About me
Susan teaches parents how to change their behavior to influence children to make better choices. Children learn responsibility and parents learn to trust their children to make good decisions when their (eventual) teens are 60 miles away going 60 miles an hour.
Will they be wearing a seatbelt? Going the speed limit? Are they sober and straight? Have they made good choices with friends? Have they made good choices around sexual intimacy? Do they use condoms every time?
Parents learn a proven method based on encouragement, family meetings, natural and logical consequences, chores and mutual respect. Download free tip sheets and get acquainted the Adlerian way and ignore the cacophony of conflicting parenting advice and stick to a positive parenting plan and maintain sanity.
Read her book, “Raising Able: How chores empower young people.”
That’s Susan with her “starter” husband and four 20-somethings. Do they look like they did too many chores while growing up?
More than one coaching client has said, “You’ve helped me more than the professional therapists.”Why? Because I’ve been in your shoes as a full-time homemaker and later on, working outside of the home and managing it from an office, cell phone in hand, leaving directions for what to start for dinner and where to drive baby sister after school.
I’ve had my own power-questing children and coached others on how to calm them down and offer a peace pipe. I give practical advice based on one consistent approach that will guide you and your family from newborn to new adults.
Need a speaker on positive parenting?
Susan’s interactive presentations focus on memorable stories and useful techniques on raising children, bully prevention, and healthy eating habits.
Learn how:
- To create a positive parenting plan using encouragement
- Chores empower children and counteract entitlement
- Healthy eating habits begin at home
- To use family meetings and encouragement to establish harmonious homes and classrooms
- To use natural and logical consequences instead of punishment and reward
- To empower victims to defuse bullies
For parents of teens and ‘tweens, learn how to teach:
- Teens to drive without driving yourself crazy
- Teens and ‘tweens anything by building a positive relationship
- Good independent decision-making when they’re 60 miles away and going 60 miles an hour.
Humor, storytelling and audience participation are integral to Susan’s laugh-and-learn speaking style. Her poignant stories drive home concepts that audience members will take away to create a positive family environment and empower children and teens to make good decisions. Audience members have often remarked, “Susan is a memorable speaker.”
All presentations are customized for each audience.
Contact Susan today to book a speaking engagement or workshop series.
Call 978-772-3930 978-772-3930 or by email at susan [at] susantordella [.] net.
August 9, 2011 at 6:35 pm
I’ve got 3 kids the oldest is 8. I homeschool so its important for me to balance school stuff, chores and free-time. I’m not doing too good with the chores part. I looked up ‘chores’ on amazon.com for a book that could help me get some sort of routine for keeping the house clean. I try to have the kids do stuff but I don’t have charts with stickers and a reward system or a schedule of what I want them to do. I know they try to help but I’m pretty outright onery about the lack of efficiency in their efforts. (There’s more dancing and prancing around than actually picking up toys and putting away clothes etc.) We are living in a mess. I wasn’t sure if your books was going to be the solution with the organization part and get the kids to follow through. It sounded like it was mostly about why chores are good for my kids. I’m definitely sure chores are good for them, I’m just not sure if your book can help me get them to do more.
August 10, 2011 at 8:48 am
Your kids are at the ideal age to start chores. The book will DEFINITELY give you a framework for how to get them to do chores, starting with a family meeting, the foundation of positive parenting.
You will find the book uses chores as a springboard towards creating a positive family environment using family meetings/chores/dinner, encouragement, mutual respect and natural and logical consequences.
This isn’t a magic wand, nor is it rocket science! As you know from having three kids under age 8 and homeschooling, it’s all about consistency, motivation and encouraging the efforts you want to see more of.
“You picked up your socks. Now can you find all the books?”
Telling a kid to pick up her room or the family room is like telling an adult to pick up KMart. Where do you start?
I HATE charts & stickers & rewards because they’re bankrupt. This is how many schools and families operate. UGH
As you probably know, the strongest motivation comes from within. You can buy the book directly from me using paypal, too. I’d love to hear your response when you start implementing it.
Look at one of my top posts- “a first family meeting”.
Susan
September 3, 2011 at 6:50 am
Hello. I just found your blog indirectly through having read a book entitled ‘BackTalk’. It mentions logical consequences and Alfred Adler so I started googling and I’m sold! I have 5 children, the oldest being 8 years old, and I was beginning to feel totally out of control. I was raised as an only child for the first 13 years of my life and I wasn’t expected to lift a finger in the family home. It did not do me any favours! I have found it incredibly difficult to “make” my children do chores because I felt I was being cruel. I am beginning to realise it is more “cruel” to wait on them hand and foot as they get an inflated sense of entitlement and I feel increasingly put upon. I am excited by the prospect of changing our family dynamic and being a happier Mummy!!
September 6, 2011 at 3:45 pm
You must be in shock to have five kids after being an “only.”
Have you read my book yet? It will help a lot. And there are many other Adlerian writers/experts out there, so you can have ONE rudder to guide you from now until forever.
Your next step is to start practicing the principles AND start a parenting group! I will support you in this. When you teach it , you learn twice :-0
Keep me up to date on your progress.
I’m getting ready to start monthly calls. I hope you can join on them. Watch my blog for info.
Susan
September 6, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Thank you Susan. Luckily I had one child at a time rather than quintuplets all at once, so I’ve had a few years to get used to them!! But yes there childhood is a whole different experience to mine. I have only found a kindle version of your book on Amazon but I don’t have a kindle so would rather have a paper copy. Do I need to order it direct from your site as I am in England? A parenting group is a good idea. I often get Mums asking me how I cope with five so I know there are lots of people out there who are keen to learn more.
March 25, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Hi Susan,
I nominated you for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award -
http://ifyoucouldseewhatihear.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/feeling-loved/
I am a chicken keeper too and I also work with kids teaching them to trust their instincts – (www.iprojectconfidence.com). I found your blog because I was having some problems with feather pecking, then read Mooey’s story and the program you created based on it – I love it! Thank you for inspiring me and so many others, and keep up the great work.