BEDTIME IS A NIGHTMARE . . . HELP! TIPS FOR MAKING BEDTIME PEACEFUL My three-year-old son is very active and gets more so around bedtime. We have a bedtime routine that begins at 8:30 p.m. and includes a bath, healthy snack, storytelling, teeth-brushing and three books. After I turn out the lights, I sit by the bed until he falls asleep. Otherwise he will jump up and follow me, making a game out of us chasing him. When he does, I bring him back to bed, tell him he doesn’t have to go to sleep but he must stay in his room. Most nights I lie next to him and hold him so he can’t get up.... (Read More ...)

Are you Really a Conscious Parent? 5 Little-known Facts that play a BIG role in your Parenting   Have you ever thought about when you started your parenting journey? It wasn’t when you became a parent, but when you were born and your parents became parents. Your parenting decisions are based on your beliefs, most which are programmed in at a very early age, based on how you were parented, as well as other experiences you had, mostly as a child. You probably already know that, but did you know these five surprising facts? Fact #1: Between ages 0-6, brain scientists say children’s brain... (Read More ...)

Here are links to the articles Parents Toolshop® offers on school issues: ·         How Can My Family Get Back Into The School Routine Successfully? ·         School Age Child Development Stages: What are 10 Tips for Kindergarten Readiness? ·         What is the Recipe for Success in School? ·         Back to School Tips for Teens Entering High School ·         Back to School Tips for Teens Headed to College ·         How Do I Express Concerns and Build Teamwork During a Parent Teacher Conference? ·         Looking for Homework... (Read More ...)

Here is a list of all the Parents Toolshop ® holiday-related articles.  They are packed with tips to get you through this hectic time of year so you can spend more time with your family creating special memories to cherish for years to come. How Do You Teach Children To Have An Attitude Of Gratitude & Instill A Spirit Of Giving? December Holidays: How Can You Instill The Spirit Of Giving When Children Get the Holiday Gimmees?  (shopping with/for kids, giving vs. receiving) December Holidays: Is it Okay to Use Threats About Santas Good Bad List For Child Discipline? (December Discipline... (Read More ...)

 How Do I Teach Children To Clean Up Their Messy Rooms?  You are cleaning up in the kitchen. You hear your children playing in the family room. You see them run upstairs. When you are done cleaning the kitchen, you go to sit down in the family room to take a break and watch T.V. Toys are strewn all over.  There is even a pile on the couch and you are unable to sit down without being poked by a toy. You are irritated! The room looks like a tornado hit it. Now you have to straighten up this room before you can sit down to relax. Messy rooms. Almost every parent can relate to this problem. In their... (Read More ...)

Messy Rooms: How Do I Teach Children To De-clutter & Donate Toys To Charity?  The December holidays are coming to a close. As you come to from your turkey-induced drowsiness and look around, you feel a spark of motivation to use your few days off work to tackle some household chores you’ve been meaning to get to. The end of the year is drawing near and you are getting into the New Year spirit of “out with the old, in with the new” — and there’s a lot of “new” around you. As you walk through the house, you see piles of gifts everywhere! You immediately feel overwhelmed... (Read More ...)

Your mother-in-law suggested doing a gift exchange this year, at her house. Her instructions we were to give gifts only to the person whose name you drew. Any gifts you wanted to give to other family members we to be given another time, just with those people. As the gift exchange gifts were being passed out, she chose to pass out the gifts she’d bought for people.  A non-gift-exchange gift was given to every member of your family — your husband, your children, even their spouses and dates; everyone except you. You certainly notice, but you are more into giving than receiving gifts,... (Read More ...)