Do Something!

i guess it can be a touchy subject. i know someone like that and one day i told her something when her child was actually doing it. i felt comfortable telling her especially being in my own home. she didn't feel offended. it actually lead to a long conversation. i pretty much told her "be firm and take control before it gets worse"

being your sister she may not feel offended. just catch it at the right time! good luck!

Let her know that its the best thing she can do for her child.
What is she going to do when he gets 15. I don't think any mom wants her child to enter the wrong path, so she must start early and discipline now.
Kids want discipline. If you act like you could care less what your child does, how does that make your child feel. If my husband told me he didn't care what I did, I could stay out all night, date other men, slap him around, etc. What does this make me feel like? I finally lose respect for him and assume he does not care. If he stands up to me, then I gain more respect for him, same with kids.

One Happy Mom in Arizona.

Have you tried sitting with her without the kids around and discussing it? If she is easily offended, then perhaps you can change around to using your children as an example. ?? Good luck! I know I talked to my sister about something that was concerning me about her and her kids, now we hardly talk. :(

There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!

It's really not a two way street, most of the time. My sisters constantly have an opinion about how to manage my kids but they seem exempt from the same feedback. You can't change somebody's parenting skills by talking to them...they have to change it because they want it, I believe. The best you can do it simply be the best mom you can be and not tolerate a second of his bad behavior when he is at your house.

Mouse_tales is a discussion leader in the East Valley for arizonamoms.com. She spends most of her days juggling her duties as a (bio & step) mom, wife, and business owner. Her three little kittens range in age from 5 to 13.

That's a hard one. You want what's best for your nephew, but really, it's not your place to tell your sister how to raise her child. If you have a close relationship, you could try asking her if she has any problems with discipline, etc, and share some common struggles. Maybe it would lead to a nice conversation. Another idea, if she likes to read, buy her a book that "really worked for you". Maybe if she hears advice from a third party, she won't take offense.

Hobbymommy, 38, is a discussion leader from Mesa. She is a happy stay-at-home mommy to a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

Talk about discipling your child for a specific behavior that you noticed in your nephew. Theny explain how you mentioned it to your pediatrician and he/she told you, "if your child says that he/she hates, then you are doing a good job!". My pediatrician actually did say this to me, when I bought up discipline issues. Use examples about yourself. Usually, people get defensive when they perceive a negative judgement or if they perceive a competition. Maybe if she gets the feeling that you will be a compassionate listener, she may open up about being overwhelmed and ask for your advice.

I know that as soon as my friends and siblings and I cut the (inappropriate term), and started talking about our kids and husbands as REAL people, who frustrate us, we started talking honestly. Prior to that, everyone was too concerned saving face, or feeling better by comparing our best day (favorably) with their worst day.

"Only a life lived for others, is the life worthwhile" - Albert Einstein