APSGO Parenting Blog
2021 was marked by fluctuations – a year of closing down, opening up, masks indoors, no masks outdoors, reduced occupancy at restaurants, cinemas and gyms; to full closure, and back again. A yoyo year for everyone – but not for APSGO. APSGO has remained steadfast about holding meetings, week after week. APSGO has continually supported parents to develop effective strategies to help build better relationships with their children. For years, APSGO has been a consistent life-line to it’s members. APSGO has consistently helped parents to transform overwhelming emotions to empowerment; feelings of guilt to confidence; chaos in the home to […]
By Helen Jones Editor’s Note: Many of these coaching strategies from Choice Theory and Helen Jones are just helpful in conversations with our children and other loved ones to help them find solutions and strategies for their own challenges. Knowing how to ask the questions is as important as knowing what to ask. While maintaining a safe environment, use the Process to: ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS. Avoid questions which require only a yes or no response. ASK EACH QUESTION ONCE ONLY. Often coaches ask the same question in several different ways. This diminishes the question. These are powerful questions. Allow […]
By Sue Kranz I’ve never yet met a parent who welcomed frustration. In fact, most of us would rather do whatever it takes to prevent our kids from experiencing frustration. And so we minimize how they feel: “It’s not that bad!” We threaten: “I’ll give you something to cry about!” We distract: “Let’s go for ice cream!” What we haven’t been taught is the importance of frustration in our children’s development: Frustration helps our kids develop resilience and adaptability. In his book Hold Onto Your Kids, Gordon Neufeld explains the value of frustration and provides a better, more useful way […]
by Sue Kranz “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” This experiment tests whether or not that’s true, or whether our words − and perhaps even our thoughts and indifference − actually have an impact on our teens. I first read about the rice experiment in The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto. It piqued my curiosity, so I tried it for myself − 3 times. And each time I got the same result. Here’s how I did it: When I made rice, I made a bit extra, and put equal amounts of […]
by Sue Kranz In the last article, I shared ways to get a clean kitchen, and mentioned there’s a difference between compliance and cooperation. What I’ve learned over the years is that, while parents say they want compliance, they’re seldom satisfied with it. It isn’t inherent in compliance that your child will want to do what they’ve been asked to do, just that they’ll do it, often accompanied by whining, complaining, sullenness, arguing, or anger. In those moments, what parents want is for their child or teen to comply willingly and cheerfully. But is that reasonable or even achievable, especially […]
In this episode, Kim Olver interviews Choice Theory parenting coach, Sue Kranz. Kim Olver: “Sue is a phenomenal parenting coach, having raised six children of her own as a single parent and is now weighing in on some stellar ideas for grandparenting, as well. In this interview, we discuss how to help children with frustration, to self-regulate and to help out around the house. Sue also has some great insight about teaching children about thinking and delineating between helping and rescuing. We also talk about the distinction between compliance and cooperation and how to set your child up to keep track […]
Just like that! – another Summer is gone and we are well into another Autumn. Who would have thought that COVID19 would have disrupted our normal lives for so long! It was almost 2 years ago that the word Coronavirus became part of our daily vocabulary. It was almost 2 years ago that the way we deal with everyday life changed. COVID19 also meant that the way we come together at APSGO has changed. Parents in need continue to call our 1-800 number looking for help. APSGO understands that this need does not end even in the face of a […]
– By Helen Jones All behaviours are our best attempt at the time to get what we want. All behaviours are our best attempt at the time to close the gap between what we have and what we want. All behaviours are our best attempt at the time to match the pictures in our QUALITY WORLD with what we have in the real world. All behaviours are our best attempt at the time to satisfy our needs. We have more control over some behaviours than others. PHYSIOLOGICAL FEELING THINKING DOING Because we have the most control over our thinking and […]
Helen Jones Parenting Workshop ( ZOOM) Presented Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 @ 10:30am – 12 noon TOPIC: The Psychological Needs of Children and Youth So much unhelpful jargon and myth exists around young peoples needs . If we can help them satisfy these needs, we can learn to help them be happy and responsible. Helen also covers the Qualities needed for APSGO meetings when creating plans, and in our homes with our children.
– By Helen Jones Because our approach is new to most people, some parents will express doubts as to its effectiveness. Our focus on building better relationships, can lead some parents to believe that we concentrate on relationship building while ignoring acting out behaviour. Parents need reassurance that we have similar goals and even better results in mind using a different approach to dealing with acting out behaviour. There are two approaches to dealing with bad behaviour. The Failing Approach, which is used by most parents involves punishment, as a deterrent. Or, even more destructive, a ‘diagnosis’ such as ADHD […]