New Ask Diane! Six Parenting Tips from Psychotherapist & Founder of BrainMoves LLC Blog

Ask Diane! Six Parenting Tips from Psychotherapist and Founder of BrainMoves LLC

In my decades of experience as a psychotherapist and child development specialist I have learned that there are some family patterns that happen again and again.

Children and parents explore and define boundaries, test and learn communication methods and grow together. It is why I created BrainMoves: To help preschoolers who face challenges with their development, balance, coordination, learning, trauma recovery, and other behavioral, emotional, or physical issues caused by stress. 

Now, with 15 years of experience using BrainMoves with preschoolers and people of all ages with special needs, I've seen how movement-based learning can truly change lives.

Here are six parenting tips I have used that can help any parent build a better relationship with their child:

1. Be Consistent 

Make sure “no” means “no” every time. Once you say no, don’t negotiate.

2. Rewards for Good Behavior  

Recognize and reward good behavior with something healthy, like going to the park or spending quality time together. This helps your child understand that their positive actions are connected to getting special treats. Try to avoid sugary treats. A new toy is usually a good choice. Going to the park or playing with them while giving them your full attention works well, too. Make sure your child has made the connection that his/her good behavior has earned this special extra. 

3. Consequences for Bad Behavior  

Make sure your child knows ahead of time what the consequences are. Give them at least one warning before you enforce the consequence. Time outs with one minute for each year of the child often work well even though they can be hard on your nerves. I prefer to take a time out and do some BrainMoves with the child. The Bear Cub along with the Parrot helps calm a child down. Once they are calm, you can do the Koala Cub to help with listening and explain to the child what was unacceptable about their behavior, why and what you would prefer they do instead. Treat the time out as a time to take a breath, learn and grow while using tools to do better next time.

4. Say What You Mean and Mean It  

Think before you speak. This goes along with being consistent with your child. Don’t say “I love you” when you aren’t acting that way. Combining the BrainMoves movements with positive statements can enhance the effectiveness of the BrainMoves movements. In my course, you will learn how to write simple, practical statements that clearly specify which skills or behaviors you would like to improve.

5. Work Together as a Team  

If you and your partner can’t be on the same page, you’re giving your children a powerful weapon. They will either choose sides and play you against each other or refuse to listen to either one of you.

If you are a parent of a hyperactive or highly sensitive child, you've probably used many methods to calming your child down - everything from reward charts to time-outs. But are these strategies working, or are they just wearing you out? If you’re feeling drained and your correction methods aren’t giving your child the tools they need to fully realize their potential for learning, socializing, and growing emotionally I recommend doing a few BrainMoves like the Startup Six to help you AND your child both reset mentally and emotionally.

6.Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep  

Yes means yes. Be sure you follow through. When you say yes you are making a promise. Children don’t feel that they are important and loved if you do something else when you promise to take them to the zoo. 

Make sure when you make the promise that you don’t have other commitments during the time that you’ve committed to your child. Also, it is important not to overextend yourself - remember to balance your self-care with the child's needs when making commitments.

Want to learn more? 

BrainMoves is a course designed to enhance preschoolers’ focus, cooperation, and development by using fun, engaging movements that naturally align with how young minds and bodies work. With each movement, they build critical skills for life.

Watch as your little ones transform from restless to focused and from challenging to cooperative. BrainMoves harnesses the power of simple, fun movements to boost preschoolers' concentration, self-control, motor skills, and success.