Caring for children requires patience and finesse. When busy and stressed, it’s common to overreact. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher or caregiver, “time out” won’t get you far. But who has time to read all those parenting books?

For 30 years, I’ve worked with young children; I’ve raised three girls, just 29 months between them. While in the trenches, I’ve developed a deep bag of tricks. Some come from favorite books* and articles. Some I’ve borrowed or adapted from friends. Others, I’ve concocted on the fly. I present them here in SHORT bytes, ready to use.

In the heat of the frustrating moment, it can be hard to access knowledge and skills. Mindfulness is a trendy word to toss around. easy to say, more difficult to implement. Within these tips & tricks, I share a bit of child development information. just enough to help you wrap your head around why your child may be struggling.

Read. Practice. Fine tune these problem solving skills to your child’s needs. Soon your bag of tricks will grow; using them will become second nature. You’ll find yourself more relaxed and able to parent in a mindful way, rather than a reactive way. And you’ll all have a better experience.

*How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7
*Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles: Winning for a Lifetime
*Parenting With Love And Logic