If you have ever trained an animal, you would know that positive reinforcement training uses praise to reward an animal for doing something you want them to do. This method of training is also useful for human of all ages, especially children.

It is important to focus on positively reinforcing your children to reward them and let them know when they are doing something right. If they never receive praise for doing a good deed, they will be less likely to continue the good behavior. By offering incentives for your child to continue good behavior, you are both nurturing their growth and giving them the option to choose to do good.

On the other hand, it is just as important to let your child know if they are engaging in bad behavior. However, the method in which you communicate bad behavior with your child is imperative. By calmly and collectively explaining why the behavior was wrong, you are essentially re-training their brains and teaching them a valuable lesson. Yelling, shunning, or punishing your child will not help with their growth as they will not understand the reason behind why their behavior has upset you. By reacting negatively to their mistake, you could end up damaging their self-esteem, which would make them more likely to rebel and repeat poor behavior.

Remember, children learn from those who teach. Every negative behavior can be turned into a positive learning experience.

Comment below and share your stories and teaching methods with us! We want to know all of the clever methods that work for you and your family when it comes to positive reinforcement!

Do you know what type of parent you are? Are you more authoritative with your children, or more democratic? Whether you’re a single mother of 2 or a father of 3, it is important to know what your parenting style is in order to better understand your relationship with your children.

-> Parenting Style Quiz

Take the quick quiz linked above to find the results of your parenting  style!

Above is an example of what your results will look like. The results are broken down into 3 categories with different scales comparing how authoritarian, flexible, and permissive you are in your parenting style.

Quizzes like this are great for reflecting and allow for personal growth. If you were shocked or surprised with your results, it can be an opportunity to learn and adjust your parenting style.

Being aware of your personal parenting style can be extremely beneficial when understanding relationships between parents and their children and can lead to successfully connecting with your loved ones.

Let us know what your favorite parenting tools are in the comments below!

Jealousy is an emotion that can impact any person at any age. It is especially common to find in young children. Jealousy can be caused by lack of self-confidence, lack of attention, and of course feeling less than loved.

Whether a friend, sibling, or classmate caused the jealousy to arise, ditching the big green-eyed monster is imperative to you or your child’s emotional growth.

Here are 5 ways to redirect feelings of jealousy in children:

1. Turn envy into ambition

If your child is envious of someone else’s talents or achievements, try redirecting their thoughts and feelings in a positive way. Whether they wanted that A on their math exam, or the newest Barbie, encourage and motivate them to create a new set of goals which they can look forward to achieving. Reward your child when they have accomplished their goals!

2. No comparisons – Build their confidence!

Every human is different. People have different talents and passions, so comparing siblings, classmates, or friends to each other could only result in hurting your child’s confidence. Comparison can easily lead to jealousy, which can in turn lead to resentment. Instead, help them understand and acknowledge not only the talents of their siblings, friends, or classmates, but their own as well. Helping your child realize their talents and passions will lead your child to becoming more confident! For more inspiration on self-love and showing affection to your loved ones, read the beautifully illustrated book I’m Glad I’m Me and practice weaving the thread of love in your life!

3. Listen

If you have detected a hint of the green-eyed monster in your child, try having a conversation about it. Talk to your child and find out what actions led to them becoming jealous of someone. Help them realize where their feelings are coming from, and what the feelings are. The first step to overcoming feelings of envy, is admitting it!

4. Tell a tale

If talking about your child’s feelings of jealousy isn’t working for you, try explaining the feeling of jealousy through classic stories. Sometimes seeing a bear or pirate explaining their feelings with colorful pictures might resonate more with your child. Below are a few great children’s books that can help you explaining emotions of jealousy to your child:
The Berenstain Bears And The Green-Eyed Monster
What To Do When It’s Not Fair: A Kid’s Guide To Handling Envy And Jealousy
The Way I Feel

5. Shower your child with love

Love is always the answer. If your child is experiencing feelings of jealousy, it might be a sign that your child feels neglected. Children need all of the love and affection they can get while they are emotionally, physically, and mentally developing. Sometimes parental guidance and a little TLC can do the trick to turn your child’s feelings of jealousy to joy!

Remember how simple things used to be? Back when building sandcastles and playing hide-and-go-seek was the highlight of the day.

Children find joy in the simplest things and are always happy. If there is one thing we shouldn’t grow out of, it’s enjoying and appreciating simplicity.

Here are 5 easy ways to find joy in the little things:

1. Wake up and smell the coffee!
Take a moment to relax while you’re brewing your morning coffee, and wake up your senses while you enjoy your morning coffee or watch the sunrise to start your day off right.

2. Share something…

Whether it’s a smile or some fries, share something of yours with a friend. After all, sharing is caring!

3. Do a small act of kindness…

Give happiness to someone. Buy a random stranger their coffee, help someone with their groceries, or surprise your child with their favorite candy. Brightening someone else’s day will surely brighten yours.

4. LOL!

As Charlie Chaplin once said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

5. End your day with the perfect sunset.
Appreciate the colors of the sunset and take a moment to reflect on everything you accomplished during the day. Enjoy the beauty and stillness of yet another day coming to an end, and excite yourself for what the future will hold tomorrow.

Giving children an answer to questions such as why evil people cause suffering for others, is a question on many of our minds today. The answer is simple – evil people want to make others suffer. But that answer has no comforting power. So how can you, who is as confused as they, find the right words to put their minds at ease? How can you say “every thing is going to be ok” if you aren’t sure that it will be? Being honest with your children is of utmost importance if they are to trust you. Giving children the type of assurance that will put their minds at rest by letting them know that they are loved, cared for and appreciated, will help them, and you, find comfort at this time. None of us have control to change the minds of those who are determined to bring destruction where we least expect it. We do have control over what we say and how we act. Be the role model in your child’s life that will make their world, and ours, a better  place.

April is the launch of the first Blue Plate Special benefitting The Thread  Alliance in restaurants all around Houston.  www.thethreadalliance.org The purpose of this campaign is to bring child abuse awareness to the forefront with the hope that the cycle of child abuse will end and all children will have a childhood free of abuse.

A child advocate is someone who cares about all children being safe, protected and loved. It is hard to imagine but there are children who are being abused somewhere and bearing the added silent burden of fear if they reveal this terrifying secret. During the month of April, Child Abuse Awareness month, let your voice be heard that all children should be treated with love, respect, compassion and acceptance. We, as child advocates, can hopefully help prevent a parent or adult stop the avoidable crime of child abuse before it occurs. Start this month wearing a blue ribbon, the color of Child Abuse Awareness, or anything that is blue that will attract attention and start a conversation about this terrible crime against children being prevented and ending forever. We can all help make a difference in a child’s life by spreading the word that child abuse can be prevented starting now. www.sheilaaaronbooks.com

April is Child Abuse Awareness month and blue is the signifying color. Is blue the chosen color to symbolize the bruises that a child suffers at the hands of an abuser? Or does blue represent the hope a child dreams of that the abuse will end? Help end the cycle of abuse and show support for child abuse awareness month by wearing something blue all month long – blue finger nail polish, blue shoes, blue scarf, blue bow tie, blue socks, blue anything – and bring awareness of child abuse to the forefront. Help make a child’s dream of a safe, secure and loving childhood a reality. Begin a dialogue about ending child abuse and ask what we can do for those children who can’t speak up for themselves so that future generations can know a childhood of love, respect, acceptance and compassion. Be a child advocate for children all over the world who are being abused. Wear something blue throughout the month of April and help end the cycle of child abuse. www.sheilaaronbooks.com

It is hard to believe each time we hear about child abuse occuring, that it has happened again. What comes over someone that they loose control or, even worse, actually plans to abuse a child? Each time we, the public by-standers, are told of yet another child being brutally murdered by an adult – family member, acquaintance or stranger – we shake our heads in disbelief, ask why and go on about our normal routine. How can we as caring individuals reach out to someone we know who is being abused. Our reaction is to turn away in disgust because the matter is too horrible to talk about, much less get invovled with someone elses problems. Is it really someone elses problem? Aren’t we all responsible when any child is being abused? We need to ask ourselves how we can help a child or even the perpetrator who might have been abused himself/herself as a child. Find out how you can help stop child abuse. Begin by providing the name of a qualified agnecy in your area where someone can go for help. Don’t look away if a child is in need of help. He/she is not able to stop the abuse alone. Do the right thing – Help prevent child abuse. www.sheilaaronbooks.com.

A child’s innocence and trust makes him/her the most vulnerable among us. A child should never become the target of anothers unhappiness and disappointment with life. For someone who was abused as a child it is understandable that there is anger and sadness. Taking revenge on ones own child for how he/she was mistreated is not the answer. Retaliation on an innocent child only leads to more abuse and no good can come of that. Abuse of any type distroys a persons self esteem and dims ones ability to see a future with hope. Children deserve to have a childhood full of laughter, love and good memories to pass on to the next generation and the next. Reach out to someone who may be too frightened to ask for help. Help someone who may not know there is anyone who cares. Help someone before he/she abuses his child. Help make childhood fun for all children.