Parenting with a Purpose

Do you repeat yourself over and over, feel frustrated, worn out or say or do things you wish you hadn’t?

Does your child talk back, ignore what you say, have tantrums, negotiate until you give in, embarrass you in public or break your heart with bad behavior?

Do you wish things were different?

If you identify with any of these behaviors, you may be ready to make the changes that could change your life. Learn to implement simple and positive parenting strategies to teach your child to follow directions, minimize misbehaviors and help you move from chaos to control. As you teach your child new skills, new ways to communicate and new ways to behave, you will see his self esteem begin to soar.

This book is a selection of published articles from my weekly syndicated newspaper column, Family Matters, which focuses on positive interventions for parents to minimize or eliminate unwanted behaviors. Each article is filled with information, addressing a specific behavior or parental concern, and has been categorized in chapters by concern for easy reading. You may identify with parents who have written in with a “Dear Diana” question, or you may find the answers to questions which you’ve often thought about, but never asked. In every article you will find strategies to remediate misbehaviors, increase self esteem and empower yourself as a parent, as you learn to take control without yelling or harsh punishment.

With each article, you will learn more about your child’s development, what he hears and how he thinks. What you say and how you say it determines how your child will respond. What you teach your child will determine who he becomes. Hundreds of strategies are provided throughout this book to increase positive behavior and nurture your child’s spirit by what you do, how you do it, what you say and how you say it. Imagine being completely confident in managing your child’s behavior, whether you’re out in public or at home. Read how to empower yourself and retrain your child with positive interventions to eliminate confrontations and de-escalate temper tantrums. Learn to soothe your child to sleep or implement a time out with success, not anger. Read how to train your child to wait patiently while you’re on the phone, to listen the first time, to pick up after himself, to develop thoughtful manners, or to develop a strong sibling bond, while gaining independence and self confidence. Learn to communicate so that your child can understand exactly what you are requesting. You will be amazed at how a simple, positive approach with multi-sensory communication can change the dynamics of your entire family. As you read through the articles, you will quickly understand how each strategy can be easily and successfully implemented with your child, in your home.

The strategies, factual material and quick tips within this book are research based and parent proven, with 28 years of implementation with my own 3 grown children, as well as the countless number of families I have worked closely with throughout the years. Each article is written based upon hands-on, front line experience, my years of education in child development, as well as professional opinions obtained from those in the fields of medicine and child psychology.

No matter what your parenting style, you can easily make the small changes which will make all the difference in your child’s life. Embrace parenting with passion and joy. Meet your child’s insatiable quest for love and learning with tenderness and thoughtful teaching. Anyone can be a parent, but it takes a parent armed with skills and continuous dedication to raise a resilient, thoughtful, self confident child. The strategies within this book are simple, and the results are absolutely remarkable. You’ll see a difference within days.

Tell me, and I’ll forget. Teach me, and I’ll remember. Involve me… and I’ll learn. Benjamin Franklin