Dr. Noah St. John, The Caveman Conversion King
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Dr. Noah St. John, The Caveman Conversion King

Featured in Woman’s Day, one of the Top 10 circulation magazines in The United States

  • Hear what kids don't say "There's an old Jewish saying: A mother understands what a child does not say," notes Leslie Parrott, PhD, coauthor of The Parent You Want to Be: Who You Are Matters More Than What You Do. Kids often bottle up their feelings, if you ask what's wrong, they'll say "nothing.” Your job is to help them work through their emotions. Start a dialogue and coax the feelings out ̶ ̶ don't force it.
  • Create a village Build a backup team you can count on. "My village includes family, longtime friends, kind neighbors, and other moms and dads in my community," says Shikira Porter, an Oakland, California, mom of a 6-month-old.
  • Accept each child's uniqueness "Kids are who they are, with their own quirks and imperfections, and that's what makes them perfect," says relationship expert Lissa Coffey. Rather than trying to mold your child into what you want him to be, love and appreciate him as he is.
  • Play soothing music Nataly Blumberg plays classical music or soft jazz to make the morning rush less stressful for herself and her kids. "Although we're still rushing around, we all feel a little more relaxed and the tension that used to fill the air is gone," says the New York City mom.
  • Face your giants Stand up to competitive moms who try to tell you how to raise your children, says Barnhill. When someone criticizes your brand of parenting, speak up, but do it calmly, not angrily.
  • Admit your mistakes When Rachael Herrscher's 5-year-old son said sadly, "Mommy, I've made too many mistakes today," she told him that she too made lots of errors each day. "I could see the light go off in his head as he realized, ' Wow, big people aren't perfect either!" says Rachael, who lives in Salt Lake City. "I also apologize to my kids when I lose my patience. It lets them know that it's OK to not be perfect."
  • Be a kid again Take a cue from your children and play. Spend time outdoors with them doing whatever they want to do. Before you know it, you'll be focused on the moment with no thoughts of to-do lists. That's when you'll truly connect with your kids.
  • Focus on what you have "Many of us suffer from the disease of 'not enoughness,’" says Noah St. John, PhD, founder of SuccessClinic.com. Every morning, have your kids think of five things they're grateful for  ̶ ̶  come up with your own list, too. The practice helps build their confidence and self-esteem.