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Parenting Tips

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Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting, Parenting Tips, Parents

Brain Connection

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The brain is a powerful tool. Using Mindful and Strength-based practices is an intentional way to keep the brain connected and working in harmony. How does your brain help you? When all the parts of the brain work in harmony, emotions, and behaviors are expressed in helpful ways, let’s use the hand to show how this is done. DOWNSTAIRS BRAIN-AMYGDALA • Alarm center of our big emotions like anger, fear and frustration• Senses danger• Interprets the world throughfive senses• Triggers Flight, Fight, and Freeze UPSTAIRS BRAIN – PREFRONTAL CORTEX • Protects Amygdala• Allows good choices • Allows clear thinking • Manages emotions• Helps you ask for help “FLIPPING OUR LID” • The downstairs brain and the upstairs brain aren’t working together• Can’t think clearly• Not managing emotions well CONNECTED BRAIN • Brain working together in harmony • Making wise decisions• Using feelings and thinking clearly Try This The next time you start to feel worried, angry, stressed, scared or overwhelmed, say, “I’m about to ‘flip my lid’, I need a break.” Knowing when you are about to “flip your lid” allows you to reconnect the brain by using coping strategies. Once you are calm, you can talk about your feelings and needs. Download this activity and get started today!

Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting, Parenting Tips, Parents, Uncategorized

The Parent Test…Pass or Fail? Beech Acres Parenting Center Reviews The Parent Test

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The parenting experts at Beech Acres Parenting Center work with thousands of parents every year.  Fundamentally, we believe:  A show recently premiered in prime time called The Parent Test. Based on the beliefs stated above and after viewing the show, we encourage parents to watch The Parent Test with caution. Or, better yet, avoid it altogether.  First and foremost, parenting is hard…like really hard. Beech Acres approaches parents as unique human beings with a host of innate character strengths. We avoid judging parents as judgment is often rooted in the fact that different is wrong. Our approach is to honor the wide variety of parenting styles and combinations of these styles. Viewing particular parenting styles as right or wrong is fairly judgmental. Each style can be leveraged to raise healthy and happy children.    Family values matter and can enhance parenting styles. Many parents tell us that they have never thought about or identified their own family values. Family values serve as the core of what family members do and explain how you want to live your family life. They may be passed down through generations or new to your family system. Identifying family values can help define expectations and actions for all family members. Once you choose your family’s values, think about how they align with your parenting style.  Examples of family values may include holding doors open for others; no phones at the dinner table; homework guidelines; volunteering to help others; family chores; etc.   The goal of The Parent Test is to find the most effective parenting style with an aim to “crown” the winner. Parents who watch this show may be feeling very vulnerable in comparison to other parents on the show. They may be interested in building their skills within one of the parenting styles defined on the show.  Some parents might not be able to identify with any of the named styles.  This can be really confusing and may cause some parents to feel discouraged or defeated.   Our aim is different.  We are driven to promote positive parenting by utilizing Natural Strength Parenting™, a model created at Beech Acres Parenting Center grounded in Mindful, Intentional, and Strength-based parenting.    Parents who utilize Natural Strength Parenting™ create better confidence, are more satisfied in their parent role, practice self-care routinely, and build a better parent-child relationship.  We believe that these are key drivers to being your best self as a parent.    The Parent Test claims they would like to “make kids emotionally whole.”  Children learn the most from their parents. Parents have a fantastic opportunity to serve as an example and inspiration for how you shape your child’s emotional well-being and skills to self-manage, self-determine, and self-regulate.  There is a host of parenting styles, strengths, and family values that can support your parenting journey.  There is no single approach that can be “crowned” as the best.  Set some intentions that will push you to parent on purpose and with a purpose.  Be in the moment with your kids whenever you have the opportunity to do so.  Put the phone down and play, talk, dance, and be together. Identify your top strengths and name strengths that you see in your child.  Notice how those strengths are used and build that muscle even more.  There is no specific rule book, guide, roadmap, or path to follow that guarantees healthy and happy children.  Just be you!     If you are looking for some help with Natural Strength Parenting™, Beech Acres is always there, and we always care.  Reach out to us to meet with a Parenting Specialist for some individualized coaching.   

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Natural Strength Parenting™, Parent Connext™, Parenting Tips, Parenting Tips, Parents

Get More of the Behavior You Want from Your Children with These Tips from Parent Connext™

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Get More of the Behavior You Want from Your Children with These Tips from Parent Connext™ Quality Time Spend quality one-on-one time with your child—try 5-10 minutes per day with no distractions. Remember that CONNECTION BUILDS COOPERATION. Spend quality time with your child – Quality one-on-one time (where your child is in charge of how you play or what you do) builds connection between the parent and child. That connection encourages cooperation. Parent By Example Parent by example – Model the behavior you want to see. If you want your children to be respectful, treat them with respect. Model the behavior you want to see. Remember that children learn a lot by observing us– sometimes more than from our words. Give your child lots of positive attention – Use positive reinforcement to encourage the behavior you want. Tell them ‘thank you’ when they are doing what you asked them to do. Praise them. Be appreciative of the behavior you like. Set Proper Expectations for your Child and Yourself Prep your child for challenging situations in advance. For example, “We are going to the store. We are only buying what is on the list.” Or “We need to leave in 5 minutes.” Check your expectations. Children are going to misbehave. Testing boundaries and limits are important aspects of their development. Your power is in how you choose to respond. Be Consistent – Children thrive on knowing what to expect (i.e. morning and bedtime routines) Have realistic expectations – Be aware of what is developmentally appropriate for your child given their age and temperament. For example, a toddler can’t be expected to sit through a 1-2 hour dinner. Prevent and minimize problems by communicating expectations in advance – To a teen, you might say, “I expect you to be home at midnight, that means in the house at 12.” To a child, “We are stopping at the store for a few things, but we aren’t buying anything that isn’t on our list.” Be aware of what you are modeling – This one is worth repeating. Our children learn a lot by watching us. If you don’t want your child to yell, don’t yell. If you don’t want your child to swear, don’t swear. Connect Before You Direct – Make sure you have your child’s attention, touch their arm, get down on their level before making a request. Share Power- When you can, allow your child some say. Children want to have some control, as we all do. It can be as simple as letting them choose if they want to brush their teeth or put on their pajamas first before bed. Use Empathy – When we can be open to our child’s emotions and accept them, whether negative or positive, they are more easily soothed and comforted.

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Parent Connext™, Parenting Tips

Get Beech Acres Parenting Center Parenting Courses Delivered Right to Your Phone

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Parenting is CHALLENGING! Parenting is the most important (and challenging) job you’ll ever do. Today’s rapidly changing world is creating a lot of stress for families, both parents and children alike. Sometimes it is difficult to find time to really be present with your kids. For over 170 years, Beech Acres Parenting Center has strengthened Greater Cincinnati’s children & families. Now, you can get our cumulative parenting experience delivered right to your phone wherever you are and whenever you’re ready. Introducing Natural Strength Parenting™ To Go, Exclusive Text-based Parenting Courses from Beech Acres Parenting Center Beech Acres Parenting Center is excited to bring our years of parenting experience and our unique, innovative solutions to parents everywhere through text-based courses designed to help you approach your parenting challenges at your own pace. These courses deliver proven advice for common parenting challenges in easy to understand text messages delivered right to your phone. These innovative solutions are simple, effective, and a breeze to implement into your daily parenting routine. Welcome to Natural Strength Parenting™ To Go! Natural Strength Parenting™, Our Unique Approach to Parenting Today’s children are growing up in a much different, much more complex and more rapidly changing world than you did. You know parenting is your most important job, but realize it’s also the hardest. We believe the answer is building resilience through a strength-based approach… and the first step could be intentionally building on kindness. Natural Strength Parenting™, our unique approach to parenting, is a framework woven into all our programs at Beech Acres Parenting Center. It uncovers the natural gifts of children by unleashing the power of parents and caregivers. Our text-based courses bring Natural Strength Parenting™ right to you. No appointments, office visits, or another app cluttering up your phone. Just simple parenting advice from parenting experts who want to help you boost your parenting skills and improve your relationship with your child. Of course, if you want to go further, we offer parent coaching from the same parenting specialists who designed these courses. Get Started Today! Ready to get started? Visit our learning dashboard and get started today! Available Courses Choose from our currently available courses and check back regularly to see what’s new. Natural Strength Parenting 101 Welcome to Natural Strength Parenting 101! This seven-day course explores ways to positively utilize you and your child’s natural emotional strengths in your unique parenting journey. Using a strength-based approach aims to improve parenting quality and the quality of relationships between parents and their children. Click to get started today! Parenting Infants & Toddlers Parenting Infants and Toddlers is a five-day course designed to share information about physical, cognitive, and emotional traits in infants and toddlers during their respective developmental phases. Click to get started today! Parenting Preschool and Elementary Aged Children Parenting Preschool and School-Aged Children is a six-day course designed to share information about physical, cognitive, and emotional traits in preschool and elementary school-aged children during their respective developmental phases. Click to get started today! Parenting Teens Parenting Pre-Teens and Teenagers is a six-day course designed to share information about physical, cognitive, and emotional traits in tweens and teenagers during their respective developmental phases. Click to get started today! Single and Solo Parenting Welcome to Single and Solo Parenting! This five-day course explores some basic aspects of Single Solo Parenting, such as the difference between the two and building support systems. Click to get started today! ADHD Basics Welcome to ADHD and ADD Basics! This five-day course explores some basic aspects of ADHD and ADD and how to spot them. This course will provide you with essential skills to help identify ADHD and ADD in yourself and your family. Click to get started today! Transgender Youth – Support And Care Welcome to Understanding and Supporting Transgender Youth, brought to you by the team at Beech Acres Parenting Center! In this course, you’ll be given a brief introduction to who and what the term “transgender” refers to. You’ll also learn ways to support transgender youth while they learn about and express their gender identity. Click here to get started! Mindfulness With Intentionality Welcome to Mindfulness with Intentionality! This five-day course explores some basic concepts of mindfulness and how you can utilize them to set intentions for personal goals in your life. Any kind of intention that you would like to set can be used within this course. Let’s get started. Intentionality With Family Values Welcome to Intentionality with Family Values! This five-day course explores what your family’s shared values consist of and how you can implement them into your daily life to make a positive impact on your family. Click here to begin this course. Talking To Your Kids About Race Welcome to Talking to Your Kids About Race! This five-day course explores some basic aspects of several aspects of race with your children of all ages. This course will provide you with basic skills to help start a conversation about race, expose your child to differences with race, learn how to handle difficult topics, and more. Click here to begin this important conversation. Helping Highly Sensitive Children Welcome to Helping Highly Sensitive Children, brought to you by the team at Beech Acres Parenting Center! In this course, you’ll be given a brief introduction to who highly sensitive children are and what you can do as a caregiver to help them. You’ll also learn techniques to utilize to help further understand your child’s emotions and help them feel validated and supported. Click here for this course. Talking To Your Kids About Divorce Welcome to Talking to Your Kids About Divorce, brought to you by the team at Beech Acres Parenting Center! In this course, you’ll be given a brief introduction to talking to your children about divorce and how to keep them informed throughout the process.

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Parent Connext™, Parenting Tips, Parenting Tips, Parents

Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Social and Emotional Development

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Defining Social and Emotional Development Social and emotional development refers to how children begin to understand who they are, what emotions they are experiencing, and what to expect when interacting with others. Your child’s social and emotional development will inform how they: •Establish and sustain positive relationships with others.  •Experience, manage and express their feelings.  •Explore, understand and interact with the world around them. “Parents and caregivers play the biggest role in social and emotional development because they offer the most consistent relationships for their child. To nurture your child’s social and emotional development, it is important that you actively engage in quality interactions on a daily or regular basis, depending on the age of your child*.” Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Social and Emotional Development Every time you see your child after separation (first thing in the morning, after a nap or school), take a moment to connect with them. Smile, have a hug, ask about their day. Let them know you’re happy to see them. Practice active listening and reflect back what your child has said. If your child is too young to talk, you can still describe the emotions they are expressing (i.e. you’re sad because your toy broke.) Explore Emotion Wheels: naming your emotions & help your child identify theirs. Allow whatever feelings arise. Notice that it eventually fades. Read a book or watch a movie together about friends, cooperation, helping each other, emotions, or empathy. *helpmegrow.org

Meme of a yellow loader trying to dig out a large ship with text that says "Unconscious bias/Diversity and inclusion training" and "Systemic racism"
Diversity, Parenting Tips, Parents

Addressing Inequity and Bias with Your Children

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Guest Blogger Amanda McDermott, Team Lead, Beyond the Classroom As I reflect on the events unfolding before us, it is clear, there is so much work to be done. I am reminded of an image I saw recently. While we slowly work as a community to make progress toward systemic change such as demanding police reform, negotiating housing reform, education reform, and much more, change will not come about until values and principles of respecting equitable rights in Americans’ homes are instilled. True change will be seen when we hold one another accountable for parenting our children using awareness, empathy, and compassion. As parents, we must keep our children responsible for their individual behavior and teach them the value of all people. It is in true compassion and true understanding that we begin to comprehend the substantial impact that our differences have on our lives. As a 10 and 14-year-old white children parent, my responsibility lies in educating them on a world full of inequities and biases, teaching them to learn and grow in their place in this world. Children learn best by example. Our kids look to us to model the behavior that we want to see from them. As my kids watch me acknowledge and make an effort to correct my own unconscious bias, they will learn that our work on ourselves is never complete. We must work on ourselves each day, to be better than the person we were the day before, for the good of ourselves and for the good of all people. For me, in addition to acknowledging my unconscious bias’, this starts with kindness. Emphasizing the significant effect that being kind can have on another individual is key. In addition, I use everyday conversations about what my kids are encountering in their lives each day and using playful curiosity to help them broaden their perspective. It is important to me that my children understand that each of us struggles with something and that most of the other’s behaviors are a direct result of their own internal struggle that we have no idea about as an outsider experiencing the situation. Lastly, teaching my kids to use their own privilege to stand up for the rights of others who do not share in that privilege is essential. When we have the means to do good for another or keep another from harm (psychological or physical), it is our responsibility to do so. To summarize, as parents, we must teach our children by modeling the behavior we want to see in them through: acknowledging our own bias and making an effort to correct it. using kindness in our everyday interactions holding ourselves and our children accountable for our actions and behaviors using our place of privilege to help others.

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Bullying, Parenting Tips, Parenting Tips

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

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October is National Bullying Prevention Month. All month, we’ll be exploring this critical issue that impacts so many children. Approximately 20% of all kids ages 12-18 report being bullied. What can you do if your child is being bullied? Our parenting experts will weigh in with ways you can identify if your child is being bullied, how to talk to them about bullying (more importantly, how to listen to them), and how to partner with your teacher if your child is being bullied. Bullying is a serious issue that many parents are concerned with. Building resilience can help your child if they become a victim of bullying. Get started building your child’s resilience by discovering their strengths. Bookmark the Beech Roots blog and sign up for our parenting e-newsletter to learn more about bullying this month.

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Parenting Tips, Uncategorized

Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Fluid Fast Facts for Parents

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Important discussions around gender are happening more and more in today’s families. These discussions are important and can help you support your child if they have questions about gender identity. Here are some fast facts to help you have those discussions. NEW! Sign up for our text message-based course, Understanding and Supporting Transgender Youth. In this course, you’ll be given a brief introduction to who and what the term “transgender” refers to. You’ll also learn ways to support transgender youth while they learn about and express their gender identity. These courses are designed for today’s parents by our parenting experts. Click here to sign up today! Fast Facts on Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Fluid First, some definitions to help you understand these terms. Transgender is a broadly used term for persons whose gender expression and identity are different from their sex at birth. According to The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, 700,000 people in the United States identify as transgender. While adolescents already face many challenges, transgender youth often struggle with additional challenges and difficulties. Non-Binary individuals don’t feel like one gender or the other. Gender for them is more “fluid” than we’ve traditionally thought it to be. Non-binary gender identity is simply one term that may be used to describe individuals who may experience a gender identity that is neither exclusively male or exclusively female or is in between or even beyond both genders. Non-binary individuals may also identify as gender-fluid, which is a person who does not necessarily identify themselves as having a fixed gender. How Can You Support Your Child? It is critical for parents to be supportive of their children as they discover their gender identity. A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health discovered that the average age that transgender youth notice their gender incongruity is age 8. As these youth head into puberty and adolescence, it is imperative that they have the support they need. LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk of being bullied, In fact, stopbullying.gov reports that over 50% of LGBTQ students in grades 9-12 experienced cyberbullying. Developing their social intelligence, self-confidence, and perseverance can help them navigate difficult situations. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement in support of transgender youth in 2017. In this statement, AAP stated: “As pediatricians, we know that transgender children fare much better when they feel supported by their family, school, and the larger community. Shaming children based on their gender identity or expression is harmful to their social-emotional health and may have lifelong consequences. This includes public discourse that de-legitimizes the contributions that transgender individuals make to society.” Parents can support their kids first by listening. This can be difficult territory for your child and you to navigate. Build upon their strengths of bravery and honesty. These are demonstrated in sharing their unique self with others. Being open, honest, and supportive will establish trust with your child. Be careful to not force labels on your child. It is important to respectfully address them using the pronouns they are comfortable with. Letting your child be who they are, helps them define themselves and their own personality. Identify their individual strengths and help them develop those by spotting them, naming them, and encouraging the use of those strengths. As always, seek professional advice if you feel ill-equipped to help your child with this or any issue. When parents learn their child is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or gender-expansive (LGBTQ+), they may experience a wide variety of emotions. Confusion about their child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Worry about how their child will be treated by others. Concern because they were taught being LGBTQ+ is wrong or even sinful. So, what to do when your child comes out? At Beech Acres Parenting Center we believe the best way to help children is through their parents. You have the strengths you need to raise capable, caring, contributing children and we’re here to help. You can download our Fast Facts on Transgender here. Beech Acres Parenting Center affirms the worth and dignity of all children. We believe that discrimination based on gender identity or expression is damaging to the health of children, families, and society. As the fight for inclusion moves from public restrooms to school locker rooms, Beech Acres unequivocally and emphatically stands in solidarity with transgender youth, and all transgender individuals. Read more… Additional Resources: https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/ transgender.htm https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/how-many-people-lgbt/ https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/06/health/teens-gender-nonconforming-study-trnd/index.html https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/life/parenthood/transgender-nonbinary-youth https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/a/adolescent-medicine/programs/transgender Our friends at the Cincinnati Public Library put together this reading list featuring transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid characters.

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