Bill Corbett

It can be incredibly difficult to hear your child complain when you do so much for her. And then you think back to the little you may have had as a child and then feel this immense surge of resentment when your child complains about what you’ve fixed for dinner. Or it may be why he can’t have an iPhone, what one of her friends has that she wants, having to pick up her toys, or hundreds of other things they object to. One reason some children may do this is because it works; there may have been times in the past when he or she complained and because you were feeling stressed and annoyed, you may have just caved in and completed the task for her or let him have something else for dinner. Remember, children learn from experience on what works and what doesn’t, at getting their way. It doesn’t mean they are awful children or ungrateful. They just do things to get what they want, including getting out of having to follow through on things. And even though you may have experienced a hard...

It’s sometimes funny how quick we are to want to get rid of the decorations immediately following the holidays. On the day after Christmas, one year when we were traveling, I couldn't help but notice the number of Christmas trees already thrown out by the side of the road, just in time for that week’s trash pickup.  In the aftermath of a holiday, it’s common to be overwhelmed with trash, toys, ornaments, gifts, trees and other decorations. So here are a few of my favorite tips on how to handle the chaos and clutter, once the extended family leaves and the New Year is ready to begin. Having a more organized home may lead to a happier and more peaceful family. The Must Have Essential Holiday Collection Take Care to Repack . Some of us get so anxious to get past the sometimes stressful holiday, that we immediately begin shoving decorations away into closets, the attic or the basement. Using care in putting things back how you found them will minimize the stres...

The teenage girl came out of her room and walked into the family room where her parents were sitting. With a great deal of excitement and joy, she began to talk about a party a classmate was planning for the weekend and how much fun it was going to be. She talked about which of her friends were going and what they had all talked about wearing.  The best book for understanding your teenager This teenager’s parents gave her their full attention in listening to what she had to say and even acknowledged her excitement by agreeing that it sounds like a fun event. When the girl asked if she could go, they had a few questions for her; such as where it was going to be held, what time would start and end, and who would be there. When they got to the questions will there be adult chaperons and we’d like to meet the parents who will be there, the happy mood in the teenager dissolved and anger erupted. Their daughter immediately got defensive and shouted, you don’t trust...

When I moved my family from Southern New England to Nashville in 1996, my wife and I used this opportunity without extended family, to create some unique holiday experiences with the kids. It’s not the presents they will remember most, but the experiences that speak of Christmas or Hanukah. So what new experiences can you create this year? I asked my readers to share with me, lasting experiences they created to give their children a happier holiday. Here is what they shared. Lea Hatch and her husband own and run A Shot Above Entertainment, Inc. (WeAreAShotAbove.com) She says that the best Christmas experiences they had ever given their kids were a ride on the Polar Express, a tradition of sleeping under the Christmas tree as a family, renting a cabin in the mountains and waking up to snow on Christmas morning, and going to see Christmas lights in a limousine with warm apple cider and hot chocolate. The Best Book for Getting Kids to Behave! An anonymous  reader shared that i...

When a young child throws an object, it’s a parent’s reactive response to scold the child and take that object away from him. He may then pick up another object and throw that one, pushing the adult to anger and frustration. And if he doesn’t do it again right away, his fear of the parent may stop his actions for the moment, only to have him do it at some point later on. A parent asked me for help with her child throwing a toy at the ceiling light in his room. Another one asked me how to stop her son from trying to get his socks and underwear hooked on the fins of the ceiling fan in his room. In each of these situations, the parent’s first response was to punish the child by making him pay for damage to the ceiling light fan or even emptying his room of all objects. Melissa and Doug Sunny Patch Verdie Chameleon Beanbag Toss I’m certainly not going to advise allowing children to continue this destructive behavior, nor am I going to suggest punishing the child. We’ve been train...

It can be real frustrating raising kids today. It seems as if we do so much more for them than what our parents did for us. In many cases parents CAN do more for their kids because they can afford to do more; Disney trips, a vacation home, providing them with the latest toys or electronic gadgets, and so much more than what many of us had as children. When our children throw fits to get more, it can bring on feelings of resentfulness toward our children. We desperately want to say to them, “Do you even care about all that I’ve done for you up to this point? Do know how hard I had to work to earn the money I’ve spent on you to get you what you want? Do you know how many children there are who have very few clothes and are starving in [insert foreign country here]?” But if we go on in this way, nothing positive will come from it. They won’t understand lack if they’ve never experienced it. And it’s even more difficult for them to be appreciative of what they have when th...

Thanks to the modern workforce, many employers allow some employees to work from home when circumstances exist, such as inclement weather, schools closed, illness and personal situations. When my children were very small, this opportunity wasn’t available to me.  If I had car trouble, my kids were sick, or if I had a utility company coming to the house for a hook up, it usually meant using up sick or vacation time. If you’re a parent, with some planning and strategy, you can make working from home with kids way more effective. Here are 5 tips to help you make it happen. Special Toys. Is there something special that your children just love to play with, especially ones that keep them engaged for long periods of time without bothering you? Purchase them and set them aside as special toys that can be played with under special circumstances, such as when you have to work from home. Keeping them out of sight and out of reach create a reverence for them that will make them spe...