Hope Springs Eternal

April 22, 2011

“Take the first step in faith.
You don’t 
have to see the whole staircase. 

Just take the first step.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.
This is the quote that greeted me this morning when I logged on to my iGoogle home page.  I’ve seen it many times before, and always find it inspirational and reassuring.  Thought I’d share [...]

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Taxes, Education, and Kids, Oh My!

April 15, 2011

It’s tax day – a day to pay our bills for the services that we as a society value the most and wish to receive.
I mean, we elect the public servants that we think will best represent our interests in balancing private rights and public needs.  We ask our elected leaders to use our resources [...]

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The Busy Parenting Quiz

April 10, 2011

Nearly every parent of school-age kids nowadays feels they’re busy.  This world pushes information and demands on you 24/7 and pulls you in umpteen different directions.
But how busy is too busy?  How would you know?  Are you living a fulfilling life or an overly full one?  Take this quick quiz to see what your Parent [...]

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Setting S.M.A.R.T. Expectations

April 1, 2011

“How do I know if he’s capable or not…?  Is it that she can’t do it, or just won’t…?  What should I expect?”
Parents I coach agonize over how much is too much to expect from their child, whether they’re adding too much stress to their child’s life, or selling them short and letting them get [...]

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What Makes You Happy?

March 25, 2011

A recent article in the magazine “Real Simple” (January 2011) summarized some of the recent research on how you can be happier throughout the year.  Happiness is a big topic these days, one we care a lot about as a counterpoint to all the stress and worries of modern living.  So, what does make you [...]

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Tips for Busy Parents – Relieve Stress with Moments of Mindfulness

March 18, 2011

Parenting classes often focus on how parents can better understand their child’s development and behaviors, and how to develop parenting skills that are mostly about behavior management strategies.  These are certainly necessary for effective parenting, but they are not sufficient.  There is one key ingredient missing.
In fact, without this important prerequisite, all the parent education [...]

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Tips for Busy Parents – Focus on What Really Matters

March 5, 2011

You’re running around, chasing after your kids, your To Do Lists, even your own tail.
You want more time to relax and enjoy your life.  You wish desperately to revive your spirit, re-energize your body, re-ignite the passion with your partner, reconnect with your kids in fun, loving ways.
Enough bickering about homework and housework.  Enough rushing [...]

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Taking Time for Slow Dancing

February 25, 2011

This poem was recently shared with me, and went straight to my heart – especially when I learned that it’s author, the late David Weatherford, was a child psychologist who dedicated his life to helping kids and families, while seeking to enjoy his as well.  A fellow traveler indeed.
May you, and your children, benefit from [...]

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Choosing Time for What Matters Most

February 11, 2011

Parents today are often running low on time, energy, and patience.  Kids are too distracted, disorganized, and demanding.  Mindless multitasking is the norm, and everywhere, busyness surrounds us.
It envelops us like a misty fog, swirling into our communities, our schools, and our homes.  We breathe it in every day, without a thought, and soon the [...]

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Taming the Tiger Mom Within

January 28, 2011

The new year has started off with a bang – Chinese fireworks exploding over the American child-rearing landscape.  Amy Chua’s new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, has re-ignited the age-old debate about strict versus permissive parenting.
As a Yale law professor and Chinese-American mother of two daughters (now 18 and 15), Chua wrote a [...]

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