Internationally recognized author & educator for professionals, parents, and kids
Being a Mom
One Mom’s Tale of Getting Ready on the First Day of Kindergarten
31613 years
Until this moment, I had only shared this embarrassing factoid with my husband, but as I am sitting here, reflecting on the nervous anticipation that parents feel before sending their kids to school for the first time, it seems only fair to share with fellow Moms my anxiety-fueled wardrobe malfunction on the morning of my daughter’s first day of Kindergarten. (more…)
New Moon Girls: When Your Parents Won’t Let You Do Things
102713 years
I must admit, I am a big fan of the well-constructed argument from an articulate kid. And this is a great one. I love this teen’s assertive and respectful version of the “you catch more flies with honey…” approach to getting what you want from parents:
http://blogs.newmoon.com/luna-blog/2011/sister-to-sister-when-your-parents-won%E2%80%99t-let-you-do-things/
Twas the Night Before Kindergarten: Helping Your Child Know What to Expect this School Year
013 years
My daughters like to talk. Call it a girl thing, say it’s because I chattered endlessly to them when they were babies, or maybe they just have a lot to say. It’s when they are not talking, that I know something is up. The summer before my oldest daughter began Kindergarten, her ideas could be flowing at 100mph, but if someone asked her the dreaded, “Are you excited to start Kindergarten?” question, she would slam on the silence brakes.
It was such an unusual reaction for her, not just because of her love of conversation, but also because she has such a zest for life (more…)
5 Steps for Keeping Your Cool and Understanding What’s Really Bugging Your Kid
86714 years
Last weekend, my daughter, her best friend, and I had a full day’s worth of activity and adventure, enjoying thrill rides at a local Summer Carnival, eating cotton candy, throwing darts at a balloon board for prizes, and following it all up with a late afternoon movie. It was Girl Time at its best!
Which is why I was totally blown away when, after dropping off her friend, my daughter’s answer to my innocent inquiry of, “So, what should we do for dinner?” was met with a raging, “Nothing! Can we just go home already! I think we’ve bonded enough for one day.” (more…)
Nothing Comes from Nothing: Looking Beyond a Child’s Surface Behavior
75414 years
I am spending my week with 150+ Trainers from the Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute, for our organization’s Trainer re-Certification Conference. You can not find a more dedicated group of educators, social workers, counselors, or mental health professionals anywhere. What an honor to be spending my days this way.
To celebrate, I am posting an article I recently wrote about using LSCI principles in parenting:
This morning, my 7-year old daughter was playing a game on one of her favorite child-friendly websites, when all of a sudden, the computer froze up. She tried practicing patience, assuming the squirrels who power our older machine were running slowly. She attempted a re-start—Mama’s trick for fixing any piece of technology. She even walked away for a bit, in an effort to soothe her frustrated nerves. Nonetheless, when I came downstairs, fresh from a shower and ready to start a great family weekend, her answer to my question of, “What would you like for breakfast, sweetpea?” was an angry “Nothing. I’m not eating. I don’t like anything we have here! Why can’t you ever buy waffles?” (more…)
Don’t Just Stand There; Do Something
89714 years
I love it when I stumble upon the right article at the right time! I hope I can afford you the same great sanity-restoring experience.
Check out this great article from Daughters.com. The author provides helpful insight into why our kids sometimes act so maturely one day only to follow up with childlike meltdowns the next. Better yet, she gives practical advice on what we can do to keep our own heads from spinning in the process!