Parenting Tips Blog

Ever get the sense that your house is simply a dumping ground for all your kids' stuff? Ever have the impression that your children feel entitled to have you as their resident maid?

It's that time of year again! If your kids haven't already gone back to school, then they won't be far behind. But making the transition from summer to fall isn't always easy. There are a lot of changes that must be managed. Here are five back-to-school tips to help you and your kids make the shift as easy as possible.

Summertime... and the livin' is easy! Well, not exactly. You lost your best babysitter—school. The kids are all home and the first day of classes seems light years away. You are faced daily with sibling rivalry, boredom, traveling in the car, tantrums, and bedtime problems.

Picture this: you've had a hectic day—all that's left is one quick stop at the grocery store. You know this is not the best time to take your five-year-old, but you have no choice. You'll just avoid the candy aisle.

As you reach the checkout line, your child spots one of those big displays at the end of the aisle. You child politely asks, "Mom, can I get one of those?" You answer, "No, not today."

Your youngster loses it. Stomping his feet and waving his arms, he shouts at you at the top of his lungs. It feels as though an unsympathetic crowd is gathering to see how you're going to quiet the little monster.

What do you do now? Beg? Argue? Hide? Leave? Throw a tantrum of your own?

Anyone who is a parent knows that the job is tough. Really tough. If we moms and dads were really honest with ourselves, we'd have to admit that we had almost no idea what we were getting into when we brought that first baby home.

The old saying about kids not coming with a training manual is true. And the problem of "What do I do with this kid?" is intensified for parents in our contemporary rush-rush, worry-worry world. The problem is that when parents don't quite know what they're doing and they're too busy to find out, they tend to shoot from the hip. Shooting from the hip can lead to two opposite, out-of-control parenting styles, neither of which is good for children. Let's call these two styles "Underdog" parenting and "Big Dog" parenting.