CLEVELAND — As the kids head back to school and start a new routine, life is really going to ramp up and get hectic. There's homework, practices, meals to plan and schedules to juggle. But we also can't forget to connect with them. In this week's Mom Squad Pod, Maureen Kyle talks to certified parenting coach and author Robbin McManne about the best was to connect with your kids and avoid tense moments.
First and foremost, McManne reminds us that when our kids want to talk, seize the moment.
“Okay, whatever we're doing right now doesn't matter because our kids want to talk to us, right? So we are committed to that connection right and we would never turn them away and say “Oh I don't have time to talk to you right now,” says McManne.
And if we truly don’t have time to talk, this is what McManne suggests you say: “Hey bud, you know what, I want to talk to you so bad. Can I come back to you in 15 minutes? I just have a call or I just have this or whatever.”
Also, telling kids about when you were their age and how you had the same problems, fears or challenges can help them frame their world as “normal.”
“I think it gives them comfort in makes them feel like what they're feeling is not isolated to just them.”
To hear more about how to connect with your kids and advice on how to prevent meltdowns and get out the door faster, listen to the entire conversation between McManne and Kyle on Mom Squad Pod, wherever you download your podcasts.