There are no magic words that will erase all frustrating childhood behaviors because the only way to do that is to try to remove all frustration from childhood, which would create an adult very ill-prepared to manage the real world. So when you have all the ‘right’ skills but still (of course) have moments when you are frustrated and struggling and it just doesn’t seem to work ‘right’, here are some things to keep in mind…

If you’re tired of being the broken record of ‘no’s or feel like all of your energy is going into negotiating things you’re not sure you should be negotiating, some new limit setting techniques might help! The ACT technique was originally developed by Gary Landreth, Ph.D. and can help you connect with your kid while setting clear boundaries.