The Blog
Our best advice when it’s tough with kids:breathe, laugh, dance, sing, hug, call a friend. Be gentle with yourself, you’re not done growing up yet. This won’t last and you are not alone.
How Happily Family Started
You’ve seen us host Happily Family Online Conferences.Run our business.Create a bestselling book. Do you ever wonder how we got started in the first place? And who helped us get where we are now? Jason and I were both preschool teachers, with two young kids,...
Navigating Unfixable Situations with Your Child
Sometimes in parenting, we can make things better for our kids. They fall down, we pick them up. They spill their water bottle, and we refill it. We can kiss their hurts, comfort them when they cry, help them put something back together with glue, scotch tape, or band...
Dr. Daniel Siegel Talks about Parenting & Attachment
Dr. Daniel Siegel, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, has transformed how we understand parenting through his groundbreaking work on interpersonal neurobiology. He offers insights that...
How To Parent a Teen: Advice from a Teen
Recently, we asked a 20-year-old, “What do parents need to know about raising teens right now?” She had a lot to say and we had a really sweet conversation that I think you’ll love. (She didn’t want me to record it, but I took notes that I can share with you.) But do...
Shift from “power over” parenting to “power with”
If you’re reading this, you likely view parenting from a “power with” rather than a “power over” perspective. “Power over” is the domain paradigm and the unfortunate norm in most families, communities, institutions, schools, religions, and governments. You might see...
Resilient Parenting: How to Move From Despair to Hope
My past month has been filled with a full rainbow of emotions. Heartbreak and hope, rage–and its softer cousin–sadness, as well as frustration, pride, grief, confusion, joy, and worry…. because of the fires and also because of what is happening in our family, our...
Ask Your Child Questions to Increase Connection, Build Critical Thinking Skills, and Cope With Feelings
Why asking questions is one of the most important things we can do as parents My favorite way to have a conversation and connect with my kids and family is to ask questions. It may sound simple, but asking children the right questions not only opens up...
When Parents Disagree: The Hidden Benefits of Different Parenting Styles
Do you ever feel like you and your partner (or spouse) have opposite approaches when it comes to the way you parent? Like the way you handle things like schedules, expectations, and kids’ emotions are totally opposite of each other? Let’s say your child comes home...
Best Way to Support a Struggling Child
How Do I Get My Child Back On Track? When kids are struggling with something or acting out, a lot of parents focus on the things that they want to get rid of (the negative influences of screens, peers, sugar, etc). Whether their child is repeatedly getting in trouble...