As parents, sometimes we feel the need to control things that our children are doing, who they are playing with, what they are eating, and so on. There is a lot to be said for being mindful and aware of the controls that you try to exert over children and the reasons behind them. When…
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Labels are such a great way to put things in boxes if that’s what you want to do. However, when it comes to our children or us, labels can certainly get in the way. When it comes to children, the labels we often use can have a powerful impact. For example, when we call our…
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Parenting is one of the toughest jobs we will ever encounter. Before I had children, I remember thinking about what my family would look like, how my children would behave, and the perfection of it all. Of course, as soon as I gave birth, this unrealistic “storybook” fantasy was out the window. The dream we…
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Emotional intelligence is a phrase that you hear everywhere these days. I believe that it is essential that children, and adults, know how to express and cope with their emotions. Emotional Intelligence: the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. When my kids were…
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Growing up with a feeling of “value” and “self-worth” is important for all of our children. In my personal and professional experience, I have learned that many adults did not feel a sense of self-worth as children. What does this mean exactly, and how does this affect adulthood? Self-worth is something that comes from within.…
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Emotions are a powerful force. Often times, we can take on the emotions of those around us and it can affect how we feel, behave, and react. It can cause us to want to try to control, fix, or change someone else’s feelings and attitudes. However, if we try to just control our own reactions…
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When it comes to our children, the simpler and more direct our messages, the better our chances are of being heard. When we speak in a lengthy format, trying to get our message across in a complicated manner, children see it as a lecture and start to tune us out rather quickly. When you address…
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It is never too late to change our behaviors, our beliefs, our thought patterns and our conditioning. Raising children is a never-ending job with lots of opportunities to do things differently. Each moment is a new moment. As we parent, it is important that we create opportunity or space for ourselves to pause and look…
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Sometimes apologizing is the hardest thing to do. Many of us have never learned how to do this. We were not born knowing how to take ownership of our actions, so the act of apologizing takes some time and practice. Apologizing is something that needs to be demonstrated to us in our families so that…
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They used to say, “Curiosity killed the cat.” I don’t really understand that concept since I think curiosity is one of the most powerful forces we have within us. What does it mean to be curious? For me, it is all about approaching something or someone without a preconceived judgment. When you are curious, you…
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