Positive Discipline Parenting Blog
Sproutable's Positive Discipline blog.
Real tips. Real talk. Read & grow.
Latest post
Five Things to Remember in the Tough Moments with Kids
Nannying is undoubtedly the best job I’ve ever had. I truly love nannying. Nonetheless, there are still tough days with kids, and more frequently, tough moments. The best nannies and the sweetest kiddos still have[...]By Danielle Taylor
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Getting comfortable with messy play
I’ve been working with kids for over 15 years, and I’ve cleaned up a fair share of messes in that time. I wasn’t someone who initially leaned into messy play because it can be gross, stressful, overwhelming, and because I could always come up with something else that’s fun to do instead. However, the longer I’ve been doing this, the more I’ve gotten not only comfortable, but actually have started enjoying, inviting, celebrating, and really leaning into messy play time! Here’s my why, my how, and some tips I’ve learned along the way.By Danielle Taylor
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Getting curious about the Belief Behind Behavior
A few years back I did an interview with Alison Smith. It touched on the importance of finding the need beneath the behaviors we see. I also often reference the iceberg metaphor - the idea that behavior we’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg, and if we can go under the surface and really get to what's fueling the behavior, we can make lasting, sustainable change in our home environment.By Casey O'Roarty
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Why I teach my nanny kids how to do things for themselves
If we want our nanny charges to learn life skills, we start by explicitly teaching those skills. Nobody just knows how to do laundry or scramble an egg - even basic life skills need to be taught clearly and explicitly with step-by-step training. Typically, the best way to do this is to model and narrate, then move into doing the task together, then the child does it while you supervise, and eventually the child is ready to do that task on their own. Think about making your bed, it seems pretty simple, right? Well, maybe notBy Danielle Taylor
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How does firmness show up for you?
Something that’s been coming up with my clients lately, as well as in my own life, is firmness. I was on a call this morning with other Positive Discipline trainers, and we were asked to think about the difference between authoritative parenting and authoritarian parenting, specifically around firmness.By Casey O'Roarty
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Five Phrases to Leave in 2022
One thing I’m always trying to improve on is my language and communication with children. I invite you to consider these five phrases that well-intentioned adults use with kids and offer some alternatives that might be worth trying out.By Danielle Taylor
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Teacher Tom’s First Book – a nanny review
As a parent or caregiver, you might not be immediately drawn to a book written by a teacher and about teaching, but it is absolutely relevant and engaging for anyone who has children in their lives. My copy is highlighted, tabbed, and has post-it notes falling out of it from all the notes I was jotting down & sections I want to remember!By Danielle Taylor
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Free Professional Development for Nannies
Nannying may be a “work of heart,” but it’s also a legitimate, serious career. Attending conferences, pursuing higher education, certifications, trainings, and reading the latest in child-development can all make you stand out as a candidate and make you a more confident, competent nanny. Of course the downside here is that many of these opportunities can break-the-bank, so we’ve compiled a list of free professional development just for nannies!By Danielle Taylor
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A Day as a Positive Discipline Nanny
Being a Positive Discipline nanny truly makes my job so much smoother & more enjoyable! I often say that after being trained in Positive Discipline, I feel like I’m playing on easy mode. This is the true story of how I saw Positive Discipline showing up for me and my nanny kiddos on what had the potential to be a pretty awful Monday.By Danielle Taylor
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Reconnecting with your child after a tough day
There are some dark days while parenting, and even tougher nights when we lay our head on the pillow and wish things could have been different that day. We might feel disconnected, resentful and sad. This is because we are human! So are our children. We make mistakes. We are in relationship with each other, and we are all still growing and practicing. The beauty and gifts that our children give us is the gift of grace, and the gift of forgiveness. We get to give them this too. There is always another day and a chance to try a new way of being together.By Julietta Skoog
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5 summer ideas for nanny kiddos
Summer is fun, exciting, and a wonderful change of pace (especially here in rainy Seattle!), but it also means that the routines we’ve counted on and been polishing all school-year are about to change. For many families, nannies, and kiddos, summer means travel, playdates, and sunshine. How can we as nannies set ourselves, our charges, and our families up for a great summer?By Danielle Taylor
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