Sarah’s 2 and a half year old daughter won’t stop throwing food at meal time. Sarah is finding that she is escalating the situation because she ends up yelling and then dealing with a crying toddler. If you’re struggling with a defiant toddler and you’re constantly cleaning up food from the floor, listen in for some strategies to set boundaries while allowing your child some control. 

This week on The Parenting Mentor:

• General statements and empowering language that will define boundaries and reinforce rules around meal time. 

• Focusing on your one goal with your child and being okay with letting go of perfection. 

• Empowering language that reminds your child that you are on their team and it’s not a fight. 

• Tangible strategies to teach your kids about concepts like hunger and incorporating games for them to express themselves without making a mess of the food. 

“She knows if I choose not to eat I may be uncomfortable. If I choose to throw food I’m not going to eat. So giving her the power. And you’re not angry, you’re not yelling. When she throws the food, you’re like oh I can see you don’t want to eat now, honey. It’s not like “OK I’M TAKING THE FOOD AWAY” There’s nothing punitive. It’s just the way it is.” – Sue Groner

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If you want to reduce the everyday Stress and Anxiety that inevitably come with parenting and learn to be a happier and more relaxed parent, then this is the place for you.

Here, you can listen in on real sessions with parents who open up about the specific challenges they face with children from 2 to 22. Listen along and gain perspectives and strategies to help you parent with sanity and joy.

Visit theparentingmentor.com for notes on this show, more episodes, and all the ways to subscribe, and don’t forget to pick up my book, Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies, which includes my Nine Golden Rules of Parenting.

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Susan G. Groner Founder of The Parenting Mentor, Author, Podcaster

As an experienced mother of 2 young adults, Sue Groner knows how stressful and overwhelming parenting can be at times. She founded The Parenting Mentor to provide an ally for parents in their quest to raise confident and resilient children. Sue is the author of Parenting with Sanity and Joy. 101 Simple Strategies, is the host of The Parenting Mentor Sessions Podcast, and is a certified Positive Discipline parent educator.

Sue is also the creator of the CLEARR method of parenting, developed through years of trial (and her fair share of errors!) with her own family. CLEARR adheres to the belief that parenting strategies should be grounded in six important pillars: Communication, Love, Empathy, Awareness, Rules, and Respect. This has become the cornerstone of her practice as The Parenting Mentor.

A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a former advertising executive, Sue is a frequent guest expert on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox to name a few, and provides advice for many national publications and websites such as The Wall Street Journal, Parents, Real Simple, Today.com, HuffPost, and Katie Couric Media. Sue resides in New York City and Bedford, NY with her husband, and when she’s lucky, with her children. She is available for private and group mentorship sessions(in-person or virtual) nationwide for individuals and corporations.