Positive Discipline Parenting Blog
Sproutable's Positive Discipline blog.
Real tips. Real talk. Read & grow.
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8 Fun Things to do with an 8 Year Old
I’ve always been drawn towards working with young children, and I simply don’t have as much experience with the older elementary crowd that I do with the littles. Luckily, because of Positive Discipline, I know[...]By Danielle Taylor
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Winning Cooperation or Winning a Power Struggle?
In Positive Discipline, we talk about “winning cooperation” from the children we work with. Why would we spend our time & extra effort on “winning cooperation” over just fostering obedience? Why do you want to win cooperation instead of winning the power struggle?By Danielle Taylor
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How to Stop Negative Interaction Cycles in Relationships
We all fall into repetitive patterns of relating to our partner or our children. This is normal. I call them cycles of interaction, or cycles for short. These cycles can be positive and promote connection. These cycles can also feel like negative ruts that prevent connection, and leave us feeling frustrated with ourselves, with the other person, with the situation, or all of the above!By Guest
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When Kids Say Really Mean Things to Nannies
Nothing can prepare you for that first time a nanny charge says hurtful things to you. You would think it gets easier but it never does. You are human after all, with feelings too. It is so hard to imagine that even at 3, 4 or 5 years old that vitriol will come out of […]By Julietta Skoog
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Teaching Body Positivity to Nanny Kids
I remember feeling absolutely gutted when the sweet kindergartener I used to nanny for made a passing comment about her “big tummy” as we were reading books together one afternoon. I was heartbroken, shocked, and absolutely froze. I wanted to say, “No! You don’t have a big tummy! And even if you did, big tummies are amazing! You’re perfect and beautiful and strong!” But I had no idea if that was “the right” thing to say at that moment. Honestly, I can’t even remember what I said, but her comment has certainly stuck with me. The next time this happens, I do know what I’m going to say.By Danielle Taylor
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When Kids Say Really Mean Things
Nothing can prepare you for that first time your child says hurtful things to you. You would think it gets easier but it never does. You are human after all, with feelings too. It is so hard to imagine when they are sweet little babes in your arms that vitriol will come out of their mouths…maybe as teenagers, but that is so far away. You have time. Nope.By Julietta Skoog
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Connecting with Early Elementary Schoolers
A huge tenet of Positive Discipline is building & nurturing the relationship between you and the child(ren) you care for. We call this connection. Some connection-building is instant and easy: you’ll end up bonding with just about any child in your circle, but if you find yourself in power struggles or asking “why aren’t they listening to me?” then it’s time to focus on building connection.By Danielle Taylor
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Promoting Flexibility in Children
Something we’re always coming back to in Positive Discipline are the long-term goals and the traits we hope to see in the kiddos we care for once they reach adulthood. One life skill that I choose to focus on is being flexible. I’m not always the most flexible person in the room, and on occasion, I can miss out on something fun because I wasn’t being flexible enough. The good news for me, though, is that working with children gives me lots of opportunities to model, practice, and grow my own flexibility muscles.By Danielle Taylor
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Kids are SO Brave
I went down a slide last week and ended up having a huge realization that I haven’t stopped thinking about since. I was with my two nanny kiddos at a trampoline park, and we were having a total blast. Unlike me, they’re both natural athletes and love being at the trampoline park. I was following them, watching them do all kinds of crazy flips & jumps, and snapping pics to send to their parents when they started asking me if I wanted to go down the big slide.By Danielle Taylor
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Three Time-Tested Positive Discipline Tools for Nannies
One of my all-time favorite Positive Discipline books is “Positive Discipline Parenting Tools” which Dr. Jane Nelsen wrote with two of her adult children, Mary Tamborski & Brad Ainge. This book breaks down each of the 49 unique tools that we use in Positive Discipline with stories & examples. While this book is written with parents in mind, the content and all of the tools are relevant and applicable to nannies & other caregivers too.By Danielle Taylor
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