News Archive

Holidays aren’t good times for conflict resolution or behaviour management training.
Young children get overstimulated easily and misbehave, so provide down time. Underscheduling helps avoid conflict - there often isn’t time for everything planned.
Also, try to remember past family conflicts to anticipate and avert them.
• Avoid argument triggers or topics that brought on fights, bad feelings, or defensiveness: parenting methods, gift giving, who’s caring for elderly parents, accomplishments, and...POLITICS! If you find yourself wanting to say something that might seem critical, walk away.
• Limit time with people you’ve had arguments with before.
• Let others decide things of low importance.
• If adult children are bringing friends home, decide sleeping arrangements in advance.
How to calm things down
• Use humour: don’t tease, but tell a joke or do something silly to ease tension.
• Pick a place (an area of the house, the park etc) to go if things get uncomfortable.
• Change the subject or take a time out by saying something like ‘I’m tired—let’s talk later.’
• Be able to give in or let go (even if you are right!).
Thanks to Parent Info for this article.
« Previous Page