A Link

My line of work can sometimes present a dilemma as a parent. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one, as I've had the conversation many times with my colleagues-how easy it is to think about the reasons behind behaviors from 8:30 to 4:30; yet how difficult that becomes when we arrive home to our own children.  It is SO HARD!

Years of experience, education, research, and reading has lent itself to a mindset of always thinking about the "purpose" behind behaviors.  It's understanding the purpose that can lend itself to supports and interventions to help change behaviors that are disruptive or unsafe.  

But good lord is that hard to do at home.  

It is so difficult to step back from the difficult, loud, time-consuming and sometimes just plain annoying behaviors of our own offspring for long enough to think about the purpose.  What comes easily at work is absolutely the opposite of easy at home.  

What is easy at home is to get swept up in how inconvenient and frustrating a behavior is. It's easy to react, to overreact or to engage in any desperate attempt to just MAKE IT STOP. I cannot tell you how many times I've been in the throes of dealing with a tantrum and have thought to myself, "I do this for a living... how the hell do I feel like I know NOTHING?!"

I started working on an article with Sumitha from A Fine Parent quite some time ago. ​Her website/blog is simply amazing- the articles are detailed and research based (my kinda thing); yet reader friendly and relatable.  The writing not only focuses on helping the reader think about parenting in a different way, but provides action plans that can actually be carried out in our millions of tough, real life parenting situations. 

I'm thankful that Sumitha took a chance on my writing and this little idea I had to turn my "work mode" mind into something that can perhaps be helpful to parents. 

Without further ado, please take a peak at How to Alter Your Child's "Problem" Behaviors Like a Specialist.

...and make no mistake-it is also a much needed reminder to this Mama!

Please check out all the other writing on A Fine Parent- there are others far better than mine! This article about how to stop judging other parents was particularly impactful. Cause, be honest- we all do it!