Betsy Brown Braun

Child Development and Behavior Specialist. Parent Educator. Best Selling Author

Character traits

“It’s the Palisades”…Not!

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Character traits, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Parent modeling, Parenting, Public Behavior

On Friday night after another great dinner at our local pizza place with two of my grandgirls, we went for our requisite fro yo. It’s what we do on sleepovers at “BeeBee and Big D’s” house: pizza and frozen yogurt.  As we sat relishing each bite with a taste of topping, two girls came scooting by.  They looked to be 9 years old-ish. Stopping right in front of us sitting on the bench, the first girl turned and said to her friend, “How much did your most expensive jacket cost?” … [Read more...] about “It’s the Palisades”…Not!

Summer’s Here–Let Your Child Be Bored

by on , under Behavior, Character traits, Child development, Environmental influences, Expectations, Parenting

They made a Book Store.  That was the answer to my question, “What are your kids up do these days?” ‘Wait…what?” I asked.  My client’s 12 and 9 year old kids were out of school with no plans for the week. Left to their own devices—no classes, no team practices, no playdates— they built a book store. First, they wrote the books… a lot of them, pages stapled together. Then they put the store together. Shelves were made out of their building blocks, complete with fiction and non fiction … [Read more...] about Summer’s Here–Let Your Child Be Bored

The College Admissions Scandal: This is about parenting

by on , under Adolescents, Character traits, Communication, Parent modeling, Parenting, School

Yesterday the web exploded with the news of the college admissions scandal. Water cooler gossip overflowed with shock and, for most, disgust. This revelation, honestly, is not a surprise to me. I am horrified … but not surprised.  Gaining admission to the college of your choice is no easy task these days.  Each year it becomes more daunting. What if my child doesn’t get into college? What if he doesn’t get into the college?  Fear and anxiety can lead to desperate measures, like … [Read more...] about The College Admissions Scandal: This is about parenting

Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving

by on , under Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Character traits, Child development, Communication, Environmental influences, Holidays, Parent modeling, Parenting

Each year as Thanksgiving approaches, there is an mighty uptick in the gratitude discussions at school. Gratitude awareness fills the mommy blogsphere. And parents begin to think about the need for cultivating more gratitude in their spoiled kids…especially as the season of gimme is right around the corner. But shouldn’t gratitude be a year round attitude, part of our regular lives and our kids’ everyday school curricula? We know a whole lot more about the importance of gratitude, beyond … [Read more...] about Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving

My Child is a Hoarder!

by on , under Behavior, Character traits, Child development, Elementary School Children, Expectations, Parent modeling, Parenting, Relationships, Toddlers

"Daisy is a hoarder!" my daughter exclaimed in horror (and frustration).  If I didn't know about kids and their typical development, I might agree with her.  For Daisy, the world is filled with treasures. Whether it is a lost sequin spotted in the driveway,  a set of Halloween vampire's teeth, a singular sticker from a coach, party favor junk, or another piece of plastic cr&p from the dentist's office, it is must be saved.  Castoffs of all categories, shapes, colors, and sizes are for the … [Read more...] about My Child is a Hoarder!

Whose Decision is it?

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Character traits, Child development, Elementary School Children, Expectations, Parenting

Self-Reliance is a hot topic in the world of parenting these days.  My Self-Reliance seminars fill right up, standing room only.  Actually cultivating self-reliance and its myriad component parts is not so easy.  In fact, I believe it is harder for parents than it is for children. And I think it’s parents who undermine a child’s development of self-reliance in so many ways. High on the How-To list is allowing kids to make their own decisions. The ability to make decisions for yourself is a … [Read more...] about Whose Decision is it?

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