A Trauma-Informed Holiday: Supporting Families Through Triggers and Grief
Learn trauma-informed holiday strategies to support families through grief, triggers, and stress. Practical tips for parents, foster-adoptive families, and professionals.
Social Media & Youth Mental Health: Understanding the Connection and the AAP’s “5 C’s for Media Use”
A research study published 7/21/2025 surveyed over 1000 individuals who were 18 to 24 years old. They asked them, “When did you get a smartphone?” and about a whole host of mental health symptoms. (See news stories on Good Morning America, CNN, and CBS, Scripps News.) The study found that children who start using smartphones …
How Can Stay At Home Parents Dealing With Loneliness Create Their Own Support Systems?
“Today’s stay-at-home parents are bringing professional skills to one of the toughest jobs out there—parenting. But without the built-in support networks of the workplace or nearby family, many are finding that connection and community are just as essential at home as they were on the job.”
Why Parenting Education Matters (and How You Can Help Make It More Accessible)
Research shows parenting education can prevent and improve many problems families and society experience. Yet, many people don’t know it exists, think it’s only for “bad” parents, that anyone can be a “parenting expert,” or that professionals like therapists and pediatricians have been trained in effective parenting skills. None of those are true!
Are Your Children Lying? Why Children Lie and How Can You Encourage Truthfulness?
Kimberly wants her children to be honest, but sometimes she accidentally models lying or responds to lies in ways that accidentally perpetuate the problem. For example, When a salesperson calls, Kimberly has her children tell them she is not home. When she’s at a restaurant, she lies about her children’s ages to let them eat …
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The NeXt GenerationZ Parents
Parenting is a lifelong journey of self-improvement. Our children teach us so much, just as did our parents. We have a daily decision to make, to unconsciously parent based on how we were parented, for better or worse, to wait for problems to arise and then react to them with trial and error, or to …
How to Get Kids to Turn Screens Off and Turn On to Life
When you were young, before you had 24-hour access to a cell phone, social media or computer, what did you do? How much time you spend each day outside, doing something physical, or with other kids? Did you ever read a book under a shade tree, fall asleep, and take a nap in the breeze? …
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Potty Trained or Parent Trained?
Is There a Difference Between Potty Training Boys vs. Potty Training Girls? “Lexi is already pooping and peeing on the potty and she won’t even be one until next month,” Crystal tells the other moms at their weekly playdate. “Well, I’ve heard potty training girls is easier than potty training boys” Valerie pipes in. “You …
BEDTIME IS A NIGHTMARE . . . HELP! TIPS FOR MAKING BEDTIME PEACEFUL
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 …
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What Are Parenting “Best Practices”?
We, at Parents Toolshop® — well, actually every parenting division of our parent company, Relationship Toolshop® International Training Institute, LLC — adhere to and promise to only teach you “research-based, trauma-informed best practices” in parenting. Yes, even if your child does not have a known trauma history, it’s important you know and use these parenting …
The Problem with I-messages
The Problem with “I-messages” … is that even “effective” tools can be misused and made ineffective. This article explains how and what to say instead, to avoid lectures, guilt trips and other unintentional outcomes of I-messages, like rolling eyes and closed ears.
Table of Contents – The Parent’s Toolshop® book
Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………………………….. vi-viii Introducing Your Toolshop Tour Guide…………………………………………….. ix-xiv Chapter 1: Touring The Parent’s Toolshop……………………………………………….. 1 Another Parenting Book? • What The Parent’s Toolshop Does • Suggestions for Use STEP A: PREVENTION TOOLBOX……………………………………………………………….. 19 Chapter 2: Foundation-Building Toolset…………………………………………………… 21 Establishing a Common Language • What Are Our Parenting Goals? • Parenting Styles • Parenting as …