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Respectful Parent

Parent Effectiveness Training, San Diego Parenting Classes

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Kelly's Favorites - Books & Cool Stuff

  • Books
    • Parenting Books
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  • Thoughtful Independent Play Toys & Gift Guide
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Children’s Books

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  • Social-Emotional
  • Read Together
  • Body Autonomy & Tricky Situations
  • Diversity
  • Grief

Social-Emotional

Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook

Bubble Gum Brain by Julia Cook

Subject: growth mindset

I can’t Do That, YET by Esther Cordova

I can’t Do That, YET by Esther Cordova

Subject: growth mindset

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.

Subject: growth mindset

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Subject: growth mindset

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubenstein

Subject: growth mindset

What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada

What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada

Subject: growth mindset

What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada

What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada

Subject: growth mindset

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

Subject: growth mindset

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Subject: identity

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Subject: identity

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

Subject: identity

What To Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner

What To Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner

Subject: anger

What to You Do When You Are Scared and Worried by James Crist

What to You Do When You Are Scared and Worried by James Crist

Subject: worry

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

Subject: identity

Sensitive Sam – Sam’s Sensory Adventure Has a Happy Ending! by Marla Roth-Fisher

Sensitive Sam – Sam’s Sensory Adventure Has a Happy Ending! by Marla Roth-Fisher

Subject: sensory

Squirmy Wormy – How I Learned to Help Myself by Lynda Farrington Wilson

Squirmy Wormy – How I Learned to Help Myself by Lynda Farrington Wilson

Subject: sensory

Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds

Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds

A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn

A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

Subject: anger

I Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer

I Was So Mad by Mercer Mayer

Subject: anger

When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang

When Sophie Gets Angry by Molly Bang

Subject: anger

The Duckling Gets a Cookie?! by Mo Willems

The Duckling Gets a Cookie?! by Mo Willems

Subject: anger

How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? by Jane Yolen

How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? by Jane Yolen

Subject: anger

All Kinds of Fears by Emma Brownjohn

All Kinds of Fears by Emma Brownjohn

Subject: fear

When I Feel Scared by Cornelia Maude Spelman

When I Feel Scared by Cornelia Maude Spelman

Subject: fear

What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner

What To Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner

Subject: worry

The Worry Glasses – Overcoming Anxiety by Donalisa Helsley

The Worry Glasses – Overcoming Anxiety by Donalisa Helsley

Subject: worry

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Subject: worry

Read Together

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy

You are Special by Max Lucado

You are Special by Max Lucado

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Riddles, Riddles, Riddles by Darwin A. Hindman

Riddles, Riddles, Riddles by Darwin A. Hindman

Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott

Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott

Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott

Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak

The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy by Don Freeman

The Color Thief by Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters

The Color Thief by Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters

What’s In There? – All About Before You Were Born by Robie H. Harris

What’s In There? – All About Before You Were Born by Robie H. Harris

Body Autonomy & Tricky Situations

The Boys Body Book by Kelli Dunham

The Boys Body Book by Kelli Dunham

No More Secrets for Me by Oralee Wachter

No More Secrets for Me by Oralee Wachter

What Would You Do? – A Kid’s Guide to Tricky and Sticky Situations by Linda Schwartz

What Would You Do? – A Kid’s Guide to Tricky and Sticky Situations by Linda Schwartz

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen Jensen

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen Jensen

I Said No: A Kid to Kid Guide for Keeping Private Parts Private by Kimberly King

I Said No: A Kid to Kid Guide for Keeping Private Parts Private by Kimberly King

No Trespassing – This is MY Body by Pattie Fitzgerald

No Trespassing – This is MY Body by Pattie Fitzgerald

Diversity

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

The Color of Us by Karen Katz

The Color of Us by Karen Katz

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena

Sparkle Boy by Leslea Newman

Sparkle Boy by Leslea Newman

Grief

Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes In Between by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes In Between by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen

I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

Daily Parenting Inspiration

“My child is not giving me a hard time… my child i “My child is not giving me a hard time…
my child is having a hard time.”

That one shift changes everything.

Less: “Why are they doing this?”
More: “What’s going on for them?”

Hard behavior is often just… hard feelings.

When we see the struggle,
we respond differently.

Less reacting.
More supporting. 💛 #respectfulparent #sandiegomoms #parenteffectivenesstraining #attachmentparenting #rie #PositiveParenting #parentingtips #DefianceOrMisunderstanding
“I didn’t say it was your fault… I said I blame yo “I didn’t say it was your fault…
I said I blame you.” 😅

When kids blame, it feels personal.

But it’s usually not about being right…
it’s about letting out big feelings.

Blame =
“I’m frustrated.”
“I’m overwhelmed.”

Before correcting, try connecting:

“You’re really upset.”
“That was hard.”

Less defending.
More understanding. 💛
“Children do well when they can.” So when they’re “Children do well when they can.”

So when they’re not…
It’s not about won’t.
It’s about can’t (yet).

Less: “Why are they acting like this?”
More: “What’s getting in their way?”

Skills take time.
Emotions get big.
Brains get overwhelmed.

And in those moments,
they don’t need perfection…

They need curiosity - not furiosity. 😋💛

Yup, I made up a word.

#respectfulparent #childrendowellwhentheycan #drrossgreen #parenteffectivenesstraining
End of school = chaos… Then suddenly… no structure End of school = chaos…
Then suddenly… no structure 😅

Or camp… to camp… to camp.

Summer is fun ☀️
But it can also mean:
more pushback
more “I’m bored”
more sibling stuff
more BIG feelings

And when routines change, behavior usually does too.

The good news?
You don’t need more control… you need better tools.

✨ listen without shutting them down
✨ set limits without the battles
✨ handle big emotions (theirs + yours)

Less surviving
More thriving

My summer Parent Effectiveness Training class is coming up 💛
Drop a ☀️ and I’ll send details!

 #respectfulparent #sandiegomoms #parentingtips #parentingmiddleschoolers #PositiveParenting #attachmentparenting #rie #parenteffectivenesstraining #RespectfulParenting
Oof. This is a hard one sometimes! Share your exam Oof. This is a hard one sometimes! Share your examples of a time this happened 🙏🏼🙈
I'm just reading the book "Untangled -Guiding Teen I'm just reading the book "Untangled -Guiding Teenage Girls Through The Seven Transitions into Adulthood" by @lisa.damour ,  and I love it. This one struck a chord with me so I thought I'd share. It's from the section "The Pull of Popular."

What does “popular” actually mean?

Because when you look a little closer, the kids who seem the most “popular” aren’t always the most liked. Sometimes, their influence comes from social power, not genuine connection. And that can come with a lot of pressure—on everyone.

This can be a powerful conversation to have with your child.

Not in a lecture-y way, but with curiosity:
“Do kids actually like being around her, or are they worried about being on her bad side?”
“What makes a friendship feel good to you?”

Helping kids think beyond popularity and toward the quality of their friendships gives them something much steadier to stand on.

Because in the long run, feeling safe, accepted, and able to be yourself matters a whole lot more than being “popular" and then you may just hit that sweet spot of being "popular" because you are well liked!

 #parentingtips #sandiegomoms #respectfulparent #raisingteenagegirls #parentingmiddleschoolgirls
We have dreams for our kids. The friends we hope We have dreams for our kids.

The friends we hope they choose.
The sports we hope they love.
The grades we hope they earn.
The path we quietly map out in our minds…

And then they grow.
And they choose.

Sometimes differently than we imagined.

And that’s where it gets uncomfortable.

Because the real question becomes:
Are we raising children who follow our path…
or children who can find their own?

Letting go doesn’t mean stepping back completely.
It means shifting roles.

From director ➡️ to guide
From fixing ➡️ to listening
From telling ➡️ to being available

It means offering wisdom when it’s invited,
and trusting them enough to figure some things out on their own.

That’s not easy.

But that’s where confidence is built.
That’s where ownership grows.
That’s where they become themselves.

Not a version of us.

If this hits home, this is exactly the kind of skill we work on in Parent Effectiveness Training—how to support your kids without shutting them down.
My next class starts in less than two weeks:
☀️ Tuesday Mornings
🗓️ April 7th – May 26th
⏰ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (Pacific Time)
📚 Eight classes
And of course, I'm still working on this!

Reg info in first comments/bio 👇👇
My daughter was venting to me about a recent pract My daughter was venting to me about a recent practice…
and of course, I did what many of us do.

I offered a solution, "I mean, you don't really need to go next time; it's optional." 

Her response?

“Mom… I just need to complain, not fix it. I'm still going.”

…Heard. 😅

It was such a good reminder.

When kids come to us upset, our instinct is to help. To fix. To make it better. But sometimes all of our great ideas land like this:

🚪 door closes
😶 conversation over

Because what they actually needed wasn’t a solution.
It was space.

Space to vent.
Space to feel heard.
Space to figure it out themselves.

And when we jump in too quickly with advice, it can unintentionally send the message:
“You can’t handle this.”
or
“Your feelings need fixing.”

Even when that’s the last thing we mean.

Sometimes the most helpful thing we can say is:
“That sounds really frustrating.”
“Ugh, that’s tough.”
“I’m here.”

That’s it.

No fixing. No coaching. No life lesson.

Just connection. 💛

(Still practicing this over here, by the way 🙋‍♀️)

If this hits home, this is exactly the kind of skill we work on in Parent Effectiveness Training—how to support your kids without shutting them down.

My next class starts in less than two weeks:

☀️ Tuesday Mornings
🗓️ April 7th – May 26th
⏰ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm (Pacific Time)
📚 Eight classes
And of course, I did what many of us do.
Reg info in first comment 👇👇

Come learn how to listen in a way that actually keeps your kids talking.

 #PositiveParenting #parentingclasses #ParentEffectivenessTraining #respectfulparent #rie #attachmentparenting #sandiegomoms #parentingtips
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