Bill Corbett

Our jobs demanded long hours. Highway construction stretched our commute. Yard work never seemed to end. Weekends felt more exhausting than restorative. And inside our home, our three school-aged and preteen children seemed to be fighting more and cooperating less. Get the book that provides many answers. When we compared notes with other parents in casual conversations, we realized we weren’t unusual. We were normal. Busy. Stressed. Doing our best. But while I couldn’t do much about corporate deadlines or growing grass, I became increasingly focused on one question: How could I become a better father? I wanted our children to get along better. I wanted more cooperation. I wanted our home to feel less reactive and more connected. I quickly realized that yelling and punitive discipline weren’t producing the results I hoped for. In fact, they seemed to be making things worse. And I knew something else with absolute clarity: I did not want to repeat the patterns I had grown up with. My fa...

Practical Tools for Raising Cooperative and Independent Kid s https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5Q2S84N What if the secret to better behavior wasn't more punishment, more lectures, or more frustration? If you've been reading and enjoying this blog, then you'll love the new book. What if raising cooperative, responsible, and independent children came down to having the right tools? In Love, Limits & Lessons: The Parent Toolbox , parenting educator and author Bill Corbett shares a practical collection of proven strategies designed to reduce power struggles, strengthen parent-child relationships, and help children develop the life skills they need to thrive. Drawing on decades of experience working with parents, teachers, and families, Corbett moves beyond parenting theory and focuses on what parents need most: simple, effective tools they can begin using immediately. Inside this book, you'll discover how to: Encourage cooperation without yelling, bribing, or threatening Re...

I wanted to take my autistic granddaughter to the butterfly botanical garden near us, but I was afraid she would want to touch everything and ruin the visit. Luckily, they have a list of rules at the entrance, and we went over them together. After reading through them a few times and getting her verbal commitment to follow them, I told her that we needed to come up with a "grandpa thing" (a consequence) that would have to happen if either one of us didn't obey the rules. We went back and forth with ideas until we settled (mainly me) on the (Actual picture of my granddaughter) decision that our adventure at the gardens would end. Knowing her very well, in the past, she would agree to the rules at first, but her autism didn't always allow her to maintain the agreement. The one rule I was most concerned with was that everyone must remain on the walkway and not venture into animal and plant life. Along the way, I watched her struggle with wanting to touch plants and butt...

  ⏳ Why Visual Timers Work Wonders with Kids Every day, you probably repeat yourself numerous times as you ask, "Put your shoes on!" "Time to clean up!" "We have to go!" —You are not alone. The abstract nature of time remains difficult for numerous children to grasp, especially those who are young or have challenges with transitions. Visual timers provide an essential solution in these situations. How many times were you tempted to say, "You have five more minutes with that video game," and yet, the child just keeps on playing the game? Yes, some of it is defiance, but it's also the fact that they have poor time management skills, and it's easier just to get as much as they can until you break and yell. ⏰ What Is a Visual Timer - It's a Game Changer! See them online in different styles and colors! Visual timers provide students with an understanding of time duration by displaying the passage of time through a visual format instead of ...

Most parents share the desire for their child to become kind while developing respect and emotional strength. A peaceful home environment matters more to you than the chaotic atmosphere of constant power struggles between you and your child. The urge to establish consequences for boundary pushing from children leads parents into a pattern of questioning what punishment will stop their behavior. Children do not require increased disciplinary measures. Their needs extend beyond the realm of consequences to include a stronger connection. Get the LOVE, LIMITS & LESSONS cooperations book by CLICKING HERE . The Myth of “Making Them Learn” The standard parenting approach instructs parents to remove privileges when their child misbehaves. The method works to obtain temporary compliance, but it does not lead to sustained growth. Children develop better through relationships that offer them emotional safety and help them manage their feelings and actions. Our fru...

Some of my readers may be bothered by the fact that I refer to this as the DCF exercise, while others might consider it a gimmick. But I did it with my kids and it worked! Children don’t immediately understand the importance of cooperation, and they may need a little instruction and then coaching on how to participate effectively. This is especially true if you’ve given in to your children more than you should have, and you know it.  Some parents may not need to go this far, but it’s an option for those who wish their kids were more cooperative. Additionally, it can be a fun game that brings your family closer together. At the very least, it’s just another tool for their toolbox. Feel free to leave your comments on whether you support this or not. I value your opinions, so please feel free to share your thoughts. Best parenting tool EVER! Have you ever experienced a situation where you did something amazing for your children, such as taking them to Disney, buying them a game system...

We lost our middle daughter for a few minutes at an overly packed amusement park when she was 8 years old. Through the shoulder-to-shoulder audience in front of a magic show, I could hear her calling out, "Daddy!!!" as I visually searched the crowd for my little red head. I'll never forget the gut-punch feeling I had, worrying that someone might snatch her and I'd never see her again.  That horrible moment probably lasted just minutes but it felt like forever! Thinking about that moment still causes me to tear up and moves me to be so thankful I found her, and to hug her so tight now when I see her as a grown woman and a mom herself. The memory of the pain also helped me over the years remain calm in moments when her behavior was driving me crazy as a little girl, and then as a teenager.   But relating this incident and what I felt as a Dad in no way overshadows what happened in Texas recently at Camp Mystic. When I read this one article , it brought back those feelin...

When a young child captures a specimen of nature in the backyard, one parent might tell them they can keep it in a jar, while the other tells them to take it out of the house and let it go. Instead, make this a learning opportunity for the child and a chance to demonstrate respect for nature. It's also a good time to reinforce time away from the screen and experiencing the world around them. Allow them to keep the creature for a brief time and study it. Take some digital pictures of it and allow the children to decide which ones are their favorites to keep. Use an online application with your child to research information on the critter, what it eats, and the most favorable conditions for its habitat.   When it's time to let it go, allow the children to decide where they’ll release it. You could use it as an excuse to visit your local state park to let it go there and look for other forms of nature. You might be fortunate to have butterfly garden close enough for you and the c...

Children experimenting as an animal is absolutely normal. They do it because they are simply exploring or perhaps, to gain some attention. Parents should allow their children to behave like a cat at home and you as the parent, simply ignore it. If your child answers you with a meow, you can simply tell them, "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. I will listen to you when you speak like a little girl." Then just walk away. If your child enters an activity at home meowing like a cat, for example coming to the dinner table. Just calmly tell her that only people can eat at the table and when she returns to being a little girl, she will get food and the rest of the family will speak to her and listen to her again. In other words, don't try to control your child when they are in one of these exploring modes. Let it be and get involved when she tries to participate in the family. Do not meow back at her, do not crawl around on all fours with her and don'...

14 DAYS OF TIPS FOR DEMONSTRATING LOVE TO YOUR CHILD DAY 14: COMPOSE A POEM FOR YOUR CHILD – Compose a poem about your child or describing how much you love her. Print if off on special preprinted paper with a border that can be purchased at office supply stores. Frame it and hang it on your child’s bedroom wall. You could even include the child’s picture or her foot or handprints if you had them done earlier. Sign it and read it to her nightly.

Preschoolers and young school-aged children easily can be frightened by images of disasters.  They live in a world somewhere between reality and fantasy, and often have difficulty distinguishing between the two. They also have not yet developed their full understanding of mortality, or whether something on television is far away or close by.  Here are some guidelines for handling children’s exposure to devastating events in the news.    Limit Their Exposure .  This is a good time to fall back on effectively managing their access to the television by limiting the amount of time they watch it.  If you have to watch it yourself, get your children involved in another activity at that time.  There are numerous university studies that confirm the high amount of violence on television and the effects on children.  Some of these effects include desensitization to the pain and suffering of others, more fearfulness in general, and increased aggressivene...

A grandparent posted a comment on one of my social media channels. She said, "My dear grandchildren earn their toys and playtime and screen time with tickets. X number required for X activity or toy. Tickets taken away for sass or disobedience. Works like a charm. Helps kids learn to police themselves." My response to her was this: "I'm delighted to hear that you found something that works for you with managing screen time, good for you. Screen time should be kept to no more that 30 - 60 mins. per day for young children. I am concerned however, that you are controlling healthy playtime. It is my opinion that playtime should be given automatically to children, as is oxygen and healthy food. Healthy, non screentime play is critical to a child's development and should not be controlled or withheld. Toys on the other hand, must be controlled because many children have too many. Too many toys can lead to anxiety and chaos." "My children could onl...

So your child’s back in school and soon the homework will be coming home.  Many parents struggle with getting their kids to do their homework and some even end up doing it for them.  The first thing to keep in mind is that your child owns the homework, not you.  So what do YOU own? Here are four things that the parent owns in regards to a child’s homework. THE SUPPLIES Work with your child in coming up with a list of the supplies he feels he’ll need.  Allow him to carry the hand basket and make the supplies selection in the store, with your guidance of course.  Help give him even more ownership by allowing him to carry the money and make the final purchase at the register. THE LOCATION Allow your child to help you determine where the homework will be done on a daily basis and have her help you set up this special location.  You want to be sure that the lighting is appropriate, seating is comfortable, and distractions are minimal.  Don’t be afra...

One day my 9-year-old daughter called me at my office to tell me that she had left her lunch money at home again and needed me to bring it to her. This typical forgetfulness by my children was quite annoying but something I thought I was supposed to resolve as a father.  On my ride to the school, I couldn’t help but think about the inconvenience.  More importantly, I suddenly became concerned about how responsible my daughter would eventually be as an adult if I was constantly remembering for her or rescuing her. That evening, I gathered my three children for an impromptu family meeting to discuss a few changes that would take effect immediately.  I announced that from now on, they were solely responsible for remembering to bring with them any items they needed for school that day — lunch money, homework, and school projects.  I advised them that unless it was required for health and safety reasons, I was no longer willing to run home and retrieve what they lef...