I received a wonderful surprise as a late Christmas gift this year! Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids, invited me to join a wonderful community by becoming a regular contributor to the Simple Kids blog. I am honored and excited for what this opportunity holds.
Today, you can read a little bit about me and some of the back story behind the creation of my ebook Parenting with Positive Guidance, over at Simple Kids. So scoot on over there and take a peek!
(And remember, you can still use the discount code “NEWYEAR” until the end of this month to get the ebook for just $8!)
Roseann and Magdalena says
Congratulations!! This is wonderful news.
Suzanne says
Great blog! I am so happy to have come across it!
Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids says
That is awesome – congrats! They will be getting a wealth of knowledge and insight by adding you as a contributor.
Stacey says
I just now discovered you and your blog (through Simple Kids). Thank you so much for all your great advice and information. My husband and I are very excited about your strategies and we are looking forward to implementing them in our own household. I have spent the last two days reading many of the articles your have written over the year. I wanted to ask you about one thing we do in our house. We have these two comfy living room chairs (that are kind of a dusty rose velvet) which we call the “pink chairs of peace”. When my two eldest children (ages 8 and 6) are fighting and they are both at fault (one is not torturing the other), they are told to sit in these chairs. The chairs are far enough apart that they cannot touch each other and they know they are not allowed to leave until they have resolved their differences. I guess this constitutes both peer feedback and a positive time-out? What do you think?
notjustcute says
Thanks so much Stacey! I think where your kids are a little older, they can be expected to think about their behavior a little more than say a 2 or 3 year-old. So giving them a little more responsibility in their cooling off period would be appropriate. The way you’ve set things up it does sound more like a structure for problem-solving rather than a punitive time-out. Make sure that you coach them through the steps, at least in the beginning, so they know what is expected (cooling off, taking turns talking, sharing ideas not just accusing, etc.). Create a few simple rules and give as much supervision and support as you think they need. They may be at the point that they can do all the negotiating independently, whereas younger kids or those who are just learning the process may need someone to coach them through the problem-solving process step-by-step. It’s a time-out in the sense that they have a cooling off period, but the direction you give them during that time is to work through the problem-solving process using peer feedback (and some adult feedback if necessary). Thanks so much for sharing your ideas and real-life solutions!
Stacey says
Thanks, Amanda, for your reply and advice. I’m planning on buying your ebook next week (when I have February’s budget). Do your tools work for elementary school-aged children? Does your book discuss how to build solid self-esteem, a strong work ethic and more self-control in these older children? I confess that I wish I knew about you and your work three years ago!
notjustcute says
While the book was written with young children in mind, I think the same tools are useful for older children as well. (And sometimes even spouses. :0)