Bill Corbett

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 ...

Asking Questions .  Our children are smarter than we give them credit for.  We are so worried that they are not going to do what is right, or we are in such a hurry that it just seems easier to give our children marching orders.  But asking them questions is a far more effective teaching tool.  Often, they know exactly what to do and when they come up with solutions to their own questions or challenges, it builds their problem-solving skills.  I always encourage parents to refrain from telling their children what to do or from answering their questions so quickly.  Instead, ask them questions such as “what do you think?” “what will you do now?” “what did you notice?”  Asking children questions also builds their own confidence and strengthens their faith in themselves.   Coaching .  Taking the art of asking questions one step further, coaching adds two more elements that teach a child greater problem-solving skills: Telling a child what you...