it doesn’t have to be so terrible if you have some solid Positive Discipline parenting tools in your back pocket.By Alanna Beebe
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Getting comfortable with messy play
I’ve been working with kids for over 15 years, and I’ve cleaned up a fair share of messes in that time. I wasn’t someone who initially leaned into messy play because it can be gross, stressful, overwhelming, and because I could always come up with something else that’s fun to do instead. However, the longer I’ve been doing this, the more I’ve gotten not only comfortable, but actually have started enjoying, inviting, celebrating, and really leaning into messy play time! Here’s my why, my how, and some tips I’ve learned along the way.By Danielle Taylor
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