Positive Discipline Parenting Blog
Sproutable's Positive Discipline blog.
Real tips. Real talk. Read & grow.
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Teaching Flexibility to Kids
When we think of the character traits and skills we hope our children have when they grow up, flexibility is likely on the list. Partly because they may be currently living in the land of[...]By Julietta Skoog
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Teaching Flexibility to Kids
When we think of the character traits and skills we hope our children have when they grow up, flexibility is likely on the list. Partly because they may be currently living in the land of strong-willed rigidity. If their favorite jammies are in the wash or you dare to give them the blue instead of the […]By Julietta Skoog
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Teaching Persistence
When we think of the character traits and skills we hope our children have when they grow up, persistence is likely on the list. This is because researchers like Alfie Kohn, Daniel Pink, and Carol Dweck, write that persistence, when built within, makes us more successful and happier. We all want our children to be […]By Julietta Skoog
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How to Be a Homework Helper Kids Actually Want Around
What is the best approach to helping kids with homework? I’d like to start this post by publicly apologizing for assigning entirely too much homework to my elementary students in the early 2010s. My intentions were good! I thought kids needed the extra practice, admin expected to see homework, and surely parents liked knowing what […]By Danielle Taylor
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Positive Discipline for Teenagers: Mistakes & Motivation
Welcome back to our Positive Discipline for Teenagers series! I’m continuing this deep dive into the book Positive Discipline for Teenagers by Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott, in tandem with the Joyful Courage podcast. This week, we’re diving into chapters 4, 5, and 6 — these pack a powerful mindset shift. We’re talking about mistakes […]By Casey O'Roarty
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Take Time for Training
One Positive Discipline tool that’s been especially meaningful in my work as a nanny is Take Time for Training. In short, this is simply teaching children something, often a practical life skill, before we expect them to do it themselves. Dr. Jane Nelsen breaks this down into four steps: Makes sense to me! We simply […]By Danielle Taylor
Views Making the Most of School Breaks with Your Nanny Kids
When I was a teacher, it felt like we were never on school break, but now that I’m a nanny, it seems like kids are always on school break! Funny how that works. While school breaks can be fun and refreshing, they also have a way of disrupting routines and leave us with long days […]By Danielle Taylor
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8 Fun Things to do with an 8 Year Old
I’ve always been drawn towards working with young children, and I simply don’t have as much experience with the older elementary crowd that I do with the littles. Luckily, because of Positive Discipline, I know that my first step in caring for these 2nd, 3rd, & 4th graders is to focus on building connection. The […]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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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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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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