Photo of Sari starting to flip out. Last week, someone asked me for tools to help parents stay calm when their children are melting down. I answered, "Tell them to go ahead and flip out." The room got quiet. Why would I say that? Because I'm tired of parenting advice that holds parents to the impossible standard of staying calm no matter what. We are constantly told to breathe deeply, regulate our emotions, and respond with endless patience. And aren't parents human? Don't we have feelings,...

Nothing tests a parent's patience more than a child in a gift shop during a fun, but long excursion day.

I don't mean never tell your kids, "no". I mean don't avoid it. It's like the parent who told me about a time her son asked if he could have a sleepover that weekend. She hesitated. It had been a long week, the calendar was full, and she already knew the answer was no. But instead of saying it, she said what many of us say: “We’ll see.” Over the next few days, he kept bringing it up. “Did you think about it?” “Can I invite him?” “Have you decided yet?” Each time, she gave...