APSGO Parenting Blog
Dear Helen, My daughter has just turned 14 and I am having a terrible time disciplining her for anything. Last night I took her phone away as consequence for failing to come home (which she knew the rules before leaving and the time expectation to be home). She was also high and when I took the phone, she started to leave the house. I ended up sleeping at the door for fear she would leave in the middle of the night and walk across the city through a very rough and disturbing neighbourhood to get back to where I picked her […]
by Sue Kranz This, too, shall pass – so never give up. There’s nothing wrong with you, and there’s nothing wrong with your son or daughter. There is no “normal.” Whatever either of you is going through is normal for you. As your children grow into teens, your job as a parent shifts from providing and protecting to preparing them to be decent citizens and partners. Punishment ceases to work when we cease to be afraid of the punishment. Rewards cease to work when we no longer value the reward. Both are attempts to control and bring about obedience – […]
Choice Theory parenting expert and APSGO leader Sue Kranz had an interview with KIM OLVER recently! “In this episode, I speak with Sue Kranz, a knowledgeable, Choice Theory parenting expert. She first used Choice Theory concepts to help herself with being a single parent to six kids, with one of them exhibiting some seriously challenging behavior. Once she saw how these ideas worked for herself in her situation, she started reaching out to help other parents in similar situations. Above everything, Sue has learned the relationship you create with your children is most important. It’s amazing what happens when we […]
by Jeannette Markle Here we are – finally! – in 2021. The year end is traditionally a time when we look toward starting the New Year positively, resolving to continue good practices, change undesired ones, or work toward a personal goal to improve our lives. The end of 2020, though, was different. Early in 2020, COVID 19 forced us to drastically change our personal lives. It impacted the way we work, the way we socialize, and the way we spend our leisure time. We spent 2020 trying to settle into a different way of living. At the end of the […]
Hi Helen, Here we are in a New Year. Hopefully, it goes well, and people get the vaccination, and we can get back to some sort of “normal”. I live in a small town and now our nursing home has the COVID, enough to report on the News. My heart is going out to the people working there and the people living there and am praying this soon passes. I am having a hard time not seeing my three-year-old granddaughter. I want to see her so much, but we are in lockdown and we are not supposed to see anyone outside of […]
It was late, it was dark and I was tired. And after an eight-hour drive, we were almost home. My daughter Maddy and I had been visiting my sister in Connecticut, and we were just returning the rental car before getting a lift home. Fortunately, the gas station right across from the car rental place was still open, and I was stopped at a red light in the wrong lane to make a right-hand turn. But it was late and there was almost no one on the roads – except for the small car that pulled up beside me that […]
In our support groups, ASPGO leaders use Choice Theory to help parents develop small plans to improve their relationships with their children by changing their own behaviour. The plan should rely solely on the parent. If it depends for success on anyone else, including a teacher, spouse or your child it has little to no chance of success. The plan should be as small as possible. The plan should demonstrate a change in the behaviour of the parent. The plan should have a positive impact on the wellbeing of the parent. The plan should not be punitive. So often when […]
A Letter to Helen Jones, Founder of APSGO I do know that it is my attitude in the whole situation that should change but I am having a really hard time. Here is some background. Our daughter is now 40. She has struggled since she was 20 with alcohol and drug issues. Went into rehab many times but has never finished a treatment. At 30 she finally got clean, got married and we thought things were good. She had a baby and she started drinking heavily, she went back on drugs. Today’s situation is of course, all the denial, and […]
by Sue Kranz Season’s greetings to all of you! Hope you’re enjoying a holiday filled with love, laughter, and fun! A few years ago, I discovered a YouTube video by Ellen Gelinas – humourist, educator, Choice Theory instructor, mentor, and friend. It’s short, funny, and profound. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched it, but it changed my holidays for the better. Christmas used to look like this: First of all, it was always at my house because why wouldn’t it be? And somehow that turned into my buying most of the groceries and doing most of the […]