by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting, teens, tools
Have you ever asked your child how their day was and gotten… nothing? Maybe a mumbled “fine” or a quick shrug before they disappeared to their room? Yeah. Me too. It’s easy to feel like you should just stop asking them about anything ever again. But the truth...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, conflict, parenting
Do you have a child who gets frustrated and resorts to name-calling? Maybe you’ve tried everything… telling them “we don’t use those words”, talking about how “those words hurt people's feelings”, practicing calming techniques, ignoring it, taking them for a break,...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting
If you’ve been following Happily Family because you thought Jason and I have it “all” figured out, let me be the first person to tell you—we don’t. Even though we’ve read many books, interviewed over 250 parenting experts, and worked professionally with kids and...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting, tools
Over the years, Jason and I have done over 250 interviews with authors, speakers, and experts in the world of parenting. We’ve talked with psychologists, neuroscientists, educators, and parents who are thinking deeply about kids every single day. And parents often ask...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | collaboration, communication, parenting
We can’t prevent our kids from going through tough times, but we can do our best to be the kind of parents that our kids will come to for help when tough things happen. While our relationship with our children is certainly important, there are two other essential...read more
by Cecilia Hilkey | communication, parenting
Do you use ‘time-outs’ with your kids when they misbehave? Most of us intend for time-outs to be a gentle strategy that gives our children a break and helps them learn. Or maybe we only use a time-out when we’re at the “end of our rope”–we’ve already tried everything...read more
