Positive Discipline Parenting Blog

Teaching kids how to manage anger

One thing I adore about Positive Discipline is how much time and effort is spent on teaching children how to recognize and handle their emotions. It is so powerful to teach that all feelings are valid (though their actions because of those feelings may not be)! What a relief for a child to know that it’s okay to be angry, and that it will pass. Anger doesn’t feel good, but knowing that it’s both normal and temporary sure helps. Here's how to make and use an anger wheel of choice with your nanny kids.

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.

5 summer ideas for nanny kiddos

Summer is fun, exciting, and a wonderful change of pace (especially here in rainy Seattle!), but it also means that the routines we’ve counted on and been polishing all school-year are about to change. For many families, nannies, and kiddos, summer means travel, playdates, and sunshine. How can we as nannies set ourselves, our charges, and our families up for a great summer?

Getting kids to cooperate through fun and play

How do I get a child to listen without yelling or nagging? How do I invite cooperation through fun and play? One Positive Discipline tool that makes a big difference in my days as a nanny is keeping a sense of humor. Working with children is inherently funny, so lean in! At Sproutable we are […]

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.

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.