I am not jesting when I say family dinner is one of my favorite times of day. I like good food, but the best part of family meals is the interactions. I love getting to catch up with everyone about their day. For me, discussing al the random topics come up is part of the fun. Topics range from complaining about a difficult assignment, cute boys, books/movies, or even grammar rules. I love the insights this gives me into each member of my family. There is also something special about being in an accepting place where everyone enjoys spending time together. Although not every meal is a Hallmark-movie-worthy example, our family meals usually are a positive experience.

Anxiety can be concerning when families notice it in childhood. Anxiety can cause a variety of maladaptive behaviors. Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) can offer parents effective tools for responding to anxiety in ways that strengthen connection, increase parental confidence, and empower the child to take small, brave steps. This post discusses how anxiety affects children and parents, how PCIT helps children and parents handle anxiety, and provides PCIT-based tips for helping your child manage anxiety.

A recent topic trending amongst parents is the concept of gentle parenting. I have noticed that this method of raising children elicits strong opinions from most people who discuss it. For this post, I’ll explain gentle parenting as I understand it and share my opinion on the subject.

In Alternatives to Timeout Part 1, we discussed the need for alternatives to timeout, and I gave several suggestions for alternatives to try. In this post, we will discuss alternatives to avoid and considerations for how these suggestions fit into parenting in general.

I continually collect books and other materials to learn more about how to be good at what I do. As someone who originally trained in working primarily with children, my collection for this age group takes up considerable space in our library. There is a lot of information available today about child behavior. Most resources consistently cite timeout as an effective way to reduce unwanted behavior. I primarily teach the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) version, with some modifications as needed. Timeout is one of the most research-supported interventions for difficult behavior. When used effectively, it works very consistently.

I never intended to develop a specialty in potty training or handling urinary and fecal incontinence (e.g., bedwetting or soiling oneself). Before graduating with my Ph.D., I completed a one-year internship at Oregon Health and Science University. I worked at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. One of my supervisors was Dr. Kurt Freeman, who ran a specialty clinic for toileting issues. Each intern completed a 3-month rotation in his clinic. Every Monday afternoon, all the patients I saw experienced various toileting problems.