In my coaching work with parents, I hear this question regularly! Sneaky parents find out that their kids are being sneaky too, and, in a sense, both are caught off guard.
\nAs gross as this feels, this is one of those crazy times when, as parents, we must remind ourselves that we are adults. It is our job to be watching our kids and helping them learn from their mistakes. In this scenario, we get to learn from our mistakes as well.
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There are some simple, practical solutions, but also some deeper, more lifelong lessons that we can teach our children about responsibility, respect, and the value of a dollar.
\n“What do you mean you don’t know where your new shoes are? You haven’t even had them for a week!”
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Have you ever watched your kid do something, shaken your head and said nothing, hoping that tomorrow things would be different? I know you have – because who hasn’t? We’ve all done it. We’ve all hoped that if we just ignore something, it will stop.
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“David’s mom is fat. She needs to go on a diet.” When my sweet kindergartner innocently uttered this line after school one day, I couldn’t hide my shock. After experiencing my own body image ups and downs, I’d tried to protect my young kids from talking about weight loss and dieting. Faking composure, I countered with, “Oh? Um, where did you hear that?”
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