Parenting Network

Key Tools to Help You Avoid a Parent Meltdown


There are some very basic things we do as parents that set the stage for a struggle with a child. Here are some of the more common no-no's!

· The need for perfection.
· The need for control.
· Doing for a child what they can do for themselves.
· Protecting a child from the results of their choices.
· Taking your child’s behaviour personally, and worrying about the judgment of others.
· Interfering with your child’s relationship with your partner.


Six Great Habits to Start…

1. Create a child-friendly home where mistakes are okay.

2. If you're feeling stressed and overworked, quit the role you’ve created for yourself in the family and write a new job description that allows for the contribution from others. Hold a family meeting and share a list of household responsibilities – let everyone choose what they’d like to be in charge of.

3. Develop routines that the child can manage for themselves. Give the child an opportunity to make more and more decisions.

4. Active listen and be empathetic when their choices don’t turn out so well. Struggle is a vital part of learning and helps them develop better judgment.

5. Respond to your child’s behaviour in a respectful and caring manner. Don’t abandon your parenting approach to please an onlooker.

6. Communicate with your partner about parenting issues in private. Remember that your partnership is the primary relationship and provides the foundation for the family. Get the support you need to keep it healthy.


Beverley Cathcart-Ross is an author, speaker, certified parent educator, and co-founder of Parenting Network. Click here for final Workshops for the Spring!