Category Archive:
Constructive discipline

The Three C’s of Motivation

three c's of motivation

”The manager’s job, then, is not to motivate people to get them to achieve; instead, the manager should provide opportunities for people to achieve, so they will become motivated.”~Frederick Herzberg Charlie walked over with the teaching clock. ”I’ve learned to tell time. Do any time, and I can tell you.” Five-year-old Charlie sat down with […]


Be Prepared for Cousin Chaos

be prepared for cousin chaos

Holidays are times for large family gatherings. Often times family get-togethers have mild to horrible cases of cousin chaos. Cousins, who may see each other infrequently, vie for adults’ attention along with trying to figure out who’s who in the pecking order of the family. Little wonder that craziness can ensue. More than once, my […]


Boys and Girls Learn Differently

In his book Boys and Girls Learn Differently, Michael Gurian cites 20 years of brain research to highlight the differences of how males and females learn. In the past few years, being a boy seems to be a pathology as more boys are being diagnosed with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and undergo drug therapy, […]


Help Your Child With Brain Gym

brain gym

“Floyd acts as if he’s missing part of his brain,” my grandmother commented on the behavior of a neighbor. Recent discoveries from neuroscientists let us know that when certain parts of the brain do not communicate effectively, it may appear that someone has “lost” his or her mind. As a Montessori teacher, I’ve had the […]


Five Steps to Problem Solving with Children

five step problem solving

“Stop!” I heard six-year-old Alan tell a couple of three-year-old girls. “I think you’ve got a problem.” Lila and Susan, the three-year-olds, were tugging and grunting to see who would get possession of a puzzle. Alan continued, “I think you both want to do this puzzle by yourself. Do you want to work this out?” […]


Taming the Television Monster

television monster

“All my three- and four-year-old want to do is watch TV. They fuss about having to turn off the TV at dinner and bedtime. They wouldn’t even play with their friends yesterday because their favorite shows were on. I think I’ve let it get out of hand,” lamented Robin. I was impressed to hear Robin […]


Using Positive Statements with Children

using positive statements

“If I tell Ginny not to do something, she just looks me in the eye and does it. She seems defiant,” Sam, Ginny’s dad, told me at a company picnic. Ginny, an almost four-year-old curly-headed brunette, ran over from the swings at the park. “Ginny, how about playing a little game with me? I’m going […]


Making Dinner Time Enjoyable

making dinner time enjoyable

“What’s your most difficult time of day?” I asked Sue and Bob, parents of three children under the age of six. They had requested a conference for advice about table manners. “Dinner time,” Sue answered without hesitation. “Definitely dinner time. It’s crazy. The kids are up and down. They don’t eat what I’ve fixed. It’s […]


Four Strategies to Deal with Problems

four strategies to deal with problems

At a recent seminar, our speaker presented the idea that there are four basic strategies to deal with any problem: Ignore, Resolve, Manage and Prevent. At first, the list appeared overly simplistic. Could ignoring a problem be an effective strategy? After some reflection, I recognized that ignoring a problem is a powerful strategy. Not every […]


Using Natural and Logical Consequences to Teach

using natural and logical consequences to teach

Choices. Everyday we make choices. It is from making choices that we learn responsibility and how to behave. When we choose unwisely and experience the consequences of our choices, the lessons we learn are more powerful than any lecture or punishment. If we as parents are savvy, we can use natural and logical consequences as […]