Positive Discipline Parenting Blog
Sproutable's Positive Discipline blog.
Real tips. Real talk. Read & grow.
Latest post
Shifting from Worst Case Scenario to Trusting the Process With Our Teens
As I write this, it’s Spring! My favorite time of the year. I'm also tortured by it because we have days like today that are just glorious, and then we have days like three days[...]By Casey O'Roarty
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Reconnecting with your child after a tough day
There are some dark days while parenting, and even tougher nights when we lay our head on the pillow and wish things could have been different that day. We might feel disconnected, resentful and sad. This is because we are human! So are our children. We make mistakes. We are in relationship with each other, and we are all still growing and practicing. The beauty and gifts that our children give us is the gift of grace, and the gift of forgiveness. We get to give them this too. There is always another day and a chance to try a new way of being together.By Julietta Skoog
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Tips for Eating Out with Young Kids
How do you feel when you go to a restaurant with your kids? Relaxed and happy? Anxious and stressed? Do you brace yourself for the disaster or embrace the opportunity to take it public? The reframe is that the challenge of eating out is also the chance at practicing social and executive functioning skills and strengthening your relationship. Try these tips to make eating out with children actually fun (gasp!).By Julietta Skoog
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Three Superpowers When Your Nanny Child Isn’t Listening
One of the most common questions I see on nanny and parenting forums is, “What do I do when my kid won’t listen?” We’ve all been there! It’s challenging and can be embarrassing when your nanny charge simply will not listen to what you’re asking them to do, especially because we are professionals. Thanks to Positive Discipline, I have three strategies that consistently work.By Danielle Taylor
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Joyful Courage & Sproutable: one space for all parents & caregivers
We began merging our backgrounds in psychology, early child development, public health, counseling, mindfulness, social emotional learning, social justice, racial equity and Positive Discipline, joining forces to go farther than either of us could do on our own. We used innovation, technology, Alanna’s idea of videos of REAL families, and an online platform to share the helpful, immediately useful and mutually-respectful tools world wide.By Julietta Skoog
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Embracing pretend play with kids
It’s been a bit of a surprise for me over the last few years to realize that playing pretend isn’t as easy as I once thought. I know I sure enjoyed it as a child, but as an adult it can feel just a bit tedious, repetitive, and perhaps is not the most engaging part of the day. However, playing pretend with your nanny kiddos is a great way to build connection! I also see pretend play really building those life skills that we want to see in our nanny charges when they are adults.By Danielle Taylor
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Reconnecting with your nanny child after a tough day
Even the best nannies and loveliest kiddos have tough days sometimes. It’s inevitable! But part of our job as a professional is coming back the next day refreshed and ready to try again. This can be easier said than done. How do we reconnect with our nanny kiddos after a particularly challenging day? Here’s what I do. Self-Care How can we care for others when our cup is empty?By Danielle Taylor
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Teaching Consent & Body Autonomy to Nanny Children
Fostering an environment with a focus on consent and body autonomy is one of my top priorities as a nanny. I always want my nanny charges to feel like they are in charge of their bodies and what happens to them. This is secondary only to keeping them safe while they’re with me.By Danielle Taylor
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How do I teach kids to share?
It is completely unrealistic, developmentally, to expect young children to share. What you CAN teach them, explicitly is what it means to share (usually taking turns) and the skills they need to be practicing mutually respectful sharing.By Julietta Skoog
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Hitting. When will it end?
How to stop toddlers from hitting TWENTY TIMES! I remember thinking, I’m pretty sure I’ve repeated myself twenty freaking times today. I was so annoyed and irritated but eventually became angry and absolutely exhausted. “Gentle hands. We are always gentle with other people’s bodies. You can say, ‘excuse me’ and place your hand gently like this to get their attention.” “Let’s practice. How can you get my attention gently? We were visiting my parents and I was traveling alone with my two-year-old.By Alanna Beebe
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Building the Culture of Teamwork through Chores
When I was growing up we did not have a chore chart. There were no stickers, or popsicle sticks or magnets on a whiteboard. There was just an understanding that we pitched in…all hands on deck. My father was in the military until I was about 7, and prior to that, my mother was very sick with breast cancer. For many of my early memories, she was in and out of the hospital and my father worked long hours. We had caregivers and help but there was still a lot to be done.By Julietta Skoog
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