Here are some book recommendations from my summer reading thus far: The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Development. By Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson A common mistake that parents make is not understanding how differently children think than adults. This book helps parents...
Freedom from Want, Norman RockwellA few days before Thanksgiving you are probably picturing what your day will look like. I think its safe to say that most of us won't look like Norman Rockwell's version. I've been thinking a lot of how thankfulness and grace are...
How do you keep a high octane culture from changing your household? Two main principles: go back to the basics and focus on keeping your calm.The BasicsWhen starting therapy with children, most therapist will start with the basics: -- Is the kiddo getting enough...
Helping Kids Regulate Emotions: Learning through DoingI had a conversation recently with someone who is a childcare provider. She was telling me how she does not believe in making a child say sorry to another child when they have done something wrong. The reasoning was...
Guiding instead of StoppingMy husband has gotten most of my family into watching Duck Dynasty and now the Robertson's are quoted frequently around our house. The favorite quote has to be Phil saying "happy, happy, happy". Inadvertently, people have the expectations that they and their children...
Call it as you see itI wanted to do a series on helping children handle emotions because it is one of the most frequent topics for children in counseling. Usually, the concern centers around anger. I think it is helpful to look at the issue as a...
Traditions: The Tie that BindsHolidays are approaching and I always enjoy hearing how people celebrate these special days. Traditions are a photograph of who we are. One of my pictures would be of my mom reading Oh, the places you will go on Christmas Eve...
Just Good EnoughOne of the concepts I love from social science is "good enough" - specifically good enough parents. In an information-saturated society, hearing all the things that parents need to do for and with their children can be overwhelming. It doesn't take long to...
Is it okay to be angry?I often start with this question when talking about anger with children. Their answer is usually no. They look at me like I am fibbing when I tell them it is okay to be angry. For the most part, being angry has become synonymous with...