Tag Archives: rescuing

“Help me! Help me! And Leave me Alone!”

What parent has not experienced the mixed messages of a child? They want us close; they want us to butt out. They need our help, but they don’t want to admit it. As a parent, it becomes a challenging dance to know when to step in, and when to stand off to the side AND to learn how to interact with our children when they are sending us those mixed messages. The thing with young children is that they tend to be pretty black-and-white thinkers. It is not until a child is nearly grown that he can really tolerate ambiguity … Continue reading →

Are You “Rescuing”?

I admit that I sometimes wrestle with “rescuing” behaviors as a parent. It can be incredibly challenging not to step in and try to “help” our kids when they get in a bind or a scrape. And sometimes, it can be confusing as to whether we are actually rescuing or we are participating in natural and logical consequences. None of us is perfect, but keeping the “question” of whether or not we are rescuing our child when he or she needs to stand on his own can help us to keep from intervening when we shouldn’t. Think of rescuing as … Continue reading →