Author Archives: Parcsen

Why the “Carrot and Stick” Style of Parenting Does Not Work

A mother decides to go to the mall with her two-year old toddler. As they walk around the mall, they spot a toy store. Inside the toy store, the toddler spots an item and begins to nag the mother to purchase it. The mother says no. The toddler begins to cry and scream. Still, the […]

Calling Time-Out to “Time-Outs”

Time outs continue to be a powerful and effective means of motivating children’s compliance through about age 11 or 12. The point of the time-out is to give a child the time and space they need to calm themselves down, regain the ability to think clearly, and then come back to the situation and make […]

Blood is Thicker than Water

“Blood is thicker than water” is a 15th Century proverb that implies that family relationships are always more important that friends. It was a social norm and everyone understood that, “If you ever need help, don’t ask your friends. Come home and ask us, your family. Blood runs thicker than water.”[1] But does this proverb […]

6Cs to Consider When Buying a Tech Toy for Your Child

Think back to the time you played at a playground. There were many different colours and shapes to stimulate your mind. The wide open spaces compelled you to run around and explore. There were ropes to climb and tunnels to crawl through, to test and train your strength and agility. You were probably not alone […]

Play: More than Just Fun

It has been said that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Does it only mean that Jack is bored if he does not get to play, or much more? The eminent play scholar, Joe Frost, in his compelling book, “A History of Childhood Play and Play Environments” (1) tellingly shows that […]

6 Predictors of Divorce

In The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Dr. John Gottman lists the six things that predict divorce. This ability to predict divorce is based in part on his analysis of 124 newlywed couples (married less than 6 months) who were observed at the “Love Lab” apartment at the University of Washington. The study involved […]