Tag Archives: teaching

Your Kid as Johnny 5 *

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Originally posted on "A Beautiful Place of the World":
“Need input. Need input. Neeeed iinnnpuut!” Your child is an information and experience Hoover. She was born to devour data. He was created in just such a way as to be…

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(Back to) the Basics pt III: Mirror, Mirror, Two Feet Tall

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

At long last, I am happily returning this week with a new installment in a series of posts I began last January called (Back to) the Basics for all of you new and renewed parents looking to invent, reinvent, or … Continue reading →

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Boredom Schmoredom (with Wood and Clay)

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Can you guess what these are? Of course not, right? Well, they’re the Fimo People that Xi and Echo created the other day with the help of some unemployed wooden blocks they’d picked up from the living room floor. They’ve … Continue reading →

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The Home PR Agents

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Ever thought of yourself as a Public Relations specialist? Well as a parent, it’s practical to think of it as part of the job. It may not seem like an occupation to combine with parenting, but once our children are … Continue reading →

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Being is not a Behavior

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Previously, I posted about time-outs and the disservice I think they do to parent-child relations, and to children’s sense of security, as well as, the miserable failure of time-outs to effectively teach children anything about how we would prefer that … Continue reading →

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Parentisms: The Master Programmers

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Ever thought about all the stuff you are teaching your children about life, themselves, and the world every single day? Well this is just a little reminder for us all that we parents play a central role in creating the … Continue reading →

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Curiosity Never Killed a Cat (nor Undercut a Relationship)

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

The other day I wrote a post about letting kids express their curosity, and drive to explore, and entertaining as many of their questions as humanly possible – whether they are asking if the moon is really made of cheese … Continue reading →

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Fostering the “Why?”

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

“Previously, on A Beautiful Place of the World,”… I spent some time discussing the heretical idea of reconsidering our parental requests before and after we make them, and the idea of negotiating with our kids to meet needs (rather than exclusively enforcing parental whim, … Continue reading →

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Help Me Out — Stop Trying to Fix It

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

As parents, we are almost constantly saddled with various repairs, clean-ups, re-workings, and resettings for our children. In fact, we get so used to being the ones to restore order and serenity in times of trouble, that we can become … Continue reading →

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Things that make you go, “D’OH!” (The Socializer)

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Round two of this theme has me wishing I had the choir here in front of me, so I could preach right to them. Those who agree will likely be on their feet in a matter of moments with an … Continue reading →

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Your Kid as Johnny 5

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

“Need input. Need input. Neeeed iinnnpuut!” Your child is an information and experience Hoover. She was born to devour data. He was created in just such a way as to be driven to gorge himself on life. And all in order to … Continue reading →

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Things that make you go, “D’OH!” (#1 Suspect)

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

This is a new theme I am going to revisit on occasion, focusing on some of the things we parents do (and maybe even get tricked into doing) that make the act of parenting and relating to our children considerably … Continue reading →

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Rehab for Praise-aholics

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

So let’s say you’re “open” to the idea of not using any punishment or praise with your child(ren)… My guess is, with any sincerity, you will find it easier than you now think possible to switch from auto-piloting through various threats … Continue reading →

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Without a Net

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

Thus far, I think I’ve only mentioned this in passing — (drum roll, please) — Natalie and I do not use any praise with our girls, nor any punishment.  Recent themes of the parenting blogosphere remind me that this is … Continue reading →

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F-ing Up the Right Way

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Nathan M McTague, CPCC, CPDPE, CMNEC

I am not a perfect parent — just so you know. I do the things I have actually spent time thinking and researching and learning about why not to do them. I say the things that I wish immediately I could suck … Continue reading →

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