As my anger starts to mount, I remind myself to take a few deep breaths. After my head stops reeling, I light on one of the stress mantras (such as soften to the feeling or bring it on) to help me reframe the situation. As I repeat the chosen mantra, my perspective starts to shift. […]

One of the children usually starts grabbing the contraband material as quickly as possible if he or she can reach it. Now I am in the position of getting him to relinquish it by invoking some brand of voodoo or snatching it forcefully from his steely grasp. All the while I am trying to unload […]

I would like to thank the people who came up with the idea of the “no candy aisle” at the supermarket. At the same time I would like to know why they chose to pack those aisles with ten thousand other things my children would be willing to hurl themselves over a cliff for.