Bill Corbett

  AKA :  The Secret Loving Hand Technique Every parent knows the pain of stepping on a Lego at two in the morning — that sharp, unforgettable reminder that the kids didn’t clean up again. We’ve all been there, asking (or begging) our children to put their toys away, only to find the same mess waiting later. But what if there were a calmer, more loving way to teach kids responsibility — one that doesn’t involve nagging, yelling, or power struggles? Over the years, I discovered one of the most effective and heart-centered methods I’ve ever used. I call it the Loving Hand Technique , and it’s all about connection, agreement, and gentle follow-through. (If you'd rather listen to the podcast version of this blog post, CLICK THIS LINK now. You can also watch the video version on Youtube by CLICKING HERE .) 1. The Two Types of Toys (and Why It Matters) When it comes to toy clutter, not all toys are created equal. I like to think of them as two types: Big, Bulky Toys These ar...

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard it more times than you can count:      =============================      LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     ============================= “Mom, can I get this?” “Dad, I need that toy!” “Can we pleeeease go to the store?” Whether it’s a commercial on TV, a shiny new toy their friend just got, or an ad that pops up on your phone, kids are surrounded by things they want — and they’re not shy about letting you know. And if we’re honest, many of us have given in at one point or another. Why? Because giving in is often faster and quieter than standing our ground. It ends the whining, the pleading, and the meltdown in the store aisle. But here’s the problem: every time we give in, we teach our kids that persistence (and loudness!) works — so they repeat the pattern next time. But what if there were a way to break the cycle that also taught them patience, gratitude, and the value of waiting? Introducing: The Wis...

What is this "Creepy-Cute" Collectible All About? Labubu has become a huge hit around the world as a collectible that brings together fashion lovers, collectors, and celebrities. Kasing Lung made this small monster in 2015 for his Monsters art collection, which was based on Nordic mythology. After Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung made Labubu in 2015 for his The Monsters art project, Chinese toy company Pop Mart made a lot of them in blind-box sets. The toy comes in a blind package that hides all of its features. There are more than 300 variations as of the time this article was written. So what's the big deal? 1. The excitement of perhaps acquiring a rare item. Psychologists believe it's like gambling or an obsession, and this makes a dopamine loop. 2. The mix of silky fur and pointed, jagged teeth in "ugly-cute" and edgy styles is quite appealing. 3. A desire that celebrities and social media make people feel. Kids want to stay up with the current trends be...

14 DAYS OF TIPS FOR DEMONSTRATING LOVE TO YOUR CHILD DAY 4: BE AFFECTIONATE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER – Teach your children about love by expressing love for your significant other in front of them. Children who have healthy models of affection around them are likely to recreate in their adulthood what they witnessed as children. When your significant other and you argue or fight in front of the children, be sure and let the kids see the two of you makeup.

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...

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...

The child comes home after a sleep over and her mother has this fantasy that her daughter is going to come running in, wrap her arms around her mom and say, “I’m so happy to see you mom, I missed you. Let’s spend some quality time together.” But instead of the scene she imagined, her daughter declares that she’s bored and begins complaining about all the things she doesn’t have that her friend has. Mom does her best to ignore it until the thoughts of how ungrateful her child is and memories of all the money and time she’s spent on her becomes too much. What happens next is the last thing she wanted to have happen, but it does. Mom yells and her daughter yells back. Before too long, the day is wrecked, she sends her daughter to her room and their relationship is strained. And this all transpired because she gave her daughter permission to sleep over a friend’s house for the first time in a long time. So let’s give mom some skills for her to practice and some knowledge that might...

I’m pleased to share the news that my fourth grandchild, Ashton John, was born last week. We arrived at the hospital just after he was born, and because both mother and son were doing great, we all got to meet and hold Ashton and welcome him to the family. After a while, the only person left to be introduced to Ashton was his sister Coraline, my 18-month-old granddaughter.   Coraline had already heard a lot about her baby brother. For months, her mom had been pointing to her belly and saying "This is your brother." If someone asked Coraline where her brother was, she would immediately point to her mom’s belly. And now it was time for her to meet him in person, so her dad brought her into the room.   She was very quiet as she cautiously walked over to the bed. She stopped and stared. After some encouragement, she climbed up onto the bed next to her mom and gently placed her small hand on her new brother. She even began to caress him and smile.   All of a sudden, the baby...

Do your kids drive you crazy asking you to buy them things while you're at the store with them? They start by asking for something they see, but as soon as you say "no" they begin to escalate the situation with pleading, demanding, and sometimes an all out temper tantrum. You try not to over react, but it seems like the only way to get them to stop is to give in and buy them what they wanted, yell at them to stop bugging you, or threaten them with punishment when you get to the car or home.  By the time you leave the store, you are not a happy camper. On top of that, none of those solutions works very well. The problem with using threats is that what worked today may not work tomorrow. Giving in to your children's demands is even worse because it teaches them that making demands works, and then demanding becomes their go-to solution for getting what they want. Try this tip the next time you head to the store with the kids. Before you get out of the car in ...

Punishment is a tool designed to make a child "pay for what they did" and to feel bad about the way they acted. The belief is that the bad feeling will stick with them and motivate them to not repeat the behavior or action. But punishment has side effects that can create more problems for the parent then they originally had. For example, making a child feel bad can backfire and motivate them to hide and lie about their mistakes. It can also damage the parent/child relationship. Think back to your own childhood and remember a time when you were punished. How did you feel? How did you feel about yourself at that moment? What did you want to do as a result of the punishment? How did you feel toward the punisher? I've asked these questions numerous times in my workshops and not once did any adult say they felt good about anything in that moment. We now know that making a child feel bad about what they did affects the way they think and feel about them self. ...

PARENTS WHO LISTEN MORE AND SPEAK LESS . A child's emotions, thoughts, and behavior may be unstable during this difficult time. They need to be able to express how they feel without their emotions begin stuffed. Some of the things they say may be difficult for the parent to hear, so don't dismiss or minimize what is said or how they feel. REGULAR ACCESS TO GRANDPARENTS . Relationships with your extended family may be difficult for you, but the kids still need them. Determine what access grandparents and other extended family members will have to your children and remain open to the fact that these adults can be very helpful during this difficult time. It can often times be easier for children to express their feelings to grandparents and others. PARENTS WILLING TO TAKE A PARENTING CLASS . I'm not talking about the inexpensive divorce class that most states require all divorcing parents to go through, I'm talking about a multi-session parenting class in which pa...

Last week, Massachusetts' highest court determined that parents cannot be charged for spanking their minor children as long as the force used is 'reasonable.' The spanking delivered cannot cause the child physical harm or mental distress. But just because this group of misguided justices says it's OK to hit a child, there are far more effective means for handling misbehavior in young children. Here are five alternatives you can begin using immediately. Satisfy a Need . Children who fall in the 0 - 18 month age bracket do not misbehave; they are simply expressing needs that must be satisfied. Therefore, there is no need to spank or use any other punitive means for managing behavior. During this phase of the child's life, they are moving, touching and making sounds to express a need that parents must learn to interpret and meet. Redirection or Distraction . Toddlers and preschoolers often do things that are annoying or frustrating to the adult: trying to touc...

I was walking in back of you recently, leaving a local 'big box' retailer in the early evening hours and watched you struggle with your child. She appeared to be about seven or eight years of age and she was refusing to walk with you and kept lagging behind. A few times she even stopped on purpose and it was making you extremely mad. First of all, let me say that I've been in your shoes, having raised three children of my own and helped care for a few grand children as well. It's not easy dragging children along at the end of the day when you're on a tight schedule and feeling rushed, stressed, and tired.  I first want to thank you for not hitting that little girl, although you came awfully close to doing just that, a few times. I could see that she was testing you to your limits and your voice began to increase in volume and tone. I prayed that you didn't hit her when you got into your vehicle or when you got her back home. If I could have offered some ...