When I was young, I remember our mealtime very clearly. We sat together at 6 pm every single night, all 6 of us: my parents, 3 siblings, and me. My mom and dad began the meal by passing food around, as we all helped ourselves. After that, children were seen at the table but not…
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Being a grandparent is one of the most exciting roles in my life. If you are a grandparent, perhaps you would agree. However, it is a challenge for me to be a grandparent and not share my knowledge and wisdom of parenting that I gained through experience and in my work in the field of…
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Sadly, there is quite a bit of dysfunction in many families. What I mean by that is impairment in the function of a system, the family system. In my practice as a parent coach and educator, I often hear parents talk about the dysfunction that they grew up in with their own families. Many times…
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Tune In and Tone Down. No matter what the age of your child, when you make a change or do something different, it affects the dynamics of the relationship. For example, if you are one to raise your voice very quickly when things get out of hand, the more you become aware of your emotions…
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Many people ask me how they can incorporate a small mindfulness practice into a busy life. We are all on the hamster wheel of life, but creating time for this type of practice is invaluable. With this in mind, I want to share 10 easy practices that will help you be more mindful in your…
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Entitlement is a very prevalent issue in our country today. Kids are growing up with more and more. It seems to me, in many situations, that the more kids have, the more they expect. In my own experiences, I sometimes find that my kids can be overcome by entitlement. For my oldest daughter, the boundaries…
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When it comes to our language, what we say and how we say it are both important. When we speak from a reactionary place, with fear, anxiety and/or negativity, our children absorb those emotions. If we regularly react to our child’s curiosity – such as looking at something breakable or picking up something that might…
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In speaking with one of my clients, I was reminded that every day and every moment of the day is a new moment, and a bulb went off in my head. This is something I practice in my life right now, but that wasn’t always the case. Years ago, I held onto situations in my…
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Mindfulness is less of doing and more about being. Being is about a state of awareness, not an action. Many of my coaching clients ask me how to be more mindful in their lives and in raising their children and how they can create a practice for themselves. There are so many important benefits of…
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Many times we get caught up in what our children are doing, or not doing, and forget to take a deep breath. One theme that consistently comes to light in my coaching practice is control. We try so hard, with good intentions, to control our children. When it comes to mealtime, we want them to…
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