Eps 58: Creating Special Time with Kelly Pfeiffer

Welcome! My guest for today’s show is a friend of mine and a fellow Positive Discipline parent educator. Kelly Pfeiffer lives in South Carolina and has raised four kids in a blended family situation. After a divorce, she remarried a man with two children, which blended their family with kids of ages 15, 15, 13, and 12. Those children are now young adults, and Kelly has been a parent educator for the last 16 years. Today’s topics include positive discipline parenting tools, focusing on our discussion of “special time,” a way to guarantee one-on-one time with each child to maintain the vital parent-child connection. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: How Kelly was introduced to Positive Discipline: “Why do parents not know this?” Why having tools and a formula doesn’t guarantee an easy parenting road Variables in blending families The Special Time tool: how to present it to parents A magical connection between parent and child Kelly’s advice for Special Time: Plan it and put it on the calendar As much as possible, let it be child-led Incorporate non-competitive games Use bike rides, picnics, and other outdoor activities Limit distractions (Put away your cell phone!) Use bedtime routines Take advantage of time with a younger child when an older one has an activity Take advantage of time with an older child when a younger one needs to nap Have an older child help with dinner preparation How connection helps diffuse power struggles Tools to repair and recover from hurts Why parents need to say “I’m sorry” Don’t give up when a teen is resistant Ideas for saving Special Time money What does Joyful Courage mean to you? “Being courageous, feeling the fear, and doing it anyway---with JOY!” Resources: www.thinkitthroughparenting.com Find Kelly on Facebook and Twitter (@posdisparenting) Become a Positive Discipline Parent Educator at Kelly’s 2-day workshop in Greenville, SC, in October Email newsletter: Find out more and sign up for these parenting tools on Kelly’s website! Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson, Ed.D. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices