Parenting Blog

Everyone knows that stress is bad for us, but why?    READ POST

"When we experience problems in our lives we can trace every issue back to the wanting of control, security or approval. What's funny about this (although it doesn't feel funny in the moment!) is that we always have control, security and approval. It's an illusion that we are ever without all three!"
-- Jeanna Gabellini

Often parents feel helpless in the face of their child’s tantrums, lying, sulking, irresponsibility or other challenging behavior.  But you don’t need to feel victimized.  In fact, feeling powerless to intervene keeps you AND your child stuck.  

Can you change the event that’s upsetting you? No.
Can you change your child?  No.  Only your child can change your child.
So how can you change the outcome?
There is only one thing you CAN change: Your response.  
Turns out that’s enough. 
Doing what you've always done will get you what you've always gotten.
But when you change how you interact with your child, your child will change.
Your child's behavior + Your response = Outcome  READ POST

"When we put a stopper on our capacity for joy by anorexically declining the small gifts of life, we turn aside the larger gifts as well." ~ Julia Cameron 

Good morning!
What did you do from your Joy list this weekend?
(If you don't have a list of things you can do that make you feel great, start one right now.)

Being a good parent is tough. So often, our needs come second.  The exhaustion of being constantly on call wears us out.  But if you deplete yourself, you have nothing to give your child.  So think of your joy list as your stash of vitamins.  Take at least one a day to keep yourself in good shape.

What will you do today to increase your Joy quotient?
Schedule time for yourself, right now.  Even 10 minutes spent nurturing yourself can turn your whole day around. And if you're feeling inspired, don't stop there.  Why not see how many things from your joy list you can revel in today?  Who says joy has to be rationed?  READ POST

Guest Blog by Anne R. Pierce
Author of Ships without a Shore: America's Undernurtured Children   READ POST

My Aha Parenting moment this week relates to the movie Coraline.  By now, you probably know that the movie is about a young girl who moves into a new house.  Her parents, both writers, work at home. They’re on deadline and too busy to pay attention to her, fill the fridge, or help her unpack and set up her room.  Bored and irritable, Coraline finds a door into a mirror world with an identical but more attentive Other Mother and Father who lavish affection on her, cook for her, and arrange dazzling entertainments.    READ POST