Discipline
RANT – The #1 Stupidest Parenting Fail… Are YOU Guilty of This?
Sometimes…I confess. MamaBear just utterly despises namby-pamby, wimpy pathetic parents who lack the brass-plated balls to inspire their kids….in the *right* way. Let me explain. I now decree the following. Children can scientifically be divided into 3 easy-to-generalize categories. Leaders, Followers and Independents. Leaders are those kids around whom their peers gather. They say "jump", […]
How to brazenly jolt your children into taking you seriously
One of the biggest problems ineffective parents have today is compelling their kids to take them seriously. MamaBear can truly understand that, as every now and then…her children push back as well. Sucks, that. Take yesterday morning; I had noticed that one of my cubs was slacking big-time when it came to completing evening chores. […]
Painlessly Simple Way To Make Punishments EXTREMELY Effective
Idjutness. My gosh, MamaBear *hates* idjutness. We're talking "hate" as in "despise more so than spilled gourmet coffee on one's slumbering sleeping moose". 'course, kids being kids, they're *supposed* to push boundaries and make mistakes and otherwise cause agonizing opportunities for more grey hairs to emerge on our heads, so….it's part and parcel of life's […]
Fixing Your Drama Queen Kids When Their Self-Punishment Goes Overboard
Consequences. Annoying deserved consequences. You know, giving consequences for dippy actions is something I can completely support! For 3 out of 4 of MamaBear's kids, it works beyond perfectly. Said kid acts more idjutotic than a drunk moth testing out the heat of a nuclear flame, said kids receive appropriate consequences, and life just goes […]
The Foolproof Cure For Weak Ineffective Parenting
Good morning! Finally, after 6+ days, MamaBear is back in her lair, fresh from a roadtrip down to scenic North Carolina where she defied convention, common sense, and utterly beyond any shadow of a doubt….*rocked*. Literally, I might add. But that's a story for another post! Today, I'd like to ask you a plain and […]
“How can I get my kid to stop lying?”
From the mailbag: "Dear MamaBear, My 8 year old lies. Alot. Sometimes it's about minor things like if he's finished the chores or not, other times it's about more important things (did he do his homework etc.). How can I get him to stop lying? Brad in Delaware" Dear BiD, Lying. Argh. Lying is one […]
How NOT to Horribly Embarrass Your Children (and have the favor returned)
Sometimes….MamaBear gets real tired about being understanding…y'know? My gosh, it would be sooo much easier if I could simply decree to my cubs, thou shalt read my mind, do what I want, and obey me unquestioningly without fail. Alas, life…it just doesn't woik that way! And not only did I sure as heck find that […]
How To STOP Brother and/or Sister Teasing From Destroying Your Family
MamaBear has some words of wisdom for you, she really does. And it's this. Never ever *ever* get between her and her 38th cup of coffee in the morning! Truly, attempting this foolhardy adventure is more dangerous than testing the tensile strength of a Mylar balloon via the edge of a brand new machete. But […]
“My child bites. Help!”
From the mailbag: "Dear MamaBear, My child bites. How do I get her stop? Sincerely, Holey Dad" Dear HD, MamaBear adores questions like this, because the answer is 'way 'way 'way simpler than teaching children to appreciate raspberry Pixie Straws! Simply put… When your child bites someone…*you* bite your child. I told you it was […]
Behold My New Name: “Not My Problem” Mom! (Dealing With Whining)
Sigh. Sometimes MamaBear thinks that life would be ever so much easier if Free Will was totally removed from my kids' vocabulary. Wouldn't that be a blissful paradise indeed? Instead, let's see…I could replace it with: "Do what you're supposed to do without fail so I can finally slow down the generation of grey hairs […]