Betsy Brown Braun

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

Holidays

Holiday Envy

by on , under Adolescents, Communication, Elementary School Children, Holidays, Parenting, Toddlers

Let’s face it, Christmas is everywhere. Even in cities heavily populated by Chanukah celebrants, Christmas rules, as the streets are dressed in sparkles and twinkle lights and red and green and fa la la.   It’s no wonder that cries of “I want to have a Christmas tree!” fill Jewish air space. The omnipresence of Christmas trappings fuels what is known as the “December Dilemma.” Many a Jewish parent recalls lusting after Christmas trees as a child, and that memory is enough to push her over the … [Read more...] about Holiday Envy

Gratitude in the Pandemic…and how to grow it all year long.

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Character traits, Child development, Elementary School Children, Expectations, Holidays, Parent modeling, Parenting, Toddlers

It’s hard to feel grateful these days. Between the Pandemic, the election and state of our government, our divided country, civil unrest, fear of the future, and parenting kids who have been locked down with virtual school and virtual life, gratitude is not top of mind. Until today. I received an email from a longtime client, thanking me for all I taught her about cultivating gratitude in her children way back when.  She included a photo of the same “Gratitude Jar” she has pulled out every … [Read more...] about Gratitude in the Pandemic…and how to grow it all year long.

What’s a Parent to do about Halloween during a Pandemic?

by on , under Adolescents, Communication, Elementary School Children, Holidays, Parenting

During these complicated, layered, stressful, kind of crazy times it feels like a great relief to be writing about Halloween. I don’t have to think about the Pandemic, distance learning, wiggly kids, depressed teens, the next Supreme Court Justice, the election, or what I am cooking for dinner! When the news came out that trick-or-treating might be banned this year, all I could think about was how children would be crushingly disappointed. We all need some relief from the harsh realities of … [Read more...] about What’s a Parent to do about Halloween during a Pandemic?

“Is Santa Real, Mommy?”

by on , under Communication, Holidays, Learning, Parenting, Sensitive Topics

One of the signs (sometimes laced with a bit of sadness) that your child is growing up is when the inevitable question comes, Is Santa real? While it seems so simple, it is one that puts many a parent into a tail spin.  What should I say? Should I tell him the truth? Should I lie? Won’t he be so disappointed?  What if he accuses me of having lied to him when he finds out the truth?  Let me put your mind at ease. You have not been lying to your child if you have allowed Santa … [Read more...] about “Is Santa Real, Mommy?”

Talking to Your Kids About Homelessness…in the Season of Gratitude

by on , under Adolescents, Brat-Proofing, Communication, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Expectations, Holidays, Parent modeling, Parenting, Safety, Sensitive Topics

I want to feel upbeat today.  Thanksgiving is a blink away, and it’s time to conjure up some gratitude. I do have so much for which I am grateful. And believe me, I am front and center in expressing it to whomever will listen. But today it’s hard to feel that way.  My day started with article after article in the LA Times about the crisis of homelessness in my city. Then I went for a walk on this fall day in November, and it is too hot for me to be out exercising, 87 degrees.  So, I … [Read more...] about Talking to Your Kids About Homelessness…in the Season of Gratitude

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

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