Betsy Brown Braun

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

Relationships

Do You Love Your Child Enough?

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Child development, Communication, Elementary School Children, Expectations, Parent modeling, Parenting, Relationships

Seems like a ridiculous question, I know. But since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, it feels fitting. One of the lessons our children will learn as they mature is that are lots of different kinds of love… the love for chocolate; the love for your favorite song; the love for your most comfy jeans; the love that grown up partners feel for one another; the love you have for your best pal; …And the deep, enduring love that a parent feels for her … [Read more...] about Do You Love Your Child Enough?

What’s Wrong with “I’m Sorry?”

by on , under Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Character traits, Child development, Communication, Elementary School Children, Expectations, Parent modeling, Parenting, Peers, Relationships

Years ago, I walked into the 4 year olds’ nursery school classroom and watched Mimi, a fabulous, feisty, third born child, collect all the playdough from the other three children at the table. The three were shocked; one protested loudly. Mimi looked up at me and said, “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!”   “Mimi,” I said, “Sorry isn’t enough.” Every time I hear a parent insist that her child apologize to another, I cringe, and I think about Mimi. Sorry is not enough. Teaching a child to say I’m sorry … [Read more...] about What’s Wrong with “I’m Sorry?”

Helping to Smooth the Transition Back-to-School

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Brat-Proofing, Child development, Communication, Elementary School Children, Parenting, Relationships, School, Transitions

It’s mid-August… that means summer vacation is creeping to an end, depending upon your child’s first day of school. For some it starts as soon as next week. Summer time and the livin’ was easy. Going, going, gone. For some students the thought of going back to school is exciting.  They can hardly wait to start. For others, just the thought of school and summer ending feels kind of sad.  Different kids, different feelings. On top of that, different age kids consider school-starting … [Read more...] about Helping to Smooth the Transition Back-to-School

How Do You Know When You’re in Love?

by on , under Adolescents, Behavior, Communication, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Learning, Parent modeling, Parenting, Relationships, Toddlers

“How do you know when you are in love, I mean in love for real?” my daughter asked when she was about 13 years old. I have never forgotten the question nor my answer. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what better time to discuss? Over the years in my practice (and through my own kids’ growing years,) the questions of how children learn about love and relationships and what it’s all about have come up many times in many ways.  Nothing is new. Parents have been teaching kids this … [Read more...] about How Do You Know When You’re in Love?

Being Coronavirus Cautious in a Bi-Nuclear Family

by on , under Adolescents, Communication, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Parent modeling, Parenting, Relationships, Sensitive Topics

  All families are trying their best to protect each member during these tricky times caused by the spread of COVID 19.  Parents in the same home can control their own kids’ exposure—with whom their children come in contact and who enters their homes on a daily basis. They can even control their family’s newly acquired habits of constant hand washing, surface cleaning, hand sanitizing, and cough/sneeze covering.  This protection is tedious, but it can be done when you remain pretty much … [Read more...] about Being Coronavirus Cautious in a Bi-Nuclear Family

Kobe Bryant’s Death: Talking to Kids About Premature Death

by on , under Adolescents, Child development, Communication, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Learning, Parent modeling, Parenting, Relationships, Sensitive Topics

Around the age of 4 years, most children begin to ask about death.  It surfaces in their play, they say things like, “I’m gonna kill you,” they ask if you are going to die, among other questions and references. Unless they have experienced death at a younger age, this curiosity and sometime seeming obsessiveness are age appropriate and typical. It is a part of growing up. The answers to these questions are hard for all parents. No one wants to create fear or pain for her/his child. But … [Read more...] about Kobe Bryant’s Death: Talking to Kids About Premature Death

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