Bill Corbett

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...

It’s nearly Christmas and I’m shopping at a department store.  A woman in the isle just ahead of me is pushing her shopping cart and begging her daughter to cooperate with her.  The little girl appears to be about four or five years of age and is dragging her feet and whining that she’s too tired to walk.  Her mom looks very tired and continues to plead with the child to keep moving.  Suddenly the little girl collapses on the floor and mom seems to be on the verge of ‘losing it.’  The woman picks up her daughter swiftly and sets her in the carriage. Once placed in the carriage, the little girl begins kicking her feet and the crying begins.  Soon, she’s demanding to get out of the carriage and her mom is doing everything in her power to hold back her anger. In that moment, I felt so bad for both of them and wished there was something I could do to help.  Both mom and daughter are probably feeling the stress of shopping, the holidays and who kno...

It’s time once again to begin preparing for the holidays and gearing up for family, fun, and festivals.  The kids will be getting excited and home for school vacation.  Here are eight tips for ensuring a happier holiday season. TIP # 1:  Good Behavior in Someone Else’s Home At some point prior to arriving at someone else’s home for a holiday party, get to your child’s eye level and go over the rules for being at the party.  You may even ask them to explain the rules to you and don’t be surprised if they already know.  Throughout the event, acknowledge them every time you witness the behavior you want.  If their behavior has been a problem in the past, tell them there will be a consequence to bad behavior and that consequence will be leaving the party.  If you choose this option, be ready to implement it immediately, and don’t punish them.  The punishment is the departure itself and your complete silence on the drive home. TIP # 2:...