Put your seatbelt on. In case you haven’t noticed, the jolly jingle of the holidays has begun buzzing across airwaves and into stores (some since August). For many of us, the holidays add urgency to an already burgeoning to-do list. Some people thrive on it, others experience a spiritual dive. A few years ago, I pledged to […]
A Prescription to Prevent Holiday Blues Read More »
Heading back into the workplace after either staying home with kids or working from home can cause no shortage of anxiety, fear and lapses in confidence. Continuing with my monthly series on building confidence, I asked award-winning humor author Lela Davidson if she could share a few of her insights with us. Lela’s newest collection of inspiring, relatable and hilarious
Guest Post: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Going Back to Work Read More »
Kids are naturally impulsive. Part of the reason boils down to basic biology. The prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is in charge of planning, decision making and moderating social behavior doesn’t fully develop until we’re 25 years old. (That explains a few things, doesn’t it?!) Living in a plugged-in society, instant gratification is more the
5 Questions to Ask Your Hyperconnected Kid Read More »
One of the best ways to help your child develop language and reading skills is to tell stories. But those aren’t the only reasons to nurture a storytelling tradition in your home. Young or old, we’re all inspired and entertained by stories. We intuit valuable life lessons from the tales handed down from one generation
Four Ways to Stoke a Family Storytelling Tradition Read More »
Do you often say demeaning things to yourself that you wouldn’t dream of saying to anyone else? The self-critical statements we make to ourselves have a way of worming little holes in our spirits that bleed self-worth. Over time, negative self-talk not only harms our self-esteem, it hurts our relationships with others, our confidence in forming new relationships and our ability to
Improve Self-Confidence by Becoming Your Own Best Friend Read More »
There’s no question that our culture values a certain kind of beauty often based on whomever is gracing the cover of the latest fashion magazines. Next time you pick up your favorite magazine, take a closer look at the cover, past the clothes, makeup and photoshopped body. Notice the power postures – hands on hips,
An Age-Proof Beauty Secret Read More »
1.) You teach manners. Even before your kids learned to speak, you taught “please” and “thank you”. You know that manners are the first step toward helping kids learn to treat others politely and respectfully whether they are interacting online or offline, with friends or individuals they don’t know. 2.) You nurture empathy. Empathy plays an
8 Signs You’re Raising a Thoughtful Communicator Read More »
How can a person be so sweetly adorable one minute and so completely exasperating the next? Toddlers may have small bodies, but anyone who has ever parented one knows they have voluminous, moody spirits that can cause tremors in a room and test the most patient parent. Toddlers are fascinating creatures who love to test our boundaries, wherever and whenever the
Navigating the Tumultuous Toddler Years Read More »
If you follow me much, you know that I often offer tips to spark conversation. I do this because intentional conversation with our kids helps them practice their social skills (i.e., turn-taking, speaking, listening, etc.) in an entertaining way that also draws the family closer. Conversation matters. We build, break and repair relationships through our
The Communication Habit That’s Sure to Aggravate Your Kids Read More »
Sign up to receive a free family conversation starter delivered to your inbox every Monday morning beginning July 6. Although we may envision summer days as lazy and leisurely, for many of us summer means more time traveling in the car as we head off on family vacations or running kids to various activities and camps.
52 Weeks of Family Conversation Read More »