Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Betsy Brown Braun Child Development and Behavior Specialist. Parent Educator. Best Selling Author ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://betsybrownbraun.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Blog](https://betsybrownbraun.com/blog/) - ["Just Give it a Try," Pleaded the Father.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2026/02/08/just-give-it-a-try-pleaded-the-father/) - Beseeching your child to just give an activity a try, to practice the guitar she begged to take, to put in more effort on an assignment frustrates parents, lots of them. Parents frequently come to me with complaints about their child… who won’t try an activity because he fears won’t be good who has to - [Talking to Children About the Flood ( and Deaths) in Texas](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2025/07/10/talking-to-children-about-the-flood-and-deaths-in-texas/) - Even though I am based in Pacific Palisades, California, I have many clients in Texas; I have clients who have Texas connections; I have clients whose children go to camp in Texas. My phone has been ringing non-stop; my email is overloaded. How do I talk to my child about the flood in Texas? Whether - [Before It's Too Late](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2025/06/24/before-its-too-late/) - The end of life of a very dear friend of mine for 54 years is on the horizon. Needless to say, it breaks my heart. I have been spending as much time with her as I can. Last week I sat down and wrote her a long, detailed, and descriptive letter. It was not to - [She MD](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2025/03/12/she-md/) - I was a guest on a newish and quite good website, SHE MD, with Mary Alice Haney and Rhea Seahorn. For those who are in need or just wonder, I think it's worth the watch! Managing Divorce, Co-Parenting and Blended Family Dynamics to Raise Resilient Children with Betsy Brown Braun and Actress Rhea Seehorn - [Fire Talk, Part 2. Older children, tweens, and teens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2025/01/13/fire-talk-part-2/) - It is impossible to imagine a human who has not been profoundly affected by the catastrophic fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, California. Those who lost their houses, all their possessions, and their physical mementos holding their family memories, are overwhelmed, are in pain, and are numb. Those who did not take a direct hit - [Fire Talk](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2025/01/11/fire-talk/) - An evacuee myself, I am attempting to write a blog on my little iPhone. My desktop computer is in my office at home in Pacific Palisades. Please know that my house is standing and I am safe. And please also know that I am among the very few, very lucky people who did not lose - [Holiday Envy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/12/19/holiday-envy-2/) - 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 - [Talking to Children About the Election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/11/06/talking-to-your-child-about-the-election/) - I awakened today to more than a few emails pleading, Help! How do I explain the election results to my kids? This processing of the election is not meant just for those who are unhappy with the outcome. It is for both those who are deeply disappointed and those who are ecstatic. There is just - [Turn ON the TV...Lessons of the Olympics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/07/28/turn-on-the-tv-lessons-of-the-olympics/) - Turn OFF the television and spend real time with your children! How many times have I preached this advice to parents? Today I am doing an about face. It’s time to turn ON the television … to watch the Olympics. Parents frequently come to me with complaints about their child… who has to be first - [Part II of Kids Don't Understand Money: TEACHING ABOUT MONEY](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/03/20/part-ii-of-kids-dont-understand-money-teaching-about-money/) - In Part I of Kids Don't Understand Money I shared a story of a parent whose child had not previously seen or paid attention to paying with cash. (Really!) I addressed the reality that children today don’t know about our legal tender: coins and bills. It’s shocking to think about. And here is the rest - [Kids Don't Understand Money. Part 1](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/03/04/kids-dont-understand-money-part-1/) - True story: The dad took his 7-year-old son to a funky donut shop he had heard about, a shop which took cash only. No credit cards, no Apple Pay. “But Dad, how can we pay for this?” the worried boy asked, fearing he wouldn’t get his donuts. The dad took out his wallet and found - [Post Covid Parenting Reboot](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2024/01/16/post-covid-parenting-reboot/) - All of us who lived through the Covid shut downs will not forget that period in our lives. At first we were kind of grateful for the forced time at home with our families. It was close and cozy and not so bad after all. And then, the world stopped. Weeks morphed into months and - [What DO I Say about the War in Israel](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2023/10/12/what-do-i-say-about-the-war-in-israel/) - “My child just asked me,” a mother wrote, “ ‘Why do people hate the Jews?’ ” Another parent wrote, “I can explain the cause of the war; I can retell history. I cannot explain these atrocities against the Jewish state of Israel. Help me.” A third came this morning. “Thank you for your blog about - [Talking to Your Children About the War in Israel](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2023/10/10/talking-to-your-children-about-the-war-in-israel/) - I absolutely hate that I have to write this blog. There is a war in Israel, and this is the reality of the world in which we must raise our children. But my job is to help and support parents and children. And so I write...again. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I wrote about talking - [Back to School for Toddlers to Teens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2023/08/10/back-to-school-for-toddlers-to-teens/) - Going back to school or starting a new school...or just starting school the first time for our littlest ones...is a mixed bag for kids and for their parents. The process and the thoughts about it are seasoned with excitement as well as creeping anxiety. What's a parent to do? For First Timers to Pre School... - [Timing is Everything: Set yourself up for successful conversations with your child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2023/07/23/timing-is-everything-set-yourself-up-for-successful-conversations-with-your-child/) - Finding the right words to use with children is undeniably powerful. But coming up with the “right” response in the moment, creating just the script that is called for can be challenging. In fact, knowing this led to writing my first book, Just Tell Me What to Say. Successful communication with children of all ages, - [Do You Love Your Child Enough?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2023/02/03/do-you-love-your-child-enough/) - 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 - [Teaching Civility: What the Queen's Funeral Taught Me About Raising Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/10/02/teaching-civility-what-the-queens-funeral-taught-me-about-raising-kids/) - I was transfixed by the coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s death and funeral proceedings. The pageantry, the ritual, the lock steps, the salutes, the uniforms…I was mesmerized. The English loved their queen. Her passing marked the end of a 70 year relationship, and so many were really sad. Children watched their parents weep, curtsy, and - [What’s Wrong with “I’m Sorry?”](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/08/27/whats-wrong-with-im-sorry/) - 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 - [Helping to Smooth the Transition Back-to-School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/08/09/helping-to-smooth-the-transition-back-to-school/) - 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 - [Oh No! Another Shooting to Talk to Kids About](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/05/25/oh-no-another-shooting-to-talk-to-kids-about/) - Can this really be happening? Again? Every parent I know is feeling the same thing. The anxiety we already feel about our children’s safety when they are away from us is just getting worse and worse. The horror of the school shooting in Uvalde is, simply put, overwhelming. Too many times I have written blogs - [Your Children and the War in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/03/06/your-children-and-the-war-in-ukraine/) - When something “big” happens—a current or natural event-- I always write a blog, sharing with parents how to talk to their children about it. My website is filled with blog responses from over the last twenty years. I came very close to not writing a blog about the war in Ukraine, feeling like I have - [How Do You Know When You're in Love?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2022/01/27/how-do-you-know-when-youre-in-love/) - “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 - [The Lessons of the Baseball Wildcard Playoffs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2021/10/08/the-lessons-of-the-baseball-wildcard-playoffs/) - The camera slowly panned the faces of the St. Louis Cardinals, just moments after the Dodgers squashed their dream of being the baseball champions going to the Playoffs. Their faces reflected shock, disbelief, sadness, deep disappointment… just all of it. Back and forth, from the elated winning Dodger players to the dejected losing Cardinals, we - [A Master Class: The Summer Olympics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2021/07/28/a-master-class-the-summer-olympics/) - The Goat, Simone Biles, took herself off of her USA Olympic team this morning, The news swept over me in a wave of disappointment. Like so many Americans, I was looking forward to watching Simone mine for Gold and hit the jackpot. Instead of gold, I got let down. Disappointment is a part of the - [Re-Entry: Land the Helicopter!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2021/05/01/re-entry-land-the-helicopter/) - Finally, our kids are emerging from a hibernation not of their choosing. Variations of in-person school are happening; sports teams are practicing; playdates with friends outside their pod have begun; kids are roaming in the village; parks are open. Finally, our kids get to stretch their wings…and fly solo. For some, school re-entry has been - [Smoothing the Re Entry into School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2021/02/17/smoothing-the-re-entry-into-school/) - Some children are lucky enough to have already gone back to in-person school. But, sadly, many have not. Today the internet was alive with stories of more public schools soon being able to go back to in-person education. Hallelujah! While we would all love our children to run and jump headfirst into school, it may - [Children and Mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/12/06/making-mistakes/) - Recently, I heard from a parent about her child who over reacts to his mistakes and accidents. The child is highly sensitive about doing something the “right way” or is worried about doing something wrong. Mistakes are a part of life and everyone makes them. Parents have a hand in helping their kids to get - [Gratitude in the Pandemic...and how to grow it all year long.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/11/05/gratitude-in-the-pandemic-and-how-to-grow-it-all-year-long/) - 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 - [What's a Parent to do about Halloween during a Pandemic?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/10/04/whats-a-parent-to-do-about-halloween-during-a-pandemic/) - 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 - [Another Follow UP...New News for Making School Decisions in the Pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/08/01/another-follow-up-new-news-for-making-school-decisions-in-the-pandemic/) - I received a tsunami of comments about my last post. Most were so grateful for the information, and all were confused, undecided, and in a real pickle. Of course you are! This is one of the most difficult decisions any of us has ever had to make. There is NO one answer to this question. - [Excellent Info: Follow up to...Deciding on Schooling During A Pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/07/29/excellent-info-follow-up-to-deciding-on-schooling-during-a-pandemic/) - This excellent article is written by Dr. Emily Bruckner to help parents with the decision to send or not to send. I wanted to give an update on the research regarding COVID in children. I should back up briefly and state that I am a physician with a PhD in Epidemiology who became very interested - [Deciding on Schooling During a Pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/07/25/deciding-on-schooling-during-a-pandemic/) - With school fast approaching, many parents are faced with having to make a big choice. My email box is overflowing with requests for help in deciding what to do about school this fall. And the fact that many private and charter schools in California are now applying for waivers in order to open, makes the - [TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT THE RIOTS, RACISM, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (in light of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.)](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/06/01/talking-to-kids-about-the-riots-racism-and-law-enforcement-in-light-of-george-floyds-killing-in-minneapolis/) - Today it feels like our kids’ VIRTUAL SCHOOL is a good thing: Classrooms and school playgrounds are not exposing our young children to the shocking riots that erupted across the country in response to the horrific killing of George Floyd. But our elementary school age children and older will likely hear about it. And we - [So Many Disappointments; It's Time for Lemonade](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/05/25/so-many-disappointments-its-time-for-lemonade/) - Raising triplets came with all kinds of challenges. It was 1978, and I had never known anyone who had triplets. So, we muddled through the best we could. That included making sure our three kids had three separate lives, including separate birthday parties each year, being in separate classes in school, separate sports teams, followed - [Turning Disappointments into Lemonade](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/04/09/making-lemonade/) - Raising triplets came with all kinds of challenges. It was 1978, and I had never known anyone who had triplets. So, we muddled through the best we could. That included making sure our three kids had three separate lives, including separate birthday parties each year, being in separate classes in school, separate sports teams, followed - [Being Coronavirus Cautious in a Bi-Nuclear Family](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/03/22/being-coronavirus-cautious-in-a-bi-nuclear-family/) - 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 - [Parenting in a Pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/03/19/parenting-in-a-pandemic/) - It’s one thing to manage your family’s health, safety, well-being as well as that of your parents and in-laws. It’s another thing when you have genuine concern about contracting a life threatening illness. But it’s a whole new ball game when your children are home 24 hours a day and you are in charge of - [Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/03/03/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/) - I have been reluctant to write a piece about the Coronavirus for two reasons: 1) I don’t want to fuel the sense of worry or even panic that seems to be building, and 2) there are many articles on the same topic circulating in cyberspace. But after I received 5 different emails today asking the - [Kobe Bryant's Death: Talking to Kids About Premature Death](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2020/01/27/kobe-bryants-death-talking-to-kids-about-premature-death/) - 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 - ["Is Santa Real, Mommy?"](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/12/09/is-santa-real-mommy/) - 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 - [Talking to Your Kids About Homelessness...in the Season of Gratitude](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/11/18/talking-to-your-kids-about-homelessness-in-the-season-of-gratitude/) - 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 - ["It's the Palisades"...Not!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/10/02/its-the-palisades-not/) - 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 - [Smooth the Start to the New School Year ... for all ages](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/08/12/smooth-the-start-to-the-new-school-year-2016/) - Just thinking about the start of school can be stressful for kids. New teachers, new classrooms, new friends, new expectations, new routines. On top of that, getting back into the school year swing of things-the school day routine-is not only stress producing but it can be a real challenge after the lazy, hazy, crazy days - [Another Tragedy to Talk About.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/08/06/another-tragedy-to-talk-about/) - I hate to have to write this blog. (And yes, I mean the strength of that word HATE.) Another and another and another mass shooting? I am spinning, filled with horror, disgust, and tremendous despondency. I am desperately searching for answers. A parent reached out yesterday, begging for a script for talking with her now - [Follow YOUR Passion](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/05/06/follow-your-passion/) - A Mother’s Day blog should be meaningful, perhaps profound, poignant, maybe a little sappy, and really chock full of platitudes about the importance of mothers. It should be, but I am on a different journey. I was sitting in Disney Hall, watching the dynamic Gustavo Dudamel and listening to the brilliant Los Angeles Philharmonic with my - [ThanksGIVING...and then?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/11/15/thanksgiving-and-then/) - I am always struck by the irony of Thanksgiving, the holiday of giving thanks, being followed so closely by the winter holidays—Christmas and Chanukah—the holidays of gimme gimme gimme. Our children are taught the Thanksgiving story—the horror of the true story somewhat p.c.-ified (made politically correct) to reflect the supposed kindness of the Native Americans - [The Odd Life of Parents Who Laugh at Their Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/08/27/the-odd-life-of-parents-who-laugh-at-their-children/) - The viral video of the two boys emoting after seeing The Odd Life of Timothy Green made my blood boil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aFV1r45sAQ In the video two boys, perhaps 7 and 9 years old, are crying as they try to discuss the movie they had just seen, and the parents, filming the scene, can be heard laughing. - [Holiday Mistakes Parents Make](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/12/18/holiday-mistakes-parents-make/) - How many ways can I help you to rebrand the holidays? I'll try one more time by sending you to watch the video I taped for Parents Ask. Tuck the ideas away, and enjoy the rest of this holiday for now. Then when all is said and done, ponder the ideas I have offered about - [Summer's Here--Let Your Child Be Bored](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/06/17/summers-here-let-your-child-be-bored/) - 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 - [The College Admissions Scandal: This is about parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/03/13/the-college-admissions-scandal-this-is-about-parenting/) - 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 - [To Post or Not to Post](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2019/01/14/to-post-or-not-to-post/) - Every time there is a school holiday, social media is plastered with photos of families and kids engaged in all sorts of vacation fun. Then there are those other pictures, the ones that reflect something more than family fun. This year, in particular, there was a peppering of photos that made me stop and ask, - [Gratitude Beyond Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/11/12/gratitude-beyond-thanksgiving/) - 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 - [Talking to Your Child About the Synagogue Shooting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/10/30/talking-to-your-child-about-the-synagogue-shooting/) - How I wish I didn’t have to write about the mass murder of 11 human beings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. What a burden it is to have to explain to our children something so heinous, something that I cannot explain. I am sick to my stomach. As always, I am being - [Parent - Teacher Conferences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/10/12/parent-teacher-conferences/) - Communication between home and school is essential to a child’s successful school experience. Fall is the time when many schools, public and private, have their first parent-teacher conferences of the year. Unfortunately, these conferences are usually short, sometimes only twenty minutes. You want to use your time well. Save the chit-chat and small talk for - [The Aurora Shooting: How to Talk to Kids About What Happened in Colorado](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/07/20/the-aurora-shooting-how-to-talk-to-kids-about-what-happened-in-colorado/) - The horrific tragedy in Colorado has left us all speechless, shaking our heads in disbelief. How could this have happened? Could anything have been done to stop this mad man? And what can we possibly tell our children…if they ask? Parents are rendered tongue-tied when it comes to talking to their kids about many different - [My Child is a Hoarder!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/05/09/my-child-is-a-hoarder/) - "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 - [Tips for Dealing with Scary Current Events with Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/02/14/tips-for-dealing-with-scary-current-events-with-children/) - Whether it is the horror of a violent event, an act of terrorism, or a natural disaster, the news of such things can have powerful impact on children of all ages. It can cause tremendous fear and anxiety, or it can just raise some questions. Each child will react differently. But no one goes totally - [Whose Decision is it?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2018/02/26/whose-decision-is-it/) - 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 - [Extinguishing Fire Worries](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/12/08/extinguishing-fire-worries/) - Not only is the prospect of a house burning down terrifying to a child (and everyone!), but so are many of the accompanying variables disruptive and disconcerting. The fires in the Los Angeles area have driven home this reality. Fires are destroying homes; the wind is the enemy; the air is unbreathable everywhere; the road - [Watch Your Words: A lessons for kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/11/15/watch-your-words-a-lessons-for-kids/) - My client was mortified. She had just received a call from the teacher saying that her 8-year-old son called his good friend a “butt hole” while on the playground. Even though the teacher had only overheard the comment, the parent had to be told how inappropriate her son had been. Days later a different client - [Get Ready for the New School Year!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/08/08/get-ready-for-the-new-school-year/) - 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 even starts next week. Summer time and the livin' was easy! Just thinking about the start of school can be stressful for kids. New teachers, new classrooms, new friends, new expectations, new routines. - [What is the Right Age to....](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/09/28/what-is-the-right-age-to/) - Knowing when is the “right age” to give permissions and allow age related activities challenges all parents, especially with that first born child. After all, it is often the parent’s first experience not only with a child of that age, but certainly with YOUR child of that age. In addition, it may not be something - [Talking to Your Child About the Paris Attacks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/11/15/talking-to-your-child-about-the-paris-attacks/) - Sadly and not surprisingly, I have received a rash of emails from parents wondering how to explain to their children the heinous, violent terrorism that happened in Paris. These were parents of children of all ages. How I wish one could actually explain something that is so monstrous and actually unthinkable. None of us can - [Talking to Your Children About the LAUSD School Closure](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/12/15/talking-to-your-children-about-the-lasusd-school-closure/) - Boy, do I ever dislike having to write this, the safety threat which caused the Los Angeles Unified School District wide school closure today, December 15, 2015 But to help you and all our children, may I remind you of a few things. 1. No one knows all the facts yet. Do not say what - [No More Tattling!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/03/13/no-more-tattling/) - In case you didn’t know, tattling should be illegal in your family. Many parents don’t realize that. When parents come to me for help with their kids’ fighting, I always ask is if their kids are tattletales. Just about 100% of the time the answer is YES! And they don’t even flinch at the look - [Politicians Behaving Badly: Talking to Kids About the Election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/04/13/politicians-behaving-badly-talking-to-kids-about-the-election/) - Kids of all ages are getting a whiff of election politics at its worst. It’s unavoidable. I'll bet you think I am going to say, “Shelter them! Turn off the radio, TV, computer.” Not this time. This 2016 presidential election (which seems interminable) is an opportunity. It is filled with important lessons for our children, - [Do As I Do, Not As I Say!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/05/19/do-as-i-do-not-as-i-say/) - “I’m going to punish you” admonished the 4 year old “mommy” to her 4 year old “daughter,” both children at play in the “Housekeeping Center” of their preschool classroom. That is my favorite place to observe kids at work, reenacting scenes from their lives. “Playing” out their real life experiences is not only a way - [Talking to Kids about Racism, Law Enforcement, and Violence (in light of the Dallas Shootings)](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/07/13/talking-to-kids-about-racism-law-enforcement-and-violence-in-light-of-the-dallas-shootings/) - How I wish I weren’t writing this particular blog…again. How I wish you didn’t need this blog…again. How I wish I actually had an explanation for this madness. I don’t. There is no explanation. So how in the world do we explain it to our children? Too many times in the past I have posted - [How to Parent a School Age Child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/09/06/how-to-parent-a-school-age-child/) - School has begun (at last!) Every parent wants to help her child get off to a good start. Every parent wants her child to have a great school experience. Every parent wants to be the best parent of a student that she can be with her child’s successful year in mind. I am going to - [My Top 15 Parenting Tips in Recognition of 15 years of Parenting Pathways, Inc.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/09/11/my-top-15-parenting-tips-in-recognition-of-15-years-of-parenting-pathways-inc/) - I have been working with families—teaching children, directing schools, and consulting with parents—for 45 years. Yikes! Accompanying parents on their parenting pathways became my life’s work. As the years have crept by and I have worked with hundreds of families, a core set of beliefs has become clear to me. In recognition of Parenting Pathways, - [Unanticipated Lessons for our Kids from Donald Trump](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/10/13/unanticipated-lessons-for-our-kids-from-donald-trump/) - Donald Trump’s latest lewd, (accidental?), hot-mike comments, his objectification of women, and his repeated out-of-control behaviors, his bullying have left us all scratching our heads mainly in disgust. How does anyone process this man? And what is a parent to do when her kids are exposed to him and his antics? The answer? Rejoice! Donald - [Talking to Your Kids About the Election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2016/11/09/talking-to-your-kids-about-the-election/) - Certainly the outcome of the election gives new meaning to the words parents have told their growing children forever: “You can be the president; anyone can be president.” What an election surprise. Regardless of for whom you voted, many parents are wondering how to explain the election to their kids. Not only must parents deal - [Grappling with Presidential Prose](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/02/21/grappling-with-presidential-prose/) - Whether you hate or love President Trump’s politics, most parents agree that his behaviors and style of communication are not very presidential. With all the different goals parents have for their kids, there is one thing most parents share: wanting our children to behave respectfully, politely, and within the bounds of propriety. We want them - [It's Not Bad for Parents to Disagree](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/05/06/its-not-bad-for-parents-to-disagree/) - It is no surprise to me how common it is for parents to have different beliefs, considering that marriage is a union of two people from different backgrounds. Each of us is the product of the environments in which we were raised and the life experiences we have had. I am often surprised when parents - [Talking to Your Children about the Terror Attack in Manchester](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/05/24/talking-to-your-children-about-the-terror-attack-in-manchester/) - The bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester is all the more horrible and deeply troubling because the target was an arena filled with adolescents and children of all ages. Parents all over the world are left tongue tied when needing to answer what happened, why it happened, and will it happen to me. - [Do You Undermine Your Discipline?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/08/21/do-you-undermine-your-discipline/) - For forever Lisa has been cutting my hair every 4 weeks. I have watched her two kids grow up, hearing her many tales and dishing out my advice. My hair looks great, and Lisa is a terrific parent. The proof is in the pudding. Today I got my haircut, and here is Lisa's story. - [Good Medicine in Difficult Times](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2017/10/13/good-medicine-in-difficult-times/) - Each day I awaken wary of the new bad news that day will bring. I know I am not the only one who feels like we are living in apocalyptic times. Fires are ravaging California; Harvey, Irma and Maria made landfall and decimated parts of Texas, Florida and much of Puerto Rico; then came the - [The After-Burn of Starting School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/08/13/the-after-burn-of-starting-school/) - Summer time, and the livin’ is [was] easy, as the song goes. And there it went! There can be a whole lot more to starting school than starting school. Whether a child is beginning preschool, third grade, middle or high school, after a long summer or just an extended period at home, starting a school - [Beyond the Birds and the Bees](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/05/22/beyond-the-birds-and-the-bees/) - It is always with great relief that moms and dads report back that explaining the birds and the bees to their elementary school age child wasn’t that bad. And despite their six year old's exclamation of "Eewww, gross!" at the mention of the man putting his penis the woman's vagina, Mom could breathe again. That - [Unplugging](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/04/19/unplugging/) - Mindfulness is the rage in Los Angeles. Mindful eating, mindful interactions, mindful relationships, mindful communication, mindful parenting. There is mindfulness for kids: Teaching kids to become mindful; mindfulness as an antidote to bullying; mindful learning in school; using mindfulness to enhance peer relationships, and on and on. Mindfulness through meditation is the new antidote to - [It's Just A Sip](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/04/01/its-just-a-sip/) - (First published in 2010) The journey of raising a teen is fraught with challenges. Not only is his natural development tricky, but a teen’s world is filled with societal influences of all kinds, alcohol being just one. Alcohol is on everyone’s minds: Tweens and teens want to try it, and parents want to keep it - [Should You Discipline Someone Else's Child....Revised](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/02/11/should-you-discipline-someone-elses-child-revised/) - It’s hard enough to raise your own child—teaching him the rules of the road, guiding him as he learns how to “play nicely”—but what happens when a child who is not yours is in need of some pointed guidance (a swift kick in the pants!)? You’re having a playdate, and the guest grabs a toy - [How to Talk About Homelessness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2015/01/06/how-to-talk-about-homelessness/) - With ever increasing numbers of homeless in our cities, it is not surprising that young children are asking questions. Whether it is someone in the street asking each car for money, someone pushing a cart overflowing with possessions, or a person forlornly propped up against a building, children notice anything that is different (as do - [Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/12/18/redirecting-the-holiday-gimmes/) - Sugar Plum fairies and fa la la la la are not the only things that come with the winter holidays. So does a parent’s worst fear that she has raised the spoiled child she swore she would never have. At no other time of year do the cries of “Gimme Gimme!” echo so loudly across our - [Putting the Happy Back in Birthday](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/12/02/putting-the-happy-back-in-birthday/) - "Amanda is 2!" read the banner draped over the entrance to our neighborhood park. And that was just the beginning. A cooking area complete with printed aprons (“Amanda’s 2nd Birthday”) and chef's hats for each child, a craft area with three different creation stations, a pony ride with three steeds awaiting , a bounce house, - [Hurrying is the Enemy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/10/13/hurrying-is-the-enemy/) - The outing to Starbucks with our two year old grandtoddler was perfect. Not a glitch. No screaming, no crying, no collapsing into a heap, no refusal to walk, no running into the street, no running away. And not one single tantrum. The joys of being a grandparent. Admittedly, the walk which usually takes 15 minutes - [Back-to-School Blues](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/09/01/back-to-school-blues/) - “I’m a wreck!” was the reply from my client, mother of two elementary school age kids, when I asked her how things were going. Her children had started back to school the week before. And, truth be told, they were doing great. Both liked their teachers, classes, friends, and were happily back in the ritual - [The Problem with "It's Not Fair."](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/03/17/the-problem-with-its-not-fair/) - “It’s not fair!” Can’t you just hear the whiney tone that delivers that exclamation? I’ve yet to meet a parent whose child hasn’t at some point or other protested “That’s not faaaiiiiiirrrr?” (Note the drawn out faaaiiiirrrr, added for extra impact on you, the parent.) As common and grating as the phrase is, parents never - [Empathy is a Two Way Street](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2014/02/10/empathy-is-a-two-way-street/) - Cultivating empathy is a hot topic in the parenting world. Current research has demonstrated that children under a year not only have the capacity for empathy but actually exhibit empathy. (Regarding infants: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201306/empathy-appears-in-infancy-varies-age-and-gender Regarding toddlers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX6krHsZA_w .) But parents, usually not educated to recognize and encourage this trait in their very young children, are often - [5 Tips for Powering Up Your Parenting in the New Year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/12/22/5-tips-for-powering-up-your-parenting-in-the-new-year/) - As the big hand creeps its way toward midnight, most people give at least a fleeting thought to New Year resolutions. Those usually have to do with eating or exercise or a nagging behavior ripe for modification. And we all know how long those last: Not very. Instead, let’s talk about resolving to make some - [Grandparents and Gift Giving: An Unspoken December Dilemma](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/11/19/grandparents-and-gift-giving-an-unspoken-december-dilemma/) - There is a dilemma that accompanies the winter holiday season that is rarely discussed out loud. It certainly is a topic that is dominating my parenting groups this month. That is, how do parents deal with grandparents who want to do as they please with their grandchildren when it comes to celebrating the gift-giving holidays. - [All Kinds of Feelings: A Child's Emotional Literacy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/11/03/all-kinds-of-feelings-a-childs-emotional-literacy/) - In the video, Emotional Baby is Moved to Tears by Mom’s Singing, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/emotional-baby-moved-to-tears-by-moms-singing_n_4173272.html?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents, we witness the power of emotion in even the youngest of babies. At only 10 months old, the baby’s deep feelings spill over in the form of tears when he hears his mother’s beautiful singing. Learning about emotions like these is a - [All that Halloween Candy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/10/27/all-that-halloween-candy/) - In a well watched video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YQpbzQ6gzs) Jimmy Kimmel shows kids’ reactions to the news that their parents have eaten all their Halloween candy. Kimmel claims he was surprised to see how really upset many kids were. Not I! Kids love their Halloween candy. I repeat, they LOVE it. What an odd holiday is Halloween. On - ["I Don't Want To Go To School!"](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/09/10/i-dont-want-to-go-to-school/) - Now that the school year has begun, it won’t be long before one morning you’ll awaken to the declaration, “I don’t want to go to school.” It’s a cry, actually more of a plea, which every parent is likely to face at least once, if not ten times, each school year. It’s never music to - [Kids in Restaurants?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/07/17/kids-in-restaurants/) - Our dinner at a local sushi restaurant was a bit earlier than we usually dine. So I casually mentioned to my husband that we might overlap “family time” at the eatery. But we decided that it wouldn’t be a problem; we both love kids. Little did we realize it was the parents who would ruin - [Kids in Restaurants, Part 2: Lousy Local Conditions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/07/22/kids-in-restaurants-part-2-lousy-local-conditions/) - Kids in Restaurants, Part 2: Lousy Local Conditions On Friday I lunched with a colleague at a “grown up” restaurant. The atmosphere was quiet and refined. Seated right next to us was a family of three—mother, father, and, in-between them, their adorable 18 month old child. We wouldn’t even have known he was there were - [Fathering is Interactive](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/06/10/fathering-is-interactive/) - On a recent Saturday morning, my husband and I found ourselves at the local park, right in the middle of Little League play offs. Déjà vu! It was thrilling to relive our now grown kids’ baseball days in the park—cheers echoing across the field, coaches calling out plays, dust from the infield coating our faces, - [Knowing Your Child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/06/01/knowing-your-child/) - It isn’t usually until the fall that I begin to hear chatter about parents wanting their kids to find their passion, who are eager to enroll their kids in specialized, extra curricular classes. I have already weighed in on this topic, kids finding passion. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/betsy-brown-braun/finding-their-passion-rea_b_991621.html. Eye roll. But this year the search for passion’s ignition - [Being Neighborly](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/05/15/being-neighborly/) - Keeping your child safe, (also the name of a seminar I offer), is every parent’s top priority. And each time the internet explodes with news of another abuse to a child, parents are shaken to the core. Fear reverberates across the county, and we ask, “How did that happen?” and “What could have been done - [Circle the Wagons. How children learn to express empathy.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/04/29/circle-the-wagons-how-children-learn-to-express-empathy/) - Current research on the topic of empathy in children points to likelihood that infants as young as 6 months have the ability to demonstrate empathy. Whether or how empathy develops as the child grows is a whole different story. Here we go again, nature vs nurture. A recent experience points to an answer. Shockingly, I - [How Will Your Kids Remember You?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/03/11/how-will-your-kids-remember-you/) - I’ve just returned from a funeral. A friend’s husband, father of five, died way before his time was up. And it was a five Kleenex affair. My mirror neurons, the ones that make you match the emotions of others, were hard at work. (You know when someone yawns, and you yawn? Those are your mirror - [When A Pet Dies. Part 2 - for children 7 years and older](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/02/03/when-a-pet-dies-part-2-for-children-7-years-and-older/) - “So, how do you handle the death of a pet when your child is older than 7 years?” asked a client after reading my previous blog, When a Pet Dies. Good question. As children grow and mature, they begin to understand death differently. Children older than 7 years are able to see death as permanent. - [When A Pet Dies](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/01/29/when-a-pet-dies/) - More times that I can count, I have received a call from a parent saying sadly,“We have to put our dog down. I just can imagine what I am going to say to my little boy.” And every single time I kick myself for not including such an important and weighty question in the chapter, - [The Trouble With "Whyyyyyyyyyyy?"](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2013/01/07/the-trouble-with-whyyyyyyyyyyy/) - You tell your child it’s time for bed. Instead of the pitter patter of feet running up the stairs, you get “Whyyyyyyy?” All parents have heard it. The funny thing is, you know your child isn’t really looking for an answer. “Well, dear, your body needs sleep in order for the all the cells to - [Talking to Kids (or NOT) About What Happened in Connecticut](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/12/15/talking-to-kids-or-not-about-what-happened-in-connecticut/) - There are no good words to explain to anyone—let alone to kids—what happened at the elementary school in Connecticut this morning. The horrific incident is every parent’s worst nightmare, unfathomable and unspeakable. The air is heavy with the horror. The president of our country wept during his speech to the nation. This is one of - [Time Release Gifts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/12/02/time-release-gifts/) - Chanukah is around the corner, and there are just three weeks until Christmas. The world is kicking into high gear for the holidays. It’s inescapable. The media, advertisers, merchants are targeting our children and us, pointing us towards their ultimate goal: buy buy buy. It’s no wonder that children across the country are whining and - [It's Hard to Shut Up](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/11/12/its-hard-to-shut-up/) - I finally figured it out. I have found the magic key for getting along with your adult children. Whatever comes into your head to say, don’t say it. This is especially true when those adult children become parents. Relationships are evolutionary. Parent-child is no exception. It starts in one place and over time ends up - [Throw Away Your Parenting Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/10/15/throw-away-your-parenting-books/) - “I’m almost finished reading [parenting book],” the first-time mom confessed, “and I have to tell you, it’s really stressing me out!” “Well, don’t read it! ” I urged. “Just put it away.” (I think I actually suggested that she throw it away.) That’s kind of an odd recommendation from a parenting expert who has written - [You Are Who You Are When No One is Looking](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/09/09/you-are-who-you-are-when-no-one-is-looking/) - The mother unwrapped the straw, poked it into the little box, and handed the drink to her toddler as they walked out of the grocery store. The sliver of straw paper slipped from the mother’s hand. I doubt that she even noticed it. Rolling my grocery cart back to its stable, I looked around to - [When a Vacation is a Trip](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/08/07/when-a-vacation-is-a-trip/) - Summer time and the livin’ is easy…well, sort of. The Dog Days are laced with so many expectations—relaxed schedules, lazy days, warm evening bar-b-ques, no homework, lighter responsibilities, and vacations. Many parents have memories of fabulous family vacations from their youth. And for the kids, vacations are usually just that— fabulous! But that’s not always - [Why You Should Watch the Olympics with Your Kids: Olympic Lessons](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/07/25/why-you-should-watch-the-olympics-with-your-kids-olympic-lessons/) - Olympic fever is starting to rise, and here is the good news: There are enough benefits to watching the Olympics as a family that you can throw your standard TV rules out the window. Beyond sheer entertainment, there’s much to be learned by watching the games on the demon screen—exposure to different sports and their - [If Not Spanking, Then What?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/07/03/if-not-spanking-then-what/) - Seems like almost every parent today knows that spanking is verboten. Everyone except that parent who says, “My father spanked me, and I turned out fine.” To him I want to say, You don’t remember how you felt while you were being spanked—the terror, the helplessness, the anger. Working with parents for 40 years has - [In Celebration of Parenting Pathways®, Inc's 10 Year Anniversary: 10 Pieces of Parenting Advice](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/09/13/in-celebration-of-parenting-pathways-incs-10-year-anniversary-10-pieces-of-parenting-advice/) - Ten years ago this month I founded Parenting Pathways®. (This is my business through which I offer parents of children, toddlers through teens, a variety of services including private consultations, monthly parenting groups, and individual topical seminars.) Who knew I would reinvent myself? Who knew how much I would learn? Who knew how many times - [What Does Mommy Do?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/06/12/what-does-mommy-do/) - The mom’s tears at the end of the session spent counseling this soon-to-be separating couple were not surprising. Divorce is never easy. We had begun to discuss custody schedules, always a prickly topic. That’s when the dam broke. My empathetic comments about how painful these things are bounced right back. “That’s not it!” the mother - [Smartphone as Saboteur](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/05/28/smartphone-as-saboteur/) - Technology is here to stay. No question there. Children born today must become technologically literate in order to thrive in their world as they grow. No question there. Advanced technologies make parts of raising children easier. No question there either. Wait! It’s spinning out of control. The horse is driving the cart! The inmates are - [The Right to be Unhappy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/05/13/the-right-to-be-unhappy/) - "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands." Every kid knows that insipid song. It scrolls through a palette of feelings, "If you're sad...If you're angry..." always pointing to the refrain "but if you're happy and you know it, shout hooray!" as if that's the right way to be. I'm not so sure. - [Loose Parts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/04/23/loose-parts/) - For years I have extolled the value of empty cardboard boxes—the ones in which your big appliances arrive—in the lives of children. You see cardboard box to be recycled; your child sees secret cave, fire station, beauty parlor, club house. But Caine Monroy has broadened even my wildest dreams. He built Caine’s Arcade (http://vimeo.com/40000072). Caine’s - [Tantrums: Doing What Comes Naturally.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/03/22/tantrums-doing-what-comes-naturally/) - There’s nothing like a toddler’s tantrum or an older child’s melt down to bring a parent to her knees. It’s one of those behaviors that makes you feel inadequate and helpless, to say nothing of incompetent. Put that tantrum in a public place—a restaurant, the grocery store, the school lobby—and you can add embarrassment, fear, - [Children Should Be Seen and HEARD](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/02/06/children-should-be-seen-and-heard/) - The horror at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles has my blood boiling, to say nothing of my stomach turning in disgust. The story is still unfolding, layers added every day. (A 30 year veteran third grade teacher, uncovered by a photo lab technician who alerted police to photos of children blindfolded and/or gagged, some - [Whose Birthday Party Is It?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/01/23/whose-birthday-party-is-it/) - I might hold the record for having given the most single birthday parties. Each of my kids (triplets) had his/her own party from age two years old on up. It’s not that I am a glutton for punishment; it’s that there’s not much that is all yours besides your name and your birthday. In the - [Your Kids are Watching You...Drive](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2012/01/11/your-kids-are-watching-you-drive/) - The thought of getting a driver’s license is thrilling to teens. To most parents, it’s terrifying. Attached to the little paper that brings wheels and freedom to your child is an expanded list of worries for you. Not only are all the other drivers on the road a colossal safety hazard, but, in addition to - [The Un-Resolution](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/12/31/the-un-resolution/) - I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. They scream failure. It doesn’t start that way. But inevitably the best laid plans… Two weeks into that new diet, that exercise routine, that tidy bedroom, and it’s back to square one and self-flagellation. Oh well, maybe next year. That doesn’t mean there aren’t many things I could or - [Holiday Envy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/12/17/holiday-envy/) - 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 - [The Habit of Giving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/11/14/the-habit-of-giving/) - There isn't a school around that doesn't step up the giving spirit as Thanksgiving and the winter holidays approach. Mini vans are jammed with cans of corn and candied yams to replenish the city's depleted food pantry shelves. Bags upon bags of gently used clothing are distributed throughout the city. All good, all much needed. - [Be the Person You Want Your Child to Be](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/11/06/be-the-person-you-want-your-child-to-be-2/) - (Posted for the second time...that;s how important this one is!) “You will not believe this story,” began the email from a client who had just returned from family services for the Jewish New Year. She described the mother and three children sitting next to her own family. “She was knitting!” (Yes, you read it correctly, - [Want Some Cheese With That Whine?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/11/02/want-some-cheese-with-that-whine/) - How amazing is it that all kids seem to whine at some time or other? Seriously, how is it that they all use the same tone? Is that capacity just part of the factory-equipped model of child? Truth be told, it kind of is…the capacity, that is. Children whine at different ages for different reasons. - [Toddler Tutoring?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/05/18/toddler-tutoring/) - They’re getting younger and younger! Now there’s Junior Kumon, a program to teach your two year old academics. Seriously! In a recent New York Times article, Fast-Tracking to Kindergarten, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/fashion/with-kumon-fast-tracking-to-kindergarten.html?_r=1&emc=eta1 author Kate Zernike highlights the proliferation of the new Kumon (and other) tutoring programs designed to jumpstart toddlers’ academic career. Are they kidding? Sadly, they - [Whose Halloween is it?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/10/17/whose-halloween-is-it/) - Yesterday I watched a neighbor’s nanny drape the front shrubs with that spider webby stuff in anticipation of Halloween. Such fun, I thought. Then I noticed her charges, two little guys ages 8 and 5 were right there…watching. As far as I could tell, their job was to stand there and yell “Car coming!” when - [Excuse Me...and Dont' Interrupt!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/01/09/excuse-me-and-dont-interrupt/) - As often happens, over the weekend I ran into a client at the grocery store. Mid aisle we stopped for a brief greeting. As soon as the mom began to speak to me, her son piped up with, “Mom, Mom, can we get some Gatorade?” tugging at her jacket. “Please don’t interrupt me,” she calmly - [Excuse Me...Part II: Phonus Interruptus](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/01/30/excuse-me-part-ii-phonus-interruptus/) - Isn’t it amazing that as soon as the phone rings and you answer it, someone else needs you? This phenomenon, phonus interruptus, is pervasive in homes all across the country. Further, the more you tell your child that you are on the phone (as if he hasn’t noticed) and not to interrupt you, the more he - [Attachment, Regardless of Age](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/09/08/attachment-regardless-of-age/) - I don't know a person in the world whose breath was not taken away by the story of Jaycee Dugard's homecoming. Isn't it every parent's worst nightmare that her child will be stolen from her, never to be seen, hugged, kissed again? It' would be like someone reaching into your chest and pulling out your - [ Lousy Local Conditions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/01/09/lousy-local-conditions/) - While I cannot take credit for inventing the expression, "lousy local conditions," I use it all the time. It’s just so right-on-the-button. Lousy Local Conditions refers to those times when a child’s less than perfect behaviors are magnified or even created by the conditions of his environment. Children who went to sleep late or work - [Lousy Local Conditions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/05/01/lousy-local-conditions-2/) - While I cannot take credit for inventing the expression lousy local conditions, I use it all the time. It’s just so right-on-the-button. Lousy local conditions refers to those times when a child’s less than perfect behaviors are magnified or even created by the conditions of his environment. The child who has missed a nap or - [Backseat Battlefield](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/01/26/backseat-battlefield/) - It’s not likely that your car arrived factory equipped with a chauffeur’s screen, the one you flip up at the touch of a button. So, what the heck is a parent to do when the kids’ fighting in the back seat drives you nuts. To your kids, the back seat of a car is home - [When Should I Have “the Talk” With My Child?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/05/21/when-should-i-have-“the-talk”-with-my-child/) - One woman remained after the rest of the participants in my “Birds and Bees” seminar had left. Sheepishly she said, “My daughter is 9 years old. I have not [her emphasis] told her about the birds and the bees and I am not going to,” as if in defiance. Here’s her answer to my query - [The Proof is in the Pudding](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/09/13/the-proof-is-in-the-pudding/) - I really truly believe in the power of parents. I wouldn't be doing what I do if I didn't, right? I've written two books about it; I teach classes about it; I lecture about it, preach about it, consult about it. Parents who are deliberate in their parenting--who give thought to and discuss the ways they want to raise their kids--are - [Taite’s Tutorial at Target](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/11/28/taite’s-tutorial-at-target/) - Recently my friend Brent shared with me a story about his 11 year old daughter, Taite, He said, “I know you are going to love this story.” He was right. Taite was given two birthday gift cards to Target. Coupling those with a little additional cash, she was eager to spend her booty on - [Talking about Tiger](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/12/07/talking-about-tiger/) - For the great majority of young children, the headlines about Tiger Woods will pass right over their heads. But for the child whose parents or older siblings are hyper tuned into sports, who overhears the news or casual conversation, for the child who is focused on sports and sports news or who is a budding golfer, - [Olympic Idols](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/02/20/olympic-idols/) - It seems like there is something for everyone in this Winter Olympics, and it’s easy to become an addict. The entire event is packed with heart-racing excitement as well as examples of natural talent, acquired skill, and athleticism. Don’t you just sit on the edge of your chair? But there is more. While I am - ["My child got the bad teacher."](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/10/04/my-child-got-the-bad-teacher/) - Every one of us had a teacher she will never forget. She was the best teacher ever! And each of us had a teacher who was, well, not a favorite at all. How great it would be if every teacher was special, was a winner. Welcome to the world of education. That's just not going to happen, - [Sabotaging September and the Start of School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/08/29/sabotaging-september-and-the-start-of-school/) - As much as you looked forward to school being out last June, there is something to be said for school being back in session in September..for kids anyway. You loved the lazy days of summer--the care free schedule, the lack of pressure, the slower pace. And your children did, too. But truth be told most - [Smoothing the Start of the School Year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/08/10/smoothing-the-start-of-the-school-year/) - It’s August...three, four, even five more weeks of summer vacation depending upon your child’s first day of school. Summer time and the livin’ is (still) easy! Even though the consistent, routinized school year schedule actually makes life easier for most children and parents, getting back into the swing of things can be a real challenge. - [Leave the Babies Alone?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/05/13/leave-the-babies-alone/) - It’s hard not to love the movie Babies. That’s what I chose to do for my Mothers’ Day observance. It was kind of like eating chocolate… all good! There were none of the not-so-fun parts of babies, like colic and diarrhea and sleepless nights. Just one oooo and ahhhhh after another. But the cute is - [A Spirit of Optimism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/09/25/a-spirit-of-optimism/) - My teacher friend, Barbara, retold the wonderful story of a little boy in her new Pre K class. She was reading the class a particular book the plot of which was getting tense. The little guy interrupted her reading and announced, "Let's look on the bright side, guys. I'm pretty sure there's going to be - [The Height of Mother Love](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/11/21/the-height-of-mother-love/) - This time of year when teachers ask their young children what each is thankful for, a good 90% respond enthusiastically, "My mommy!" It's not only that kids are copycats, saying just what the child before him has said, it's also that kids get it. They really are thankful for their mommies. (Forgive me, Dads. I am - [Playing Favorites](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/08/31/playing-favorites/) - “Mother always liked you best” claimed Tommy Smothers of the old comedy duo of the 60’s and 70’s, The Smothers Brothers. They were comedians, but that gag struck a chord, as the audience laughed and cried at the same time. “Who do you love the most?” No matter how it comes out, every child who - [A Father-Son Team](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/06/17/a-father-son-team/) - I watched Derek and his son washing my car, as I stood at the sink, molding patties for our bar-b-que that night. They were having an animated discussion about something, lots of back and forth over the top of my car. The son is really tall at 15, just like his dad. Derek does all - [Join the Family](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/10/16/join-the-family/) - The “perfect” family—mom, dad, and two girls probably ages 6 and 9—sat across from my husband and me as we dined at a local restaurant to launch our weekend As hard as I try, when I am out in the world I cannot help but notice families. It is my passion and my life’s work, - [Bad Behavior...of Grown Ups, That Is](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/09/16/bad-behavior-of-grown-ups-that-is/) - This morning's treadmil conversation at the gym was livelier than usual. I announced that I just had to blog about the growing epidemic of bad behavior...of adults... public figure adults' bad behavior. Whether or not my gym rat buddies felt Serena's tongue fault was forgiveable (It was, they thought--it was her first outburst; it was a - [New Year, New Morning Routine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/12/25/new-year-new-morning-routine/) - I often hear from parents how difficult their mornings are. Getting the kids up, dressed, fed, brushed, (loved!), and out the door to school can really be challenging. It’s especially tricky when you, too, are trying to pull yourself together, get ready for your day, whether you work in or out of the house. This - [Be the Person You Want Your Child to Be](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/09/21/be-the-person-you-want-your-child-to-be/) - “You will not believe this story,” began the email from a client who had just returned from family services for the Jewish New Year. She described the mother and three children sitting next to her own family. “She was knitting!” (Yes, you read it correctly, knitting.) “And when she was done knitting, she pulled out - [Balancing Your Child's Media Diet](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/11/01/balancing-your-childs-media-diet/) - Would you allow your child to eat and eat and eat, whatever and whenever he wanted? Of course not. It’s not much different with a child’s media intake. Just like a parent implements portion and quality control with food, so must he implement the same controls with media. It is a child’s rightful job to - [Should Baby Read?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/02/01/should-baby-read/) - I heard a radio advertisement this week for a DVD , Your Baby Can Read, or some name like that. Needless to say, it grabbed my attention. This program promises to teach your toddler, even infant, to read. A mother of a three year old claimed that she had been using it for a year, - [What's Love Got To Do With It?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/02/12/whats-love-got-to-do-with-it/) - With Valentine’s Day always comes lots of talk about love. I love you, Mommy. I love my teacher. I love chocolate. I love making Valentines. Kids are exposed to the word the moment the cord is cut in the delivery room. And it is reinforced and expanded over and over throughout their growing years Daddy - [To Bring or Not To Bring...Part 2](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/09/07/to-bring-or-not-to-bring-part-2/) - It had been a work week filled with families who had lots of heavy issues, and I was drained. A relaxed, peaceful dinner out with my husband was just a parking spot away. Our destination— a lovely, local restaurant, upscale but informal, delicious martinis, and no kids’ menu. At last. But the characteristic low lights - [Life is Full of Separations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/07/11/life-is-full-of-separations/) - The emails were all the same: “I just can’t stop crying…my daughter hasn’t even been gone for 24 hours, and I miss her already.” wrote the mother whose ten year old was off to sleep away camp for the first time. “The house is so quiet. At first I loved it, but now I am - [Brats are not born](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/04/24/brats-are-not-born/) - In response to my recent appearance on the Today Show – http://www.clicker.com/tv/today-show/Brat-proof-your-child-866570.html in case you missed it! — a woman wrote to tell me I was off base. She said that children are naturally brats and are naturally selfish. While I would not be quick to countradict this mother of 4 and grandmother of 11 - [Gimme Juice Now!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/04/09/gimme-juice-now/) - Regardless of the topic of the seminar I am teaching, I end up making the same point: There are three peaks a child must climb in order to grow up and make his way through life fairly happily: learning to tolerate frustration, learning to tolerate disappointment (These first two are kind of twin peaks.), and - [The Importance of Doing Nothing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/03/19/the-importance-of-doing-nothing/) - “What are we going to do today?” pleads the child as he climbs into the car after a full day of school. What is that about? Is it that the child has come to expect that every day brings a new form of parent-organized, post school entertainment – music lessons, sports lessons, art classes, dance - [The 4 R's](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/04/16/the-4-rs/) - What an amazing experience I had last weekend when I lunched with two women with whom I went to elementary school, one of whom I have not seen since I graduated from 6th grade. Seriously! Keep in mind that I graduated from Seeds UES in Los Angeles, now called The Lab School (of UCLA), in - [When Jewish kids want Santa](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/12/12/when-jewish-kids-want-santa/) - As young children grow, their interest in and experience with the winter holidays change. This includes learning that different people celebrate different holidays in different ways—Christmas,Chanukah, Kwanza to name just three. It is well within the range of normal development for young children to want for their own anything and everything that appeals to them. - [BEWARE OF HALLOWEEN!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/10/17/beware-of-halloween/) - One of the joys of being a parent is getting to do the fun kid stuff all over again. Stuff like sharing Easter baskets, making Valentines, and dressing up for Halloween. You can hardly wait to dress up your nine month old in that lion costume and parade her around the neighborhood, right? But you - [Let Halloween Be The Kids' Holiday](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/10/22/let-halloween-be-the-kids-holiday/) - “Professional Halloween Lighting” reads the sign on my corner. Are they kidding? I wondered as I inched toward my house, looking out for any of my young neighbors. My block is filled with kids of all ages, nursery through high schoolers. And their house Halloween decorations began appearing last week. Next door to me there - [Cousin Sarah's kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/08/04/cousin-sarahs-kids/) - The topic for my first blog on my new website had been on my mind when I paid a visit to my cousin Sarah and her boys, ages 5 and 7. After spending the afternoon with them, I knew I had found my topic. Sarah lives in a TV free house. (Okay, her husband, also - [Fifty Years Later](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/10/04/fifty-years-later/) - I answered the door at 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, to find a good looking, gray haired gentleman. “Yes?” I said, somewhat perturbed that my racing to set up for the 12:30 p.m event was being interrupted. “I am Jeff Hearn” said the guest who was supposed to have arrived at that 12:30 start time. “You’re - [Call Off the Race](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/09/15/call-off-the-race/) - For months I’ve waited for the chance to see Race to Nowhere, an incredible documentary film. The trailer was circulated around the web ages ago and caught my eye. I tell you now, run, don’t walk, to see it. (www.racetonowhere.com). That’s how important it is. When the lights came on in the theater after the - [Whose Dreams Are They, Anyway?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/06/03/whose-dreams-are-they-anyway/) - I guess my book, You’re Not the Boss of Me, came out too late for the mom who wrote in the Two Cents Worth column of my local newspaper: I think the [delete name] Pony Baseball Association should consider eliminating playoffs for the younger players (Pintos). My Pinto player’s team has already lost and it - [Teaching Children About Death](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/02/26/teaching-children-about-death/) - A mom called me from New York today. In a panic she explained that her mother was in the last stages of her life and what on earth would she tell her child. She said she needed a crash course in death. So sad for her, but good for her. There are parents of young - [Hurry Up and Slow Down!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/03/05/hurry-up-and-slow-down/) - Last Sunday morning I stood on the corner of Sepulveda and Skirball Drive. Ten families with children of all ages in tow and I stood at the red light, eager to get to Milk and Bookies. (The glory of that charity event held this year at the Skirball is for another blog.) There were no - [The Daily Eulogy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/03/12/the-daily-eulogy/) - “I just have to hug my kid. And I tell him that I love him every chance I get.” That’s what I have heard over and over for two weeks, as parents continue to process Julia Siegler’s death. They are circling the wagons, appreciating every day with their kids, drinking up as much as they - [At What Age Should My Child Have a Cell Phone?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/11/02/at-what-age-should-my-child-have-a-cell-phone/) - Wouldn’t it be great if there were a clear answer to this question? There isn’t. As with every decision you will make regarding your child, this one is about your particular child and you. The only thing I know for sure is that “all my friends have one” is not a good enough reason for - [Cultivating a Love of Books and Reading](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/01/04/culitvating-a-love-of-books-and-reading/) - Home is the first school house. And children’s attitudes about books and reading begin at home at the earliest ages. Pretty much all children start out loving books. Young children display their love of books in all kinds of ways: piling them high to make towers; pulling them off the shelf; carrying them around in - [Bffs Rock!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/06/25/bffs-rock/) - I just hung up the phone from my very own bff who was rushing to her mother’s hospital bedside in San Diego. Her world is falling apart. Loaded with her own issues of life and work and now her very ill mother, she needed to complain and unload…and unload and unload. She ended the conversation - [Doing the Right Thing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/06/10/doing-the-right-thing/) - When I was pondering the Introduction to my new book, You’re Not the Boss of Me, it occurred to me that all I really needed to write was one sentence: Be the person you want your child to be. Four pages later, that didn’t happen. But I still believe it. Children need to be surrounded - [Your Children Are Watching You!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/07/19/your-children-are-watching-you/) - “Coach Accused of Punching Son” The headline in the LA Times caught my eye. A youth baseball coach is facing a simple assault charge for punching his 9 year old son in the face after the boy was ejected from a game. Are they kidding? I read it again. [Coach’s name] of suburban Harrisburg was - [Don't Take it Personally](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/05/28/dont-take-it-personally/) - “You’re the meanest mommy in the whole world!” the seven year old screams at her mother, as she stomps down the hall to her room, punctuating the scene with a crashing door slam. There’s not much that’s good about that scene, except that it is well within the range of normal behavior. You may not - [The “Right” Age for Video Games](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/03/26/the-“right”-age-for-video-games/) - With your first born child, it’s pretty easy to control his diet of everything—sugar, television, war toys, choice of friends—for the first few years anyway. But then he hits school age, somewhere after five years old, kindergarten age, and the once controlling parent begins to question some of her controls. My child is the only - [A Parent Should Be A Parent...Not A Friend](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/04/04/a-parent-should-be-a-parent-not-a-friend/) - Every time I hear a parent brag that her child is her best friend, I cringe and think, “Well, that’s too bad.” The job description of parent is mighty long—nurturer, teacher, advisor, consultant, guide, spotter, disciplinarian, consoler, cheerleader. But I am quite sure “friend” is not on the list. I fully believe that you really - [Little Boys and Nail Polish](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/08/01/little-boys-and-nail-polish/) - On my son Lucas’ second birthday, he wanted to wear barrettes in his hair just like his sister Jessie wore. I am reminded of this episode daily as I read the headlines about the trial of Brandon McInerney, the teen who shot Larry King, the boy who wore a dress and heels to school. (As - [Talking to Children About Haiti](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/01/16/talking-to-children-about-haiti/) - There is no debate that the disaster in Haiti is just that, a disaster. But there are differing opinions about whether young children should be exposed to this news. While I suggest that you have a look at chapter 11 (Is the Fire Going to Come to Our House?" Answering questinos about Natural Disasters, Terrorism, - ["Is Santa Real, Mommy?”](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/12/19/is-santa-real-mommy”/) - 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 - [Putting the thanks in Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/11/14/putting-the-thanks-in-thanksgiving/) - As Thanksgiving approaches, most of us firm up plans for "the feast." At whose house will it be? What will I bring? What's the best sweet potato recipe? Then the day comes and it's all about rush-rush, clean the house or clean the kids, cook the food, set the table, get everyone dressed...and then it's over. - [A Trip Isn't Always a Vacation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/07/01/a-trip-isnt-a-vacation/) - The approach of summer is laced with so many expectations—relaxed schedules, lazy days, warm evening bar-b-ques, no homework, lighter responsibilities, and vacations! So many parents have memories from their youth of family vacations that were fabulous. And for the kids, vacations are usually just that… fabulous! But that’s not always the case for parents. It is for this - ["Mommy, What is 9/11?"](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/08/23/mommy-what-is-911/) - As the ten year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the media is heating up with programs and references to that tragedy. Ten years ago already. Wow! As was the case when Kennedy was shot, many can easily answer the question, “What were you doing when you heard the news of 9/11?” That’s how big it was - [Watch Out for the Wild Things](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/10/11/watch-out-for-the-wild-things/) - Where the Wild Things Are, the beloved children's book by Maurice Sendak, has been made into a movie. When I first heard about it, I was excited...then worried. An article in this morning's Los Angeles Times about the movie fueled my worries. Granted, I haven't seen the movie, but I am still worried. I just know - [The Experience of the Holidays](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/12/06/the-experience-of-the-holidays/) - It’s all about gimme gimme gimme right about now, the middle of Chanukah and three weeks before Christmas. Well, of course it is, because the world—the media, advertisers, merchants—focus our children’s sights on the stuff they’re going to get. Ugh! In the end it is the experiences that define the holidays. Do you remember what - [To Bring or Not to Bring](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/07/28/to-bring-or-not-to-bring/) - A friend who is an event planner and I recently shared the dilemma of what to do when guests, often family, want to bring their (young) children to formal events. Having planned three weddings in the last 22 months, it is a question that is not unfamiliar to me. For one of our weddings a - [Knowing if a movie is okay for your child..and for you](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/11/08/knowing-if-a-movie-is-okay-for-your-child-and-for-you/) - In my last post, I addressed balancing a child's media diet--how much and when. As challenging as that issue is, it is almost easier to address than the question of content-- what media is okay for your child. In today's world of so much, so young, deciding what is okay and what isn't can be daunting. Remember how many of - [ Your Child is "Shy" Around Strangers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/12/01/your-child-is-shy-around-strangers/) - An Interview with Betsy by Heidi Stevens of the Chicago Tribune Q: Your kindergartener is extremely shy around strangers. How do you get her to warm up to relatives she only sees at the holidays? Few topics are more complicated than family at the holidays, which is why Betsy Brown BraunÖ, author of “You're Not - [The Gift That Keeps On Giving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2010/12/25/the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/) - Every year my friend Freida gives me a surprising gift. Far out pop-up books, foodstuffs from the Homeboy Industries-Homegirl Catering and Kitchen, DVD’s of documentaries I might have missed. But this year’s is the best: Of Thee I Sing: A letter to my daughters by Barack Obama. I have been hearing about this book since - [Is It Time For Sleep-Away Camp?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/02/22/is-it-time-for-sleep-away-camp/) - On a cold, February day it’s hard to believe that it's time to start thinking about summer programs. It’s also the time when I receive a barrage of questions about sleep away camp. Most commonly, what is the right age for a child to go to sleep-away camp. The good news is that there are - [Talking to Your Kids About the Disaster in Japan](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/03/13/talking-to-your-kids-about-the-disaster-in-japan/) - As we all try to grasp the horror of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, you might be confronted by questions from your child. Children of different ages will require different responses from you. For all children, especially those six years and younger, I urge you to refer to the Chapter 11 in my - [ Should You Discipline Someone Else's Child?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/04/18/should-you-discipline-someone-elses-child/) - It’s hard enough to raise your own child—teaching him the rules of the road, guiding him as he learns how to “play nicely”—but what happens when a child who is not yours is in need of some pointed guidance (a swift kick in the pants, perhaps!)? You’re having a playdate, and the guest grabs a - [Revisiting 9/11: Talking to Children About Terrorism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/05/10/revisiting-911-talking-to-children-about-terrorism/) - Following the news of Bin Laden’s death, I received a rash of calls from parents wondering how to explain 9/11 to their elementary school age children. Most of these children were a mere twinkle in their parents’ eyes on September 11, 2001. Referencing that horrible event was part of many parents’ and teachers’ explanations of - [Sleep-Away Camp Separations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/06/05/sleep-away-camp-separations/) - Way back in February you sent in the deposit. Sleep-away camp, here we come! It was going to be fantastic—swimming in the lake, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, pillow fights in the cabin. Just weeks before opening day, your son’s excitement fills the air. I get to go away for two whole weeks! No - [Right in Your Own Yard-- A Blog for Father's Day](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/06/14/right-in-your-own-yard-a-blog-for-fathers-day/) - The window at my kitchen sink gives me a bird’s eye view of the happenings on my street. Recently, I witnessed a scene fit for a Norman Rockwell painting. Five year old Owen was side by side with the gardener, mowing the front lawn. Two guys pushing the mower. And it wasn’t just for a - [Look At That Lady's Nose!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/08/07/look-at-that-ladys-nose/) - Young children notice difference. As they try to make sense of their world, they pay attention to regularity and irregularity, what is familiar and what is not. And there is no judgment involved, just recognition of difference. Truth be told, most people notice difference. It’s no big deal, or it shouldn’t be, anyway. Problems arise - [Keeping Your Child Safe](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/07/21/keeping-your-child-safe/) - Every time I offer my seminar, Keeping Your Child Safe, I am reminded that this is the number one job of every parent on this planet. I know that all parents try to do so, but what a daunting task this really is. Look around and you can see that dangers lurk everywhere. Your job - [The Lazy Days of Summer? No way!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/07/09/the-lazy-days-of-summer-no-way/) - First it was red jello. Then it was sugary juice. Now summer is the enemy! And it’s getting a bad rap. Summer Slide. Brain Drain. Whatever you call it, what was once the most carefree and welcome season of the year is being vilified as a threat to our kids’ learning. Even a recent Rand - [Roaring Back at the Tiger Mom](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/01/17/roaring-back-at-the-tiger-mom/) - Was your parent one who asked, when you brought home an A-, “Why didn’t you get an A?” So many adults have a version of this tale to share. They have never forgotten it, twenty or thirty years later. Most children really do want their parents to be proud of them, proud for a variety of reasons. While - [The Unmentionable: Wiping Your Child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/03/07/the-unmentionable-wiping-your-child/) - Sheepishly, the mom asked, “Should I still be wiping my seven year old’s tush after he makes a poop?” Some of you might be gasping in horror, but others of you are nodding in agreement as you wonder the same thing. The third time in a week that I was asked the question in a - [Let's Hear it for Sleepovers!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2011/09/26/lets-hear-it-for-sleepovers/) - First Night Away From Home (Franklin Watts, 1960) was one of the many books written by mother, Myra Berry Brown. In this sweet story, we follow 5 year old Stevie from proudly packing his suitcase to noticing, as bedtime gets closer, that “David’s room looked different at night.” Some parts of the book are laughably - [Stop Screaming at Me!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/10/25/stop-screaming-at-me/) - You asked your child come to dinner, and he didn't respond. So you ask him again, this time with a voice that's quite clear, direct, and firm. "Put your Leggos down and come to dinner now, please." And your child responds, "Stop screaming at me!" You are quite sure you didn't scream, you didn't even shout or yell, - [Keeping your child safe while you're texting.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/08/10/keeping-your-child-safe-while-youre-texting/) - Safety while texting? - [Taking the plunge](https://betsybrownbraun.com/2009/08/20/taking-the-plunge/) - This week, coincidentally, I worked with three different clients who came to me with the same issue regarding their children. Theirs is the child who doesn't like to try, who won't try something new--a new lesson, a new activity, a new game, anything new to him--especially if it means he might not be good or good enough in ## Pages - [Home](https://betsybrownbraun.com/) - Parenting is a journey, a fascinating, thrilling, often challenging, and tremendously gratifying journey. It is an experience that enriches your life and makes you a better you, but it can be really, really hard. For over four decades, as a teacher, a school director, a child development and behavior specialist, parent educator, multiple birth parenting - [Video Seminars on Demand](https://betsybrownbraun.com/video-seminars-on-demand/) - At last, Betsy Brown Braun's wildly popular Individual Parenting Seminars are available to parents across the state, country, and world! Individual Parenting Seminars On Demand address a particular pertinent topic, each a part of the parenting pathway composite. Within each video seminar, a framework for understanding your child's development and behavior with regard to the - [Electronic Press Kit](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/electronic-press-kit/) - ELECTRONIC Watch Betsy Brown Braun’s appearances on the Today Show, The Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, and Good Morning America here. [youtube]iFgxk_u_axk[/youtube] PRINT Betsy has been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Cookie, Family Circle, Nick Jr., Parents, Parenting, Pregnancy and Newborn, Toddler, Twins, and - [Parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonial/parents/) - It's incredible how much I've learned from you over the years. Every answer I had came from your guidance. You have taught me so much as a parent, and I truly cannot thank you enough. My kids are great because of your help from the very beginning. - Melinda Spigel, mother of two teenage boys - [About](https://betsybrownbraun.com/about/) - Betsy Brown Braun, best selling author of Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents (HarperCollins) and You're Not The Boss Of Me: Bratproofing Your Four To Twelve Year Old (HarperCollins), is a child development and behavior specialist, parent educator, multiple birth parenting consultant, and founder of Parenting Pathways®, Inc. - [Upcoming Appearances](https://betsybrownbraun.com/whats-new-with-betsy/upcoming-appearances/) - Betsy's Presentations in the 2025-2026 School Year Cultivating Resilience in Children. Wednesday, August 20, 7:00 p.m. A Zoom presentation for the parents of Broadway School students. Venice, California Pilgrim School Presentation for Lower School Parents. Tuesday, September 16. 9:00 a.m. Los Angeles, California Pilgrim School Presentation for Upper School Parents. Wednesday, September 24. 10:00 a.m. Los - [Contact](https://betsybrownbraun.com/contact/) - CONSULTATIONS, SEMINARS, PARENTING GROUPS, INFORMATION: Betsy Brown Braun 310.459.9209 info@betsybrownbraun.com www.betsybrownbraun.com MEDIA INQUIRIES Alison Graham AJGpr alison@ajgpr.com 310.494.1554 www.ajgpr.com - [Podcasts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/podcasts/) - Do your kids’ birthdays sometimes get TOO BIG? Do they stress you, cost you, and leave you exhausted? If you answered yes, even once, we’re here to help you put the happy back in birthday with parenting expert Betsy Brown Braun. - [Services](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/) - In 2001, Betsy Brown Braun founded Parenting Pathways®, Inc. to meet a growing need. Since children are not born with instructions, parents need help. Betsy is a resource for parents as they negotiate their normal parenting pathway, full of its twists and turns, highs and lows, and especially its challenges. Through private consultations, parenting groups, individual seminars, and community - [Special Children’s Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/special-childrens-books/) - [Ask BBB - Columns from the Palisadian-Post](https://betsybrownbraun.com/ask-bbb-columns-from-the-palisadian-post/) - October 12, 2023 My toddler is a picky eater September 14, 2023 What are the benefits to socializing toddlers? When should they start school? August 10, 2023 Toddler Lying July 13, 2023 Overnights and the 3 year old June 8, 2023 Blending families May 11, 2023 When one child gets more attention than the other - [Books Betsy Recommends](https://betsybrownbraun.com/bookpicks/) - As a parenting expert, I was asked to create a list of THE BEST BOOKS TO HELP YOU BE THE PARENT YOU WANT TO BE and explain why. Here it is! Category: Parenting More categories to come. Check back soon! - [Custody Consultation; Co-Parenting Planning/Implementation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/custody-consultation-and-mediation/) - Betsy Brown Braun consults with parents who are separating, in the process of divorce and post dissolution, to assist in creating the explanation script for the child(ren), to devise a custody and visitation plan, and to iron out the details of co parenting, always with the child(ren's) best interests in mind. She assists in the - [Monthly Parenting Groups FALL 2023 through MAY 2024](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/parenting-groups-fall-2015/) - Betsy's parenting groups are for parents only. These groups meet once a month, for an hour and a half at members' homes in the west Los Angeles area . Some of the groups meet by Zoom. Different groups meet in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings. Registration for all parenting groups is open in the - [Parenting Groups](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/parenting-groups/) - ...Being in Betsy's group has given me so much confidence as a parent, plus camaraderie and lifelong friends with my fellow mom members. Betsy is the rock, sounding board, expert, and friend everyone needs while navigating the parenting journey. -Meredith Alexander, mother of two boys. These adult groups are designed to smooth the journey - [In-Person Parenting Seminars](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/individual-parenting-seminars/) - Betsy's private topical seminars can be found in Videos on Demand on this site. In addition, please see the Upcoming Appearances under the dropdown What's New on this site to locate when and where Betsy will next be presenting. Currently, all Preschool and Elementary School information is being disseminated only through private consultations. Please - [Private Consultations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/private-consultations/) - Betsy has been an incredible support and resource for me. As a single parent, I could not have traveled this parenting journey without her. She has filled me with amazing insights, clarity, and has helped me to stay my course, focused, clear, and ever present. - Kay Sides, single parent Betsy Brown Braun provides private - [Concierge Consulting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/concierge-consulting/) - There is an urgency to some of the challenges of parenting. Certain issues, questions, needs can’t be postponed, making it difficult for a parent to wait for “the next available appointment.” For this reason, Betsy now offers concierge level consulting. By subscribing to this program, Concierge Consulting, Betsy will be a touch-tone away with a - [Books: Special Issues](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books-special-issues/) - Category: Special Issues How to Get Your Kid to Eat: But Not Too Much Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: How to Eat, How to Raise Good Eaters, How to Cook The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder (The Out-of-Sync Child Series) The Difficult Child: Expanded and Revised Edition The Explosive Child: - [Register Now](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/register-now/) - Be sure to contact Betsy Brown Braun at info@betsybrownbraun.live-website.com to see if there is space in the group you desire. Registration is no longer online. - [Pediatricians/Professionals](https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonial/pediatriciansprofessionals/) - As a pediatrician who has referred countless patients to Betsy for nearly 10 years, I trust her unique and successful blend of wisdom, compassion, and insight--from sleep and food issues, siblings, tantrums, divorce, adolescence, and virtually anything else that causes a family stress, Betsy knows EXACTLY what needs to be said. Simply put, this book - [Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/) - There is such an overabundance of parenting books that it is often challenging to find the one that speaks to you. Listed on these pages are books that I have read (or written!) and recommend. Books are divided by categories Parenting (toddlers through teens) Special Issues (the anxious child, the spirited child, ADHD) Special children's - [Testimonials](https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonial/) - A parenting guru - The New York Times From sleep and food issues, siblings, tantrums, divorce, adolescence, and virtually anything else that causes a family stress… Betsy Brown Braun's reputation as an expert child development and behavioral specialist is unparalleled. Be it parent, pediatrician, or anyone who comes into contact with Betsy, she is often - [In the News](https://betsybrownbraun.com/whats-new-with-betsy/in-the-news/) - Television Magazines Newspapers Radio Internet Podcasts - [Betsy’s Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/betsys-books/) - BUY IT NOW: AmazonBarnes & Noble What parent hasn’t thought her child was a brat at one point or another? Whether your child really is a brat, is at risk of becoming one, or is simply trying to grow up in a world filled with temptations and distractions, You’re Not The Boss of Me (Harper - [Articles](https://betsybrownbraun.com/articles/) - Good reads to help better navigate parenthood Why Toddlers Love to Play with Kitchen Stuff Conversation Starters About Sex for Teens Why Preschool Children Need to Play; the rise in Sensory Issues Girls and Their Frenemies Parents Texting While Driving The Right Way to Get Your Kids to Read The Effect of Bikinis on Girls - [Video Shorts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/betsyisms/betsys-videos/) - Here you will find a video library of Betsy's mini presentations on a variety of parenting topics. Backseat Bickering * Bribery * Bullying * Cancer * Children's Nudity * Co parenting * Communication * Consequences * Death * Divorce * Drugs * Masturbation * Morning Routines * Phone Interruptions * Potty Talk * Praise * Puberty * Quitting Activities * Self esteem * Sex * Sexual Abuse * Strangers * Swearing * Talking About Alcohol * Toddler Tantrums and More * Tattling * Television Viewing * Threats * Time Outs * BACKSEAT - [Reviews](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/just-tell-me-what-to-say/reviews/) - Not too long ago I read and reviewed, You’re Not the Boss of Me by Betsy Brown Braun. I was so impressed by the book that as soon as I finished it I started the author’s earlier book, Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents. I’m happy to say - [See Inside](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/just-tell-me-what-to-say/about-the-book/) - Time and again, parents ask for help responding to some variation of these questions: How do I get my child to listen to me? How do I get my children to stop fighting? How do I get my kids to eat something, anything, healthy? How do I explain a baby is on the way? How - [Just Tell Me What To Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/just-tell-me-what-to-say/) - Parents are often perplexed by their children’s typical behaviors and age appropriate questions. Betsy Brown Braun's award-winning bestseller, Just Tell Me What to Say, provides hand-on, just give-it-to-me-straight guidance so that parents gain the skills and confidence they need to handle the sometimes-challenging situations that inevitably accompany raising children. Hailed by The New York Times - [Speaker and Seminar Topics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/speaker-topics/) - Betsy Brown Braun is a nationally recognized child development and behavior specialist, a parent educator, and an award-winning author. Hailed by the New York Times as a “parenting guru,” Braun’s down-to-earth advice, delivered with humor, is derived from her expertise working with thousands of children (from toddlers to teens) and parents for over four decades. - [Parenting Seminars](https://betsybrownbraun.com/services/parenting-seminars/) - Betsy offers individual, topical seminars on a variety of subjects pertinent to parenting, raising children of all ages, and children's educational journeys. Each seminar presents the topic in a developmental perspective and real life context and offers specific suggestions and tools for dealing with the subject matter. All of Betsy's seminars reflect her vast, hands-on experience with children and parents. - [Bringing home baby: How to help your firstborn deal with your newborn](https://betsybrownbraun.com/link/bringing-home-baby-how-to-help-your-firstborn-deal-with-your-newborn/) - [What's New](https://betsybrownbraun.com/whats-new-with-betsy/) - Click here to receive updates alerting you to Betsy’s current blog, media appearances, print and email interviews. Input your email address and check off the "What’s New With Betsy" box. Voila! Video Seminars on Demand At last Betsy Brown Braun’s wildly popular Individual Parenting Seminars are now available to parents across the state, country, and - [Betsy Brown Braun on the TODAY Show](https://betsybrownbraun.com/link/betsy-brown-braun-on-the-today-show/) - [Questions and Answers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/betsyisms/most-popular-questions/) - Time and again, parents ask for help responding to variations of the questions below. Here are short answers to some of the questions about which Betsy is most frequently asked. Tricky birthday party question: My daughter's birthday is coming up and does not want to invite a child who is a bit of a bully - [Well Said](https://betsybrownbraun.com/betsyisms/betsys-favorite-things/) - Betsy’s Favorite Expressions and Phrases With over 40 years of experience working with parents and children, in education, and a best selling book to boot, it is no surprise that child development and behavioral specialist, Betsy Brown Braun, has developed some favorite expressions when talking to parents about parenting and their kids. Below you will - [Betsy Brown Braun on Dr. Phil](https://betsybrownbraun.com/link/dr-phil/) - [You're Not The Boss Of Me](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/youre-not-the-boss-of-me/) - What parent hasn't thought her child was a brat at one point or another? Whether your child really is a brat, is at risk of becoming one, or is simply trying to grow up in a world filled with temptations and distractions, You're Not The Boss of Me is the ultimate hands-on guide to cultivating, - [Reviews](https://betsybrownbraun.com/books/youre-not-the-boss-of-me/reviews/) - See below to read the high praise garnered by Betsy’s book You're Not The Boss Of Me. Betsy Brown Braun has done it again! You’re Not the Boss of Me is an essential tool for any parent, filled with deep wisdom and sharp insights. If you hope your child to embody empathy, respect, independence, and creativity, - [Radio](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/radio/) - Betsy has been a guest on countless radio programs nationwide -- including NPR, The Ed Banker Show, Cable Radio Network with Mike Horn and Paul Stern, The Michael Dresser Show, The Joan Nathan Show, The Parent's Hour/Voice America, The Touch ABC Radio Network, Gary Doyle- 570 AM, KAHI - The Mary Jane Popp Show, KDTH, - [Internet](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/internet/) - Follow these links below to discover why Betsy's parenting expertise has been cited in numerous websites and parenting blogs. - [Magazines](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/magazines/) - Betsy's parenting expertise has been featured in Cookie, Family Circle, In Style, Parenting, Parents, Pregnancy and Newborn, Toddler, Twins, Woman’s Day and more. Betsy's insights and answers to many questions and issues that perplex parents daily -- from sibling rivalry to food wars, death, divorce, and sex, can be found by clicking on the magazine covers below. - [Newspapers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/newspapers/) - To read about Betsy's parenting expertise, featured in daily newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, as well as reviews of her award-winning book, Just Tell Me What To Say, click on the links below. - [Television](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/television/) - Betsy Brown Braun has appeared as a guest, sharing her parenting expertise, on several television programs including Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, KCBS, KNBC, Fox News, LA, and the internet show Jen and Barb Mom Life. Below are some clips from these appearances. (Unfortunately, no clip is available - [Media](https://betsybrownbraun.com/in_the_media/) - Television Magazines Newspapers Radio Internet Podcasts - [All Blog Entries](https://betsybrownbraun.com/blog/all-blog-entries/) - [Betsyisms](https://betsybrownbraun.com/betsyisms/) - "Betsyisms" are the things that Betsy says -- Questions and Answers -- the answers to questions most frequently asked which resonate with so many parents; Video Shorts -- a video library of mini presentations by Betsy on a variety of parenting topics -- from Potty Talk to Time Outs and more; Well Said - [Children's Book Picks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/childrens-book-pics/) - Betsy’s book picks can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Borders. Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready For Baby? by Barney Saltzberg Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban Little Bear's Little Boat by Eve Bunting Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds Enemy Pie by Derek Munson - [Betsy Brown Braun on Rachael Ray](https://betsybrownbraun.com/link/betsy-brown-braun-on-rachael-ray/) - [link](https://betsybrownbraun.com/link/) - A parent for hidden pages only access via links. ## Appearances - [R-E-S-P-E-C-T and Teens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-and-teens/) - [Managing Divorce, Co-Parenting and Blended Family Dynamics to Raise Resilient Children with Betsy Brown Braun and Actress Rhea Seehorn](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/managing-divorce-co-parenting-and-blended-family-dynamics-to-raise-resilient-children-with-betsy-brown-braun-and-actress-rhea-seehorn/) - [Not Being The Preferred Parent Can Suck. Here’s What An Expert Says You Can Do.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/not-being-the-preferred-parent-can-suck-heres-what-an-expert-says-you-can-do/) - [5 things to say when your child says, “You’re not the boss of me!”](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/5-things-to-say-when-your-child-says-youre-not-the-boss-of-me-2/) - [Handling Lies! Lies! Lies! with Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/handling-lies-lies-lies-with-betsy-brown-braun/) - [Parenting is a Journey](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-is-a-journey/) - [Raising A Self-Reliant Child with Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/raising-a-self-reliant-child-with-betsy-brown-braun/) - [The Best Books to Help You to Be the Parent You Want to Be](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-best-books-to-help-you-to-be-the-parent-you-want-to-be/) - [Katie’s Crib](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/katies-crib/) - [The Hayu Podcast - Invasion of the Entitled Brats: In Conversation with Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-hayu-podcast-invasion-of-the-entitled-brats-in-conversation-with-betsy-brown-braun/) - [The Art of Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-art-of-parenting/) - Amazon Live/Sway TV Marissa Gold's program, The Art of Parenting. - [Brat-Proofing Kids Master Class | Part 1](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/brat-proofing-kids-master-class-part-1/) - Part 1 of Betsy Brown Braun's presentation at the 2020 Positive Parenting Conference. Why Kids Act Like Brats and the Role of Communication in Brat-Proofing Kids - [Brat-Proofing Kids Master Class | Part 2](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/brat-proofing-kids-master-class-part-2/) - Part 2 of Betsy Brown Braun's presentation at the 2020 Positive Parenting Conference. How to protect your kids from becoming spoiled and entitled. - [Brat-Proofing Kids Master Class | Part 3 - The Challenge](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/brat-proofing-kids-master-class-the-challenge/) - Part 3 of Betsy Brown Braun's presentation at the 2020 Positive Parenting Conference. Why Kids Act Like Brats and the Role of Communication in Brat-Proofing Kids - The Challenge! - [Dealing with Distance Learning Challenges](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/dealing-with-distance-learning-challenges/) - [Distance Learning and Parenting In A Pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/distance-learning-and-parenting-in-a-pandemic/) - [Betsy Brown Braun - Paving The Pathway For Parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-brown-braun-paving-the-pathway-for-parents/) - Lauren Ravitz - [Parenting - Nothing is More Rewarding](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-nothing-is-more-rewarding/) - Talk Radio One - Steven Spierer Show - [6 Encouraging And Useful Books About Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/6-encouraging-and-useful-books-about-parenting/) - [The World's Most Embarrassing Parenting Questions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-worlds-most-embarrassing-parenting-questions/) - [Parenting; Who shouldn’t have kids?; The college admissions scandal](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/talk-radio-one-steven-spierer-show/) - Parenting; who shouldn’t have kids?; the college admissions scandal - [Millennials and Baby Boomers at Work, Parenting Different Kids, Personal Style, Tech and Girls, Monster Mash: Vampires, UFOs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/millennials-and-baby-boomers-at-work-parenting-different-kids-personal-style-tech-and-girls-monster-mash-vampires-ufos/) - [Disciplining Someone Else’s Kid: A Conversation With Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/disciplining-someone-elses-kid-a-conversation-with-betsy-brown-braun/) - [5 things to say when your child says, “You’re not the boss of me!”](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/5-things-to-say-when-your-child-says-youre-not-the-boss-of-me/) - [How to limit screen time for children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-to-limit-screen-time-for-children/) - [12 Subtle Signs of Child Abuse That Are Easy to Miss](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/12-subtle-signs-of-child-abuse-that-are-easy-to-miss/) - [Toddler Tantrum Solutions and Discipline Tips](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/toddler-tantrum-solutions-and-discipline-tips/) - Betsy was quoted. - [Betsy Comments on Study: Teens Spend 9 Hours A Day on Screens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-comments-on-study-teens-spend-9-hours-a-day-on-screens/) - [Never Be Late Again](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/never-be-late-again/) - Betsy was quoted. - [GloZell Gets PreSchool Advice from Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/glozell-gets-preschool-advice-from-betsy-brown-braun/) - [Raise Kids Who Are Self-Starters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/raise-kids-who-are-self-starters/) - [We're essentially telling our children they can get whenever they want, whenever they want it](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/were-essentially-telling-our-children-they-can-get-whenever-they-want-whenever-they-want-it/) - [Why Tattling Isn’t that Terrible](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/why-tattling-isnt-that-terrible/) - [Talk Radio One - All Things Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/talk-radio-one-all-things-parenting/) - [Back To School Jitters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/back-to-school-jitters/) - https://betsybrownbraun.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/MHMLB5244 ACT 05.mp4 - [Dealing with the gray areas of sexual assault by and towards children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/dealing-with-the-gray-areas-of-sexual-assault-by-and-towards-children/) - [Put the Happy Back in Birthday](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/put-the-happy-back-in-birthday/) - [8 Things You Already Do That Are Great for Your Kid](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/8-things-you-already-do-that-are-great-for-your-kid/) - [The best toys aren’t toys!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-best-toys-arent-toys/) - [Bringing home baby: How to help your firstborn deal with your newborn](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/bringing-home-baby-how-to-help-your-firstborn-deal-with-your-newborn/) - NBC Universal/TODAY Show - [Tooth-Fairy Time](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tooth-fairy-time/) - See Page 144 for this piece for which Betsy Brown Braun's expert advice was used. - [Betsy Gives Parenting Advice to Jenny McCarthy on her show Dirty, Sexy, Funny](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-gives-parenting-advice-to-jenny-mccarthy-on-her-show-dirty-sexy-funny/) - [All the Answers: Be Prepared for the Day When Your Child Asks That Trick Question You'd Probably Rather Avoid](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/all-the-answers-be-prepared-for-the-day-when-your-child-asks-that-trick-question-youd-probably-rather-avoid/) - [Helping Parents to Keep Their Parenting Resolutions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/helping-parents-to-keep-their-parenting-resolutions/) - [Is Being Fair Really That Important?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-being-fair-really-that-important/) - [Kids & Smartphones & Screens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kids-smartphones-screens/) - [Just Tell Me What To Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/just-tell-me-what-to-say-4/) - [Holiday Envy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/holiday-envy/) - [Preschoool Separation…For Child and Parent](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/preschoool-separationfor-child-and-parent/) - [Articles by Betsy!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/articles-by-betsy/) - [All That Halloween Candy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/all-that-halloween-candy/) - [Same 5 Kid Arguments](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/same-5-kid-arguments/) - [OK, So, Is There A Better Way to Ask Kids to Follow Through.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/ok-so-is-thre-a-better-way-to-ask-kids-to-follow-through/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Dealing With A Child Who is Mad at the Morning.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/dealing-with-a-child-who-is-mad-at-the-morning/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Rich Friend is Changing Daughter’s Wish List](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/rich-friend-is-changing-daughters-wish-list/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Innies vs Outies: A guide to understanding your little introvert or extrovert](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/innies-vs-outies-a-guide-to-understanding-your-little-introvert-or-extrovert/) - Betsy was quoted. - [Seven Ways Parents Can Help 13-Year-Olds Start Their Social Media Lives Right](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/seven-ways-parents-can-help-13-year-olds-start-their-social-media-lives-right-5/) - [Encouraging Our Children's Independence](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/encouraging-our-childrens-independence/) - [Beyond the Birds and the Bees](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/beyond-the-birds-and-the-bees/) - [Kids and Allowance](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-brown-braun-discusses-kids-and-allowance/) - [Jon and Kate Plus 8 is a Freak Show](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/jon-and-kate-plus-8-is-a-freak-show/) - [Balloon Boy ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/balloon-boy/) - [Caitlyn Jenner](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/caitlyn-jenner/) - [Keeping Children's Brains Active](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/keeping-childrens-brains-active/) - [Parents mull kids' sexual curiosity in wake of Duggar scandal](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parents-mull-kids-sexual-curiosity-in-wake-of-duggar-scandal/) - [Grandparenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/grandparenting/) - [Same-Sex (part 1)](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/same-sex/) - [Same-Sex (part 2)](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/same-sex-part-2/) - [How to Deal with Uncontrollable Crying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-to-deal-with-uncontrollable-crying/) - [It's Just a Sip](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/its-just-a-sip/) - [Smartphones and Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/smartphones-and-parenting/) - ['He Got More Than I Did'](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/he-got-more-than-i-did/) - [Back-to-School Blues](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/back-to-school-blues/) - [The After-Burn of Starting School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-after-burn-of-starting-school/) - ['Keep Your Nose Clean' and Other Lessons I Learned From My Father](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/keep-your-nose-clean-and-other-lessons-i-learned-from-my-father/) - ['I Don't Want to Go to School'](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/i-dont-want-to-go-to-school/) - [The Time To Show Up Is Now](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-time-to-show-up-is-now/) - [Talking to Kids (or Not) About What Happened in Connecticut](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/talking-to-kids-or-not-about-what-happened-in-connecticut/) - [Time Release Gifts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/time-release-gifts/) - [Throw Away Your Parenting Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/throw-away-your-parenting-books/) - [It's Hard to Shut Up!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/its-hard-to-shut-up/) - [When a Vacation is a Trip](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-a-vacation-is-a-trip/) - [Why You Should Watch The Summer Olympics With Your Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/why-you-should-watch-the-summer-olympics-with-your-kids/) - [Whose Birthday Party Is It?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/whose-birthday-party-is-it-2/) - [Parenthood](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenthood/) - [Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting/) - [9 Bad Influences on Your Child (or You)](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/9-bad-influences-on-your-child-or-you/) - [When It's Time for the Same-Sex Chat](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-its-time-for-the-same-sex-chat/) - [You're Not the Boss of Me](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/youre-not-the-boss-of-me/) - [Hurrying is The Enemy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/hurrying-is-the-enemy/) - [Giving Your Child the Right to be Unhappy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/giving-your-child-the-right-to-be-unhappy/) - [The Same Five Arguments You Always Have with Your Kid … Solved](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-same-five-arguments-you-always-have-with-your-kid-solved/) - [What Dads Need to Know: What Does Mommy Do?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/what-dads-need-to-know-what-does-mommy-do/) - [Parenting on the Edge](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-on-the-edge/) - [Raising children with your smartphone](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/raising-children-with-your-smartphone/) - [How young is too young for a smart phone?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-young-is-too-young-for-a-smart-phone/) - [Freedom Seeker](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/freedom-seeker/) - [Nude Awakenings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/nude-awakenings/) - [Fight of Flight?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/fight-of-flight/) - [Getting Your Child to Talk](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/getting-your-child-to-talk/) - [Raising Self-Reliant Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/raising-self-reliant-kids/) - [Wonderfully Strong-Willed Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/wonderfully-strong-willed-children/) - [The Best Parenting Advice](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-best-parenting-advice/) - [Author Says Praise is Bad for Kids. Parenting Experts Say He's Wrong](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/author-says-praise-is-bad-for-kids-parenting-experts-say-hes-wrong/) - [Why Kids say Whyyyyyyyy?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/why-kids-say-whyyyyyyyy/) - [Is the Story of a 6-Year-Old Running For a Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Inspiring or Exploitative?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-the-story-of-a-6-year-old-running-for-a-pro-life-pregnancy-center-inspiring-or-exploitative/) - [#SmackCam Tears Up Teen Accounts On Vine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/4145/) - [Circle the Wagons: How Children Learn to Express Empathy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/circle-the-wagons-how-children-learn-to-express-empathy/) - [Knowing Your Child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/knowing-your-child/) - [Smoothing the Start of the School Year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/smoothing-the-start-of-the-school-year/) - [Keep the Happy in Halloween](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/keep-the-happy-in-halloween/) - [All Kinds of Feelings: A child’s emotional literacy.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/all-kinds-of-feelings-a-childs-emotional-literacy/) - [Powering up your parenting in the new year.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/powering-up-your-parenting-in-the-new-year/) - [The Problem With It’s Not Fair](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-problem-with-its-not-fair/) - [Bratproofing Our Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/bratproofing-our-children/) - [Teaching Our Children Wanting to Give Versus Wanting to Receive](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/teaching-our-children-wanting-to-give-versus-wanting-to-receive/) - [Tips on Raising Two Year Olds](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tips-on-raising-two-year-olds-2/) - [Is it ever okay to take your child out of school for a vacation? ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-it-ever-okay-to-take-your-child-out-of-school-for-a-vacation/) - [Finding Gratitude During Difficult Times](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/finding-gratitude-during-difficult-times/) - [5 Big-Kid Discipline Dilemmas - Solved!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/5-big-kid-discipline-dilemmas-solved/) - [You Are Who You Are When No One is Looking ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/you-are-who-you-are-when-no-one-is-looking/) - [Your Preschooler's Baby Regression](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/your-preschoolers-baby-regression/) - [This Mama Didn’t Raise No Quitter…or Did I](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/this-mama-didnt-raise-no-quitteror-did-i/) - [5 Things Kids Don’t Need to Know About Money](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/5-things-kids-dont-need-to-know-about-money/) - [Kids Dressing in Drag](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kids-dressing-in-drag/) - [TMI, Mom and Dad!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tmi-mom-and-dad/) - [Todd Akin's Teachable Moment](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/todd-akins-teachable-moment/) - [Helping Kids Become Self Starters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/helping-kids-become-self-starters-2/) - [Your Kid’s Not Passionate? Don’t Get So Excited!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/your-kids-not-passionate-dont-get-so-excited/) - [Experts’ 8 Top Tips for Disciplining Toddlers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/experts-8-top-tips-for-disciplining-toddlers/) - [13 Ways to Deal With Kids Who Misbehave](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/13-ways-to-deal-with-kids-who-misbehave-4/) - [Review: Just Tell Me What to Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/review-just-tell-me-what-to-say/) - [50 Best Mom Blogs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/50-best-mom-blogs/) - [My kid wants what her rich friends get](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/my-kid-wants-what-her-rich-friends-get/) - [Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/sensible-tips-and-scripts-for-perplexed-parents/) - [What to Say about Potty Talk and More](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/what-to-say-about-potty-talk-and-more/) - [Tantrum Brewing? Just Say This](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tantrum-brewing-just-say-this/) - [Picky Eaters: Interview with Betsy Brown Braun](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/picky-eaters-interview-with-betsy-brown-braun/) - [Betsy Brown Braun's Archive](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/httpwww-kidspot-com-autoddler-development-betsy-brown-brauns-blog-archive80426article-htm/) - [Play Is the Work of Childhood](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/play-is-the-work-of-childhood/) - [Just Tell Me What to Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/just-tell-me-what-to-say-3/) - [14 Tools for Busy Moms](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/14-tools-for-busy-moms/) - [Life’s Not Fair, How to Break it to Your Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/lifes-not-fair-how-to-break-it-to-your-kids/) - [Read It](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/read-it-2/) - [The Best Parenting books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-best-parenting-books/) - [Talking the Talk With Your Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/talking-the-talk-with-your-kids/) - [Are White Lies Okay?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/are-white-lies-okay/) - [Too Much Information – the Importance of Privacy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/too-much-information-the-importance-of-privacy/) - [Good Job! Do We Overdo the Praise with our Kids?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/good-job-do-we-overdo-the-praise-with-our-kids/) - [Good Old- Fashioned Manners](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/good-old-fashioned-manners/) - [Everyone Has One](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/everyone-has-one/) - [Is your preschooler developing a potty mouth?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-your-preschooler-developing-a-potty-mouth/) - [Read it](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/read-it/) - [LA Times Bestseller](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/la-times-bestseller/) - ['Not Fair'? Child Can Learn Much From Parent's Response](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/not-fair-child-can-learn-much-from-parents-response-2/) - [Is Your Morning A Nightmare?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-your-morning-a-nightmare-2/) - [Tired Of Playing Referee To Your Children?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tired-of-playing-referee-to-your-children/) - [Do You And Your Spouse Parent Differently?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/do-you-and-your-spouse-parent-differently-2/) - [How to Survive Toddlerhood](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-to-survive-toddlerhood/) - [Making Back-to-School Time Easier for Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/making-back-to-school-time-easier-for-kids/) - [Betsy Brown Braun discusses kids and chores](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-brown-braun-discusses-kids-and-chores/) - [Handling Your Own Emotions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/handling-your-own-emotions/) - [Tough Conversations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tough-conversations/) - [Discipline Do's and Don't's](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/discipline-dos-and-donts/) - [Just Tell Me What to Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/just-tell-me-what-to-say-2/) - [The Jordan Rich Show on WBZ 1030](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-jordan-rich-show-on-wbz-1030/) - [Betsy Brown Braun Gives Child Safety Tips After the Miramonte School Incident](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/betsy-brown-braun-discusses-child-safety-after-the-miramonte-school-incident/) - [Kate and Jon, a year later](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kate-and-jon-a-year-later/) - [Just Tell Me What to Say](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/just-tell-me-what-to-say/) - [Kindergarten "Redshirting"](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kindergarten-redshirting/) - [Moms Get Real -- Holiday Spoils](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/moms-get-real-holiday-spoils/) - [Teaching Commitment](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/teaching-commitment/) - [Sibling Rivalry](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/sibling-rivalry/) - [Traveling with Twins](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/traveling-with-twins/) - [6 Habits of the Healthy Mom](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/6-habits-of-the-healthy-mom/) - [Three in a Bed: Co-sleeping Pros and Cons](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/three-in-a-bed-co-sleeping-pros-and-cons/) - [Sibling Rivalry: What's Normal? What's Not?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/sibling-rivalry-whats-normal-whats-not/) - [Temper Tantrums--How to deal with them](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/temper-tantrums-how-to-deal-with-them/) - [Alternatives to Spanking](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/alternatives-to-spanking/) - [Brat Proofing Your Child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/brat-proofing-your-child/) - [Helping Kids Become Self Starters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/helping-kids-become-self-starters/) - [Issues in Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/issues-in-parenting/) - [Parenting Uncovered](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-uncovered/) - [Why is Allowance Important?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/why-is-allowance-important/) - [Backtalk](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/backtalk/) - [Choosing a preschool](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/choosing-a-preschool/) - [Summer Camp](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/summer-camp/) - [Is your morning a nightmare?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-your-morning-a-nightmare/) - [What do you do when your kids don't listen?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/what-do-you-do-when-your-kids-dont-listen/) - [Do you and your spouse parent differently?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/do-you-and-your-spouse-parent-differently/) - [Tantrums](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tantrums-2/) - [Sneaky Teacher: Summer Learning Outdoors ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/sneaky-teacher-summer-learning-outdoors/) - [Are You A Pushover Parent?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/are-you-a-pushover-parent/) - Betsy is quoted. - [How to Win Over Stubborn Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-to-win-over-stubborn-children/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Is Your Kid Too Busy?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-your-kid-too-busy/) - [But Why Can’t I Go On That Website?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/but-why-cant-i-go-on-that-website/) - [9 Mistakes Parents Make with Toddlers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/9-mistakes-parents-make-with-toddlers/) - [Parenting by Personality: Raising a Kid Who is Your Exact Opposite](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-by-personality-raising-a-kid-who-is-your-exact-opposite/) - [Reappraising Praise: Q& A With Dr. Mary](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/reappraising-praise-q-a-with-dr-mary/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Helping parents to handle kids’ big feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/helping-parents-to-handle-kids-big-feelings/) - [Potty Talk 911](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/potty-talk-911/) - Betsy is interviewed. - [Redirecting the Holiday Gimmes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/redirecting-the-holiday-gimmes/) - [When kids bring up same-sex marriage](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-kids-bring-up-same-sex-marriage/) - Betsy is quoted. - [How to Stop The Whining](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-to-stop-the-whining/) - [The Man of the Family](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-man-of-the-family/) - [Window Seat or Aisle Seat: Family Travel Over the Holiday](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/window-seat-or-aisle-seat-family-travel-over-the-holiday/) - Betsy was quoted. - [How do cash strapped parents tell their kids that Santa isn't coming? ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/how-do-cash-strapped-parents-tell-their-kids-that-santa-isnt-coming/) - [When Should You Indulge Your Kids?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-should-you-indulge-your-kids/) - [Youth and Respect](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/youth-and-respect/) - [Building Independence](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/building-independence/) - [Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/gimme-gimme-gimme/) - [Kids and Honesty](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kids-and-honesty/) - [When Do You: A Parenting Show](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-do-you-a-parenting-show/) - [Parenting Potpourri](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-potpourri/) - How can you console a child who is embarrassed? My kids WANT everything! How do I get my kids to do more than the minimum? He won't stop interrupting! - [Playdate Protocol](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/playdate-protocol/) - [When is it OK to Let Kids Be Quitters?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/when-is-it-ok-to-let-kids-be-quitters/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Disapprove of New Pal?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/disapprove-of-new-pal/) - Betsy is quoted. - [From the Mouths of Babes…](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/from-the-mouths-of-babes/) - [Should Kids Be Forced to Hug?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/should-kids-be-forced-to-hug/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Upon A Time…Digging History Over Summer Vacation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/upon-a-timedigging-history-over-summer-vacation/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Make a Plan For Shy Kids and Holiday Hellos.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/make-a-plan-for-shy-kids-and-holiday-hellos/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Father’s Day Memories of Dad](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/fathers-day-memories-of-dad/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Start New Holiday Traditions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/start-new-holiday-traditions/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Is It Too Early To Talk About (Gulp) Sex?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/is-it-too-early-to-talk-about-gulp-sex/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Do You Scold Your Child When He Snubs Another Kid?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/do-you-scold-your-child-when-he-snubs-another-kid/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Kids Who Cut Their Own Hair: Why?!](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kids-who-cut-their-own-hair-why/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Equal Spending on Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/equal-spending-on-kids/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Kids and Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/kids-and-thanksgiving/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Parenting New Year’s Resolutions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/parenting-new-years-resolutions/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Teaching Kids the Cold, Hard Truth About Lying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/teaching-kids-the-cold-hard-truth-about-lying/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Spelling Out the Reasons That Cheating Doesn’t Pay](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/spelling-out-the-reasons-that-cheating-doesnt-pay/) - Betsy was quoted. - [New Baby Studies Offer Surprising Insights Into Infant Development](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/new-baby-studies-offer-surprising-insights-into-infant-development/) - Betsy is quoted. - [Over-Gifting? Welcome to the Age of Competitive Grandparenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/over-gifting-welcome-to-the-age-of-competitive-grandparenting/) - [Whose Halloween Is It?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/whose-halloween-is-it/) - [The Habit of Giving…Beyond Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-habit-of-givingbeyond-thanksgiving/) - [The Right to be Unhappy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-right-to-be-unhappy/) - [Finding Their Passion…Really?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/finding-their-passionreally/) - [Mindful Parenting: My Unresolution](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/mindful-parenting-my-unresolution/) - [Children Should Be Seen and Heard](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/children-should-be-seen-and-heard/) - [Smartphone as Saboteur](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/smartphone-as-saboteur/) - [10 Pieces of Parenting Advice](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/10-pieces-of-parenting-advice/) - [Tantrums: Doing What Comes Naturally ](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/tantrums-doing-what-comes-naturally/) - [Whose Birthday Party Is It?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/whose-birthday-party-is-it/) - [Talking to Kids About Japan](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/talking-to-kids-about-japan/) - [Help! My Child is a Brat](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/bratty-kids/) - Betsy is interviewe. - [Why You Should Put Your Marriage Before Your Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/why-you-should-put-your-marriage-before-your-kids/) - (reprinted from an original article in Good Housekeeping) Betsy was quoted - [The Importance of Bedtime Rituals](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/the-importance-of-bedtime-rituals/) - [Can I Discipline Someone Else's Kid?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/can-i-discipline-someone-elses-kid/) - [Nightmares Before Christmas](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/nightmares-before-christmas/) - [Independence Day](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/independence-day/) - [Discipline Dilemmas](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/discipline-dilemmas/) - [Backseat Bickering](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/backseat-bickering/) - [Holiday Spoils](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/holiday-spoils/) - [Rachael Ray](https://betsybrownbraun.com/appearances/121609-rachael-ray/) ## Categories - [Safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/safety/) - [Behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/behavior/) - [Attachment](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/attachment/) - [Parent modeling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/parent-modeling/) - [Parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/parenting/) - [Communication](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/communication/) - [Environmental influences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/environmental-influences/) - [Learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/learning/) - [School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/school/) - [Relationships](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/relationships/) - [Peers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/peers/) - [Brat-Proofing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/brat-proofing/) - [Character traits](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/character-traits/) - [Expectations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/expectations/) - [Separation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/separation/) - [Discipline](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/discipline/) - [Toddlers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/toddlers/) - [Child development](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/child-development/) - [Adolescents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/adolescents/) - [Holidays](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/holidays/) - [Public Behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/public-behavior/) - [Sensitive Topics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/sensitive-topics/) - [Transitions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/transitions/) - [Elementary School Children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/elementary-school-children/) - [Teens](https://betsybrownbraun.com/category/teens/) ## Tags - [TV watching](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tv-watching/) - [Manners](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/manners/) - [Children trying something new, Child's fear of new activities;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-trying-something-new-childs-fear-of-new-activities/) - [Child safety, Texting, Car safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/child-safety-texting-car-safety/) - [Back to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/back-to-school/) - [Values](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/values/) - [Respect](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/respect/) - [Modeling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/modeling/) - [Optimism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/optimism/) - [Taking children to movies](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/taking-children-to-movies/) - [Halloween](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/halloween/) - [shouting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/shouting/) - [Yelling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/yelling/) - [Screaming at your kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/screaming-at-your-kids/) - [Spanking](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/spanking/) - [Media](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/media/) - [Balancing media](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/balancing-media/) - [Children and media](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-and-media/) - [Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/thanksgiving/) - [Gratitude](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gratitude/) - [Giving thanks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/giving-thanks/) - [Mother-child bond](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/mother-child-bond/) - [marriage](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/marriage/) - [Trust](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trust/) - [Infidelity](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/infidelity/) - [Heroes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/heroes/) - [Tiger Woods](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tiger-woods/) - [Bad choices](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bad-choices/) - [Mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/mistakes/) - [Gossip](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gossip/) - [Celebrating Chanukah](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/celebrating-chanukah/) - [Lying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/lying/) - [Honesty](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/honesty/) - [Christmas](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/christmas/) - [Routines](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/routines/) - [Morning routines](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/morning-routines/) - [Hurrying children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hurrying-children/) - [Getting ready in the morning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/getting-ready-in-the-morning/) - [Reading](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/reading/) - [Books](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/books/) - [Tantrums](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tantrums/) - [Misbehavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/misbehavior/) - [Siblings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/siblings/) - [Fighting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fighting/) - [Empathy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/empathy/) - [Compassion](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/compassion/) - [Charity](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/charity/) - [Haiti](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/haiti/) - [Play](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/play/) - [Early learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/early-learning/) - [Fathering](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fathering/) - [Father-Child Bond](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/father-child-bond/) - [Olympics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/olympics/) - [Idols](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/idols/) - [Sportsmanship](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sportsmanship/) - [Teamwork](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teamwork/) - [Athletes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/athletes/) - [Death](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/death/) - [Dying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dying/) - [Learning about death](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/learning-about-death/) - [Teaching about death](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-about-death/) - [Hurrying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hurrying/) - [Slow down](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/slow-down/) - [Admiration](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/admiration/) - [Overscheduling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/overscheduling/) - [Enrichment classes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/enrichment-classes/) - [Video Games](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/video-games/) - [Limits](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/limits/) - [Boundaries](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/boundaries/) - [Delaying gratification](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/delaying-gratification/) - [Patience](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/patience/) - [Impulse Control](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/impulse-control/) - [Teachers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teachers/) - [Selfishness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/selfishness/) - [Melt downs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/melt-downs/) - [Passion](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/passion/) - [Mother's Day](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/mothers-day/) - [overparenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/overparenting/) - [babies](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/babies/) - [Sex education](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sex-education/) - [Anger](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/anger/) - [Feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/feelings/) - ["I Hate You;" Children's Anger; Expressing Anger; Angry Feelings;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/i-hate-you-childrens-anger-expressing-anger-angry-feelings/) - [Disappointment](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/disappointment/) - [Best friends](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/best-friends/) - [Vacations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/vacations/) - [Family vacations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/family-vacations/) - [Trips](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trips/) - [Family Trips](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/family-trips/) - [Sleep away camp](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sleep-away-camp/) - [Parental attachment](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parental-attachment/) - [Letting go](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/letting-go/) - [leaving home](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/leaving-home/) - [school separation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-separation/) - [Parent bad behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-bad-behavior/) - [Anger management](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/anger-management/) - [Taking children to formal events](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/taking-children-to-formal-events/) - [School transitions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-transitions/) - [Playing favorites](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/playing-favorites/) - [Favoring one child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/favoring-one-child/) - [New school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/new-school-year/) - [Eating out](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/eating-out/) - [Homework](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/homework/) - [Stress](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/stress/) - [Pressure](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/pressure/) - [Race to Nowhere](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/race-to-nowhere/) - [Down time](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/down-time/) - [Hypocrisy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hypocrisy/) - [Parent as teacher](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-as-teacher/) - [Interactive learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/interactive-learning/) - [Elementary School](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/elementary-school/) - [Cell phones](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/cell-phones/) - [Appreciation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/appreciation/) - [Chanukah](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/chanukah/) - [Shy child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/shy-child/) - [Experiences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/experiences/) - [Rituals](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/rituals/) - [Family meals](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/family-meals/) - [Beliefs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/beliefs/) - [Interrupting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/interrupting/) - [Tiger Mother](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tiger-mother/) - [Perfectionism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/perfectionism/) - [Telephone](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/telephone/) - [Toilet Training](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/toilet-training/) - [Toilet habits](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/toilet-habits/) - [Wiping your child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/wiping-your-child/) - [Earthquakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/earthquakes/) - [Tsunami](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tsunami/) - [Drinking](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/drinking/) - [Kids and Alcohol](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-and-alcohol/) - [Terrorism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/terrorism/) - [Academics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/academics/) - [Hurried child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hurried-child/) - [Tutoring](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tutoring/) - [Early Academics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/early-academics/) - [fathers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fathers/) - [father and child bond](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/father-and-child-bond/) - [connectedness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/connectedness/) - [Learning in Summer](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/learning-in-summer/) - [Summer](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/summer/) - [Child safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/child-safety/) - [Child sexual abuse safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/child-sexual-abuse-safety/) - [Gender Orientation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gender-orientation/) - [Sex Orientation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sex-orientation/) - [Brandan McInerney trial](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/brandan-mcinerney-trial/) - [Kids Dressing UP](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-dressing-up/) - [Parenting advice](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-advice/) - [Sleepovers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sleepovers/) - 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[Family & Technology](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/family-technology/) - [Screentime](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/screentime/) - [Tv Rules](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tv-rules/) - [Watching TV With Kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/watching-tv-with-kids/) - [Vacations without kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/vacations-without-kids/) - [Parents' needs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-needs/) - [memories](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/memories/) - [family memories](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/family-memories/) - [The Odd Life of Timothy Green; Laughing at children; age appropriate movies; common sense media; boys who cry; raising sensitive boys; respectful parenting; respecting children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/the-odd-life-of-timothy-green-laughing-at-children-age-appropriate-movies-common-sense-media-boys-who-cry-raising-sensitive-boys-respectful-parenting-respecting-children/) - [Doing the right thing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/doing-the-right-thing/) - 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[Telling a child his pet has died;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/telling-a-child-his-pet-has-died/) - [parenting; parent modeling; parent presence; parental presence; time spent with kids; fathering; fathers and kids; paying attention to kids; being present with kids; spending time with kids; iphones a](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-parent-modeling-parent-presence-parental-presence-time-spent-with-kids-fathering-fathers-and-kids-paying-attention-to-kids-being-present-with-kids-spending-time-with-kids-iphones-a/) - [what is important for kids; what kids want](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-is-important-for-kids-what-kids-want/) - [Empathy; Teaching Empathy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/empathy-teaching-empathy/) - [Empathy; Cultivating Empathy; Teaching children empathy; Expressing empathy; Children and empathy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/empathy-cultivating-empathy-teaching-children-empathy-expressing-empathy-children-and-empathy/) - [; modeling empathy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/modeling-empathy/) - 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[Gina de Jesus](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gina-de-jesus/) - [Michelle Knight](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/michelle-knight/) - [Abduction](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/abduction/) - [passion; finding passion; being passionate; cultivating passion; self esteem; buliding self esteem; children's self esteem; bagpipes; playing the bagpipes; learning the bagpipes; Irish Dance; Irish Da](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/passion-finding-passion-being-passionate-cultivating-passion-self-esteem-buliding-self-esteem-childrens-self-esteem-bagpipes-playing-the-bagpipes-learning-the-bagpipes-irish-dance-irish-da/) - [Motivating children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/motivating-children/) - [fathers as teachers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fathers-as-teachers/) - [teaching a child baseball](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-a-child-baseball/) - [outsourcing parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/outsourcing-parenting/) - [dads](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dads/) - [dads as teachers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dads-as-teachers/) - [bike riding](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bike-riding/) - [teaching bike riding](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-bike-riding/) - [Little League](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/little-league/) - [Little League parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/little-league-parents/) - [kids in restaurants; restaurant behavior; taking children to restaurants; misbehaving in restaurants; expectations for restaurants; public behavior; eating out;; taking kids to eat out; families at re](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-in-restaurants-restaurant-behavior-taking-children-to-restaurants-misbehaving-in-restaurants-expectations-for-restaurants-public-behavior-eating-out-taking-kids-to-eat-out-families-at-re/) - [Kids eating out](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-eating-out/) - [Kids in restaurants](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-in-restaurants/) - [Kids behaving in restaurants](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-behaving-in-restaurants/) - [Kids learning to eat at restaurants](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-learning-to-eat-at-restaurants/) - [Restaurant behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/restaurant-behavior/) - [Behaving in a restraurant](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/behaving-in-a-restraurant/) - [Restaurant expectations](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/restaurant-expectations/) - [School Attendance](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-attendance/) - [School Avoidance](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-avoidance/) - [I dont want to go to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/i-dont-want-to-go-to-school/) - [Not wanting to go to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/not-wanting-to-go-to-school/) - [Refusing to go to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/refusing-to-go-to-school/) - [Halloween candy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/halloween-candy/) - [Trick-or-treating](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trick-or-treating/) - [Dealing with Halloween candy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dealing-with-halloween-candy/) - [What to do with left over Halloween candy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-to-do-with-left-over-halloween-candy/) - [Emotional literacy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/emotional-literacy/) - [crying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/crying/) - [teaching feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-feelings/) - [teaching emotions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-emotions/) - [double dip feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/double-dip-feelings/) - [happiness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/happiness/) - [Expressing feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/expressing-feelings/) - [gifts from grandparents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gifts-from-grandparents/) - [holiday gift giving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/holiday-gift-giving/) - [limiting gift giving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/limiting-gift-giving/) - [grandparents' gifts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/grandparents-gifts/) - [grandchildren and grandparents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/grandchildren-and-grandparents/) - [limits on gifts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/limits-on-gifts/) - [gift giving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gift-giving/) - 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[planning for the new school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/planning-for-the-new-school-year/) - [preparing for the new school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/preparing-for-the-new-school-year/) - [school routines](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-routines/) - [school rituals](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-rituals/) - [right age for dyeing your hair. right age for body pierces](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-dyeing-your-hair-right-age-for-body-pierces/) - [right age for ear piercing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-ear-piercing/) - [right age for cell phones](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-cell-phones/) - [righ tage for sleepovers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/righ-tage-for-sleepovers/) - [right age for Facebook](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-facebook/) - [right age for Instagram](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-instagram/) - [right age for Twitter](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-twitter/) - [right age for Kik](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-kik/) - [rightage for Snapchat](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/rightage-for-snapchat/) - [telilng kids that Santa is pretend](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/telilng-kids-that-santa-is-pretend/) - [telling kids the Tooth Fairy isn't real](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/telling-kids-the-tooth-fairy-isnt-real/) - [telling kids the Easter Bunny is pretend](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/telling-kids-the-easter-bunny-is-pretend/) - [right age for a sleep over](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/right-age-for-a-sleep-over/) - [home alone](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/home-alone/) - [walking to school alone](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/walking-to-school-alone/) - [shaving legs](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/shaving-legs/) - [kids using a razor](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-using-a-razor/) - [kids piercing ears](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-piercing-ears/) - [body pierces](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/body-pierces/) - 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[Paris](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/paris/) - [how to talk to children about Paris attacks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-talk-to-children-about-paris-attacks/) - [how to explain terrorism to children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-explain-terrorism-to-children/) - [fears](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fears/) - [Paris attacks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/paris-attacks/) - [Paris terrorism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/paris-terrorism/) - [Are we safe?](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/are-we-safe/) - [LAUSD school closure](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/lausd-school-closure/) - [what to tell kids about LAUSD school threat; talking to kids about LAUSD school threat; talking to kids about LA school threat](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-to-tell-kids-about-lausd-school-threat-talking-to-kids-about-lausd-school-threat-talking-to-kids-about-la-school-threat/) - [how to talk to kdis about the LA school closure](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-talk-to-kdis-about-the-la-school-closure/) - [how to answer why the LA Schools were closed.](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-answer-why-the-la-schools-were-closed/) - [Tattling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tattling/) - [tattletales](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tattletales/) - [tattle taling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tattle-taling/) - [children's tattling](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/childrens-tattling/) - [kids who tattle](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-who-tattle/) - [sibling fights](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sibling-fights/) - [sibling fighting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sibling-fighting/) - [siblings who tattle](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/siblings-who-tattle/) - [Talking to kids about the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-the-election/) - [talking to kids about Trump](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-trump/) - [talking to kids about the candidates](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-the-candidates/) - [talking about the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-the-election/) - [teaching about voting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-about-voting/) - [teaching about the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-about-the-election/) - [bad behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bad-behavior/) - [adult bad behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/adult-bad-behavior/) - [behaving badly](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/behaving-badly/) - [talking politics with kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-politics-with-kids/) - [talking about voting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-voting/) - [parent behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-behavior/) - [children copying parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-copying-parents/) - [kids' learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-learning/) - [kids copying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-copying/) - [parents behaving badly](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-behaving-badly/) - [starting the new school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/starting-the-new-school-year/) - [getting ready for school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/getting-ready-for-school/) - [new school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/new-school/) - [transitions to the school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/transitions-to-the-school-year/) - [elementary school routines](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/elementary-school-routines/) - [easy school start](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/easy-school-start/) - [parenting a school age child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-a-school-age-child/) - [parenting an elementary school child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-an-elementary-school-child/) - [elementary school kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/elementary-school-kids/) - [guidelines for parenting an school child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/guidelines-for-parenting-an-school-child/) - [homework involvement](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/homework-involvement/) - [kids at school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-at-school/) - [parenting tips](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-tips/) - 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[talking about Trump](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-trump/) - [talking about Clinton](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-clinton/) - [explaining the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-the-election/) - [the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/the-election/) - [teaching kids about Trump](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-kids-about-trump/) - [explaining Trumps bad behavior to kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-trumps-bad-behavior-to-kids/) - [Trump's language](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trumps-language/) - [Trump's lying](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trumps-lying/) - [Trump's dishonesty](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/trumps-dishonesty/) - [presidential behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/presidential-behavior/) - [talking to kids about Trump's bad behavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-trumps-bad-behavior/) - [presidential misbehavior](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/presidential-misbehavior/) - [talking to children about Trump's language](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-children-about-trumps-language/) - [Parents disagree; when parents argue](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-disagree-when-parents-argue/) - [parents who disagree](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-who-disagree/) - [parents who fight](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-who-fight/) - [parent fights](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-fights/) - [parents taking sides](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-taking-sides/) - [parent disagreements](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-disagreements/) - [talking to kids about Manchester attack](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-manchester-attack/) - [Manchester terrorist attack](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/manchester-terrorist-attack/) - [Manchester bombing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/manchester-bombing/) - [talking to kids about terrorism](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-terrorism/) - [explaining terrorism to kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-terrorism-to-kids/) - [how to talk to children about Manchester](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-talk-to-children-about-manchester/) - [how to discipline](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-discipline/) - [how to give consequences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-give-consequences/) - [punihsments](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/punihsments/) - [how to punish](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-punish/) - [California fires; hurricanes;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/california-fires-hurricanes/) - [cultivating gratitude](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/cultivating-gratitude/) - [how to build gratitude; giving thanks](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-build-gratitude-giving-thanks/) - [being thankful](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/being-thankful/) - [preparing for Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/preparing-for-thanksgiving/) - [Using bad words; appropriate language; bathroom talk; bathroom words; naughty words; proper language; word choices; kids' word use; polite language; mannerly language](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/using-bad-words-appropriate-language-bathroom-talk-bathroom-words-naughty-words-proper-language-word-choices-kids-word-use-polite-language-mannerly-language/) - [California fires; brush fires](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/california-fires-brush-fires/) - [wild fires](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/wild-fires/) - [fire](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fire/) - [fighting fires](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fighting-fires/) - [evacuation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/evacuation/) - [evacuating your home](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/evacuating-your-home/) - [explaining evacuation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-evacuation/) - [self reliance](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/self-reliance/) - [resilience](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/resilience/) - [decision making](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/decision-making/) - [making decisions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/making-decisions/) - [children's decisions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/childrens-decisions/) - [kids' decisions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-decisions/) - [tiger parents](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tiger-parents/) - [helicopter parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helicopter-parenting/) - [natural disasters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/natural-disasters/) - [talking to children about school shootings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-children-about-school-shootings/) - [school shootings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-shootings/) - [school safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-safety/) - [talking to children about school safety](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-children-about-school-safety/) - [tips for dealing with children about school shootings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tips-for-dealing-with-children-about-school-shootings/) - [tips for talking to children about natural disasters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-natural-disasters/) - [hoarding](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hoarding/) - [children who hoard](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-hoard/) - [children who collect things](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-collect-things/) - [children who can't get ride of things](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-cant-get-ride-of-things/) - [children and cleaning out](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-and-cleaning-out/) - [children and donating](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-and-donating/) - [conferences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/conferences/) - [parent-teacher conferences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parent-teacher-conferences/) - [conferencing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/conferencing/) - [questions for parent teacher conferences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/questions-for-parent-teacher-conferences/) - [school conferences](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-conferences/) - [teacher meetings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teacher-meetings/) - [Tree of Life synagogue shootings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tree-of-life-synagogue-shootings/) - [temple killing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/temple-killing/) - [temple shooting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/temple-shooting/) - [synagogue shooting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/synagogue-shooting/) - [Pittsburg shooting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/pittsburg-shooting/) - [explaining the synagogue shooting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-the-synagogue-shooting/) - [explaining violence](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-violence/) - [social media](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/social-media/) - [parents posting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-posting/) - [posting photos](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/posting-photos/) - [posting about children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/posting-about-children/) - [posting about your children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/posting-about-your-children/) - [social media posts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/social-media-posts/) - [Facebook](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/facebook/) - [Facebook posts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/facebook-posts/) - [Instagram posts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/instagram-posts/) - [Snapchat posts](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/snapchat-posts/) - [college admissions scandal](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/college-admissions-scandal/) - [getting into collelge](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/getting-into-collelge/) - [college preparation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/college-preparation/) - [college admissions](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/college-admissions/) - [Rick Singer](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/rick-singer/) - [talking to kids about the mass shootings; taling to kids about the killing; talking to kids about El Paso; talking to kids about Dayton; explaining the shootings to kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-the-mass-shootings-taling-to-kids-about-the-killing-talking-to-kids-about-el-paso-talking-to-kids-about-dayton-explaining-the-shootings-to-kids/) - [starting preschool; returning to preschool](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/starting-preschool-returning-to-preschool/) - [Affluenza](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/affluenza/) - [bragging](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bragging/) - [over privileged kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/over-privileged-kids/) - [bad parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bad-parenting/) - [growing values in children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/growing-values-in-children/) - [parents modeling values](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-modeling-values/) - [now not to spoil your children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/now-not-to-spoil-your-children/) - [kids and Gucci](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-and-gucci/) - [kids boasting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-boasting/) - [Homelessness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/homelessness/) - [homeless](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/homeless/) - [talking to kids about homelesness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-homelesness/) - [talking to kids about mental illness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-mental-illness/) - [homelessness and Thanksgiving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/homelessness-and-thanksgiving/) - [fear of homelessness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fear-of-homelessness/) - [fear of being homeless](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/fear-of-being-homeless/) - [worry about homelessness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/worry-about-homelessness/) - [Explaining coronavirus; talking to kids about the coronavirus; explaining Corvid 19; teaching about germs; teaching about immunity; explaining iillness; explaining sickness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-coronavirus-talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus-explaining-corvid-19-teaching-about-germs-teaching-about-immunity-explaining-iillness-explaining-sickness/) - [Home school; home schooling; teaching kids at home; what to do with kids at home; home activities; coronavirus; Corvid-19; handling school closures](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/home-school-home-schooling-teaching-kids-at-home-what-to-do-with-kids-at-home-home-activities-coronavirus-corvid-19-handling-school-closures/) - [Disagreement in divorced families; disagreement in separated families; COVID 19 precuations in divorced families; COVID 19 precuations in separated families; Bi Nuclear families;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/disagreement-in-divorced-families-disagreement-in-separated-families-covid-19-precuations-in-divorced-families-covid-19-precuations-in-separated-families-bi-nuclear-families/) - [parenting during the pandemic; disappointed children; when graduation is cancelled;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parenting-during-the-pandemic-disappointed-children-when-graduation-is-cancelled/) - [disappointments; quarantine; parenting during COVID;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/disappointments-quarantine-parenting-during-covid/) - [dealing with quarantine sadness;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dealing-with-quarantine-sadness/) - [George Floyd killing; explaining the George Floyd killing to kids; talking about the riots; talking about the looting; talking to kids about racism; talking to kids about prejudice;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/george-floyd-killing-explaining-the-george-floyd-killing-to-kids-talking-about-the-riots-talking-about-the-looting-talking-to-kids-about-racism-talking-to-kids-about-prejudice/) - [talking to kids about obeying the law; taking to kids about the police](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-obeying-the-law-taking-to-kids-about-the-police/) - [school choices](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-choices/) - [choosing a school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/choosing-a-school/) - [virtual learning vs in school learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/virtual-learning-vs-in-school-learning/) - [online learning](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/online-learning/) - [school for rising kindergartners](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-for-rising-kindergartners/) - [school for kindergartners](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-for-kindergartners/) - [virtual school for preschool](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/virtual-school-for-preschool/) - [school during a pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-during-a-pandemic/) - [school safety protocol in a pandemic](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-safety-protocol-in-a-pandemic/) - [home school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/home-school/) - [school pods](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-pods/) - [micro school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/micro-school/) - [School choices during COVID; School decisions; Deciding if a child should attend school or not; Distance learning or home schooling; Deciding on attending school during the pandemic;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-choices-during-covid-school-decisions-deciding-if-a-child-should-attend-school-or-not-distance-learning-or-home-schooling-deciding-on-attending-school-during-the-pandemic/) - [Distance learning vs attending school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/distance-learning-vs-attending-school/) - [Hallowwen in the pandemic; should we celebrate Halloween this year? ; what to do on Halloween; Halloween games; Halloween at home; what to do on Halloween this year; should we trick or treat?;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hallowwen-in-the-pandemic-should-we-celebrate-halloween-this-year-what-to-do-on-halloween-halloween-games-halloween-at-home-what-to-do-on-halloween-this-year-should-we-trick-or-treat/) - [gratefulness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gratefulness/) - [teaching gratitude](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-gratitude/) - [expressing gratitude](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/expressing-gratitude/) - [showing appreciation](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/showing-appreciation/) - [thankfulness](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/thankfulness/) - [Thanksgiving projects](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/thanksgiving-projects/) - [Thanksgiving activities](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/thanksgiving-activities/) - [making mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/making-mistakes/) - [children making mistakes; kids and mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-making-mistakes-kids-and-mistakes/) - [recovering from mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/recovering-from-mistakes/) - [children who feel bad for making mistakes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-feel-bad-for-making-mistakes/) - [returning to school; school re entry; going to to school; the transition back to school; going back to school after the pandemic; school after the pandemic;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/returning-to-school-school-re-entry-going-to-to-school-the-transition-back-to-school-going-back-to-school-after-the-pandemic-school-after-the-pandemic/) - [preparing kids for starting school after the pandemi](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/preparing-kids-for-starting-school-after-the-pandemi/) - [helicopter parents; land the helicopter; over parenting; parental expectations; self reliance](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helicopter-parents-land-the-helicopter-over-parenting-parental-expectations-self-reliance/) - [independence](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/independence/) - [self efficacy](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/self-efficacy/) - [parents hovering;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parents-hovering/) - [Summer Olympics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/summer-olympics/) - [women's gymnastics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/womens-gymnastics/) - [gynmastic teams](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/gynmastic-teams/) - [Simone Biles](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/simone-biles/) - [Simone Biles' withdrawal. sportsmanship](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/simone-biles-withdrawal-sportsmanship/) - [good sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/good-sports/) - [sports disappointments](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sports-disappointments/) - [team play](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/team-play/) - [team work](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/team-work/) - [quitting sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/quitting-sports/) - [sticking with sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sticking-with-sports/) - [kids who quit sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-who-quit-sports/) - [Bad sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bad-sports/) - [sore loosers](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sore-loosers/) - [cheaters](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/cheaters/) - [lessons learned in baseball](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/lessons-learned-in-baseball/) - [baseball lessons](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/baseball-lessons/) - [kids and board games](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-and-board-games/) - [bad sportsmanship in kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/bad-sportsmanship-in-kids/) - [kids who cheat in games](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kids-who-cheat-in-games/) - [learning resilience from life](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/learning-resilience-from-life/) - [poor sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/poor-sports/) - [poor sportsmanship](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/poor-sportsmanship/) - [teaching sportsmanship](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-sportsmanship/) - [showing love; expressing love; showing affection;public displays of affection; affection in front of children; what is love; explaining love to children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/showing-love-expressing-love-showing-affectionpublic-displays-of-affection-affection-in-front-of-children-what-is-love-explaining-love-to-children/) - [kissing in front of children; hugging in front of children; modeling love; modeling loving](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/kissing-in-front-of-children-hugging-in-front-of-children-modeling-love-modeling-loving/) - [Explaing the war in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaing-the-war-in-ukraine/) - [talking about the war in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-the-war-in-ukraine/) - [war in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/war-in-ukraine/) - [war with Russia;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/war-with-russia/) - [explaining what Putin is doing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-what-putin-is-doing/) - [What should parents say about the war in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-should-parents-say-about-the-war-in-ukraine/) - [will there be a world war III](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/will-there-be-a-world-war-iii/) - [What is NATO](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-is-nato/) - [killing in Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/killing-in-ukraine/) - [Refugees leaving Ukraine](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/refugees-leaving-ukraine/) - [Shooting in Uvalde; talking about the school shooting;l explaining the shooting; explaining the school shooting to kids;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/shooting-in-uvalde-talking-about-the-school-shootingl-explaining-the-shooting-explaining-the-school-shooting-to-kids/) - [school shooitng](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/school-shooitng/) - [helping children understand the school shooting;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helping-children-understand-the-school-shooting/) - [what to do about the school shooting;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/what-to-do-about-the-school-shooting/) - [transitioning to the school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/transitioning-to-the-school-year/) - [saying goodbye to summer](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/saying-goodbye-to-summer/) - [adapting to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/adapting-to-school/) - [getting ready to start school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/getting-ready-to-start-school/) - [helping children to adjust to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helping-children-to-adjust-to-school/) - [saying "Im sorry](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/saying-im-sorry/) - [" Forcing a child to say he's sorry; making a child say he's sorry](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/forcing-a-child-to-say-hes-sorry-making-a-child-say-hes-sorry/) - [chidlren's apologies](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/chidlrens-apologies/) - [asking for apologies](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/asking-for-apologies/) - [I'm sorry; making a child apologize](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/im-sorry-making-a-child-apologize/) - [teacing contrition; making amends;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teacing-contrition-making-amends/) - [manners; teaching manners; mannerlyl behavior; teaching respect; considerate children; teaching civility; teaching respect; teaching decorum;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/manners-teaching-manners-mannerlyl-behavior-teaching-respect-considerate-children-teaching-civility-teaching-respect-teaching-decorum/) - [modeling polite behavior; the Golden Rule](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/modeling-polite-behavior-the-golden-rule/) - [children's big feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/childrens-big-feelings/) - [children's negative feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/childrens-negative-feelings/) - [loving your child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/loving-your-child/) - [liking your child](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/liking-your-child/) - [tolerating big feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/tolerating-big-feelings/) - [reacting to chilren's feelings](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/reacting-to-chilrens-feelings/) - [parental love](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/parental-love/) - [differemt kinds of love](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/differemt-kinds-of-love/) - [Talking to kids; effective communication; communication with children; Lousy Local Conditions;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-effective-communication-communication-with-children-lousy-local-conditions/) - [How to talk to kids;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-talk-to-kids/) - [beginning school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/beginning-school/) - [the new school year](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/the-new-school-year/) - [transitioning to school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/transitioning-to-school/) - [starting preschool](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/starting-preschool/) - [preparing for school](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/preparing-for-school/) - [Talking to children about the war in Israel; talking to children about the war in Gaza; explaining the war in Israel; helping children deal with the war in Israel](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-children-about-the-war-in-israel-talking-to-children-about-the-war-in-gaza-explaining-the-war-in-israel-helping-children-deal-with-the-war-in-israel/) - [HOw do I explain the war in Israel; Why do people hate the Jews](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-do-i-explain-the-war-in-israel-why-do-people-hate-the-jews/) - [how to talk about the Jewish people](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-talk-about-the-jewish-people/) - [why is htere a way in Israel](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/why-is-htere-a-way-in-israel/) - [How to parent after Covid](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/how-to-parent-after-covid/) - [Update your parenting](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/update-your-parenting/) - [Stop giving in to your children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/stop-giving-in-to-your-children/) - [Dealing with bratty kids after Covid](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dealing-with-bratty-kids-after-covid/) - [teaching kids about money; money lessons; using credit cards with kids; using cash; learnng about money; t he value of money;](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-kids-about-money-money-lessons-using-credit-cards-with-kids-using-cash-learnng-about-money-t-he-value-of-money/) - [money lessons](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/money-lessons/) - [teaching kids about money](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teaching-kids-about-money/) - [teching the value of money](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teching-the-value-of-money/) - [money attitudes](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/money-attitudes/) - [learning about real money](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/learning-about-real-money/) - [helping kids understand money](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helping-kids-understand-money/) - [talking about money with kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-about-money-with-kids/) - [Olympic lessons; sportsmanship; beinga good sport; fear of failure; quitters; competitiveness; competeng](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/olympic-lessons-sportsmanship-beinga-good-sport-fear-of-failure-quitters-competitiveness-competeng/) - [athletic competition](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/athletic-competition/) - [being a good loser](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/being-a-good-loser/) - [grit](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/grit/) - [hard word](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hard-word/) - [sports practice](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sports-practice/) - [not being a quitter in sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/not-being-a-quitter-in-sports/) - [talking to your children about the election](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-your-children-about-the-election/) - [the election 2024](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/the-election-2024/) - [Hannukah](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/hannukah/) - [talking to kids about fires](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-fires/) - [explaining to children about the fires](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/explaining-to-children-about-the-fires/) - [teloling kids about divorce](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/teloling-kids-about-divorce/) - [co parenting in a divorce](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/co-parenting-in-a-divorce/) - [dealing with divorce with children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/dealing-with-divorce-with-children/) - [talking to kids about divorce](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-divorce/) - [children and divorce](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-and-divorce/) - [praising your children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/praising-your-children/) - [sharing your feelings with your kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/sharing-your-feelings-with-your-kids/) - [Talking to kids about the floods](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/talking-to-kids-about-the-floods/) - [Texas floods; floods in New Mexico; explaining the floods to children](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/texas-floods-floods-in-new-mexico-explaining-the-floods-to-children/) - [Helping children deal with the floods; dealing with death from the flood; Camp Mystic deaths](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/helping-children-deal-with-the-floods-dealing-with-death-from-the-flood-camp-mystic-deaths/) - [Children who won't try](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-wont-try/) - [children who are bad sports](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/children-who-are-bad-sports/) - [Olympics for kids](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/olympics-for-kids/) - [lessons of the Olympics](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/lessons-of-the-olympics/) - [Olympic lessons; sportsmanship; beinga good sport; fear of failure; quitters; competitiveness; competing](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/olympic-lessons-sportsmanship-beinga-good-sport-fear-of-failure-quitters-competitiveness-competing/) - [needing to be first](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/needing-to-be-first/) - [needing to be best](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/needing-to-be-best/) - [getting kids to try something new](https://betsybrownbraun.com/tag/getting-kids-to-try-something-new/) - 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