Words Do Not Teach
This weekend I had the privilege of meeting an amazing dad. Our chance interchange happened as I was walking through the booths of a local photography exhibit. I stopped to admire some photos and the man started to tell me about his work. He said he had always loved …
10 Best Practices for Encouraging Positive Behavior
1. Set up consistent, predictable routines. Be careful not to confuse this with being rigid. You are aiming for a safe and nurturing environment where children know what to expect. 2. Have clear, consistent, age appropriate expectations. Children will push, test and manipulate when boundaries are inconsistent or …
Universal Wisdom
The words of this Native American prayer remind me of a form of Universal Wisdom which says that every time you are aware of something you don’t want you become highly aware of what you do want. I have come to realize that all great wisdom resonates with a form …
Perspective
Most disagreements and misunderstandings come from different perspectives. We each experience life through our own unique filtering system and what appears to be absolute truth to one person may take on a totally different view to someone else. It is only natural that we will have different points of view. …
New Definition of Discipline
Say the word ‘discipline’ out loud three times quickly. Which part of the word gets the most emphasis? The ‘dis’ part. I looked up the meaning of the expression ‘diss’. Popular agreement seems to be that it means to insult someone; speaking rudely or disapprovingly about someone. According to the …
The Remedy for “TGF” (Taken for Granted)
Ah; how many times has a parent felt taken for granted? Children seem to just expect that laundry will be done, food will be prepared, they will be chauffeured to activities and the ‘stuff’ of daily living will be taken care of…. The remedy for TFG is awareness, consciousness and …
Is Your Child An Empath?
Children who are labeled as ‘highly sensitive,’ ‘intense reactors,’ or ‘overly emotional,’ may actually be empaths. Parents who have never experienced what it feels like to take in the overload of energy that constantly surrounds us are likely to misunderstand their empathic child’s behavior. In the same way that we …
Getting Kids to Talk
Parents often lament that their children don’t talk to them and when they do they give one word answers, “Fine.” “Nothing.” When children are little they jabber freely, sharing their thoughts, questions, desires, needs, feelings and vivid imaginations. Many times adults meet this outpouring of their inner world with condescendence, …
Our Inner Little Girl
We still carry our little girls around inside of us and our physical, emotional and spiritual history sometimes gets in the way of being the mother we dreamed of being. Moms are just little girls who grew into a bigger body. Becoming a mom is a rite of passage that …
Limiting Beliefs
Limiting beliefs are obstacles to attracting and manifesting what we want. They color our perceptions and can render us powerless. Our behavior and reactions stem from an unconscious set of truths that are very powerful and, ultimately, determine our parenting style. Many limiting beliefs sound like this: “I’m not good …
Successful Parenting
Successful parents are willing~ Willing to look inward… Willing to wonder… Willing to try new approaches… Willing to think new thoughts… Willing to take things less personally… Willing to forgive… Willing to let go… Willing to shift limiting beliefs…
Judgement to Joy
We were sitting in a restaurant when I noticed the young couple in the corner. They were snuggling and kissing and just plain lovin’ each other. My initial thought was that it seemed inappropriate, but I realized if I stopped judging I would free myself to enjoy their sweet energy. …
Redefining Discipline
The reason using emotionally healthy discipline is hard is because PARENTS MUST DISCIPLINE THEMSELVES and model the very behavior wanted from the children. Listen to our MP3, “Redefining Discipline” to learn more about this very important topic.
The Art of Appreciation
Become an appreciation detective! Model for your children, through your own behavior, the power of appreciation. Seek out reason to be thankful for throughout your day. Look for the good in everyone and every situation that you encounter. Teach your children through your own example that there is always some …
Our Work as Parents
Our role as parents is not to please others so they will complement us on the good job we are doing in raising well behaved kids. Our purpose is to support and unconditionally love our children as they discover who they are, who they came to be and to give them the …
Enoughness
The new little babies come into life knowing their value. They trust they are enough. Toddlers are certain that they are deserving of the best that life has to offer them and from their vantage point they expect to have it all! So when do we start believing that we …
It’s All In Our Perception
I was taking my daily walk when I passed an elementary school playground with children at recess. “You’re lucky!” a young girl shouted to me. “Why do you say that?” I smiled back. “Because you’re free to take a walk and I’m stuck in school!” I thought that her perception …
Your Children Mirror Your Inner World
Our children can feel our energy. They take in our stress, our fears, our joy, our love. It travels through their bodies, their hearts, their minds and comes out in their behavior. What is your child’s behavior telling you about yourself? If there is anything you would like to change …