When we take the time to understand why we are feeling the pull to drop it all and start again, we can cultivate more compassion for ourselves. From that starting point, it is easier to understand why it is so important to create a life in which self-care is thoroughly embedded. Honoring our bodies and their natural processes encourages us to create systems of self-care the work to support your real life rather than wanting to escape it.
You have what it takes to parent your child or teen into a successful and happy life. The answers are all there for you and it is a matter of you deepening your conscious connection and fully engaging with yourself and your Divine that will bring about the transformations that are lasting and open the door to tools that your children will use for a lifetime.
Slowing down is the most effective way to help yourself refuel. Because you can’t stop daily life, you can’t stop transitions. However, you can get intentional about slowing yourself and your family down. Keep reading for 20 Ways to slow down through life’s transitions.
The transition from summer back to school can often be a challenging time for children and teens, especially for youths on the autism spectrum. Because autism covers a large spectrum and presents differently in every person, there are several ideas for ways to help your teen or child with autism feel that they belong and have significance during this time of change. Keep reading for top 3 tips for helping your teen with autism get back to school.
Have you ever tried a walk and talk with your teen? This could be a walk for exercise, sure, and it can also be entirely leisurely. In either case, walk and talk is communication strategy, a tool to remember when you have a pressing idea to process with your teen or when you can tell they are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated. Being next to your teen, or "sideways talking," as opposed to face-to-face, can open the space for conversation-- literally and metaphorically. This orientation often feels less confrontational and more spacious for young people. For some teens, it can be safer to be next to adults when it comes to tough conversations and topics, or even asking for help.
Some of my most stressful moments, as a mom of three, are around what my children are consuming in the form of food and media. I cannot always control what my children see and hear. I can’t control how much my children eat or what they eat. I CAN control my reaction and I CAN control what I say and do in regards to MY food and body. Keep reading for 5 tips for promoting a positive relationship between teens, food, and their bodies.
Asking curiosity questions to the children and teens in your life will not only increase their engagement (which brings confidence, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and so much more along with it), but it will also give you, as the parent or caregiver, more room to breathe. Keep reading to learn how to use curiosity questions in a wide range of opportunities!
Parents, caregivers, and supporters, I invite you to give this practice a try. Become aware of how it changes your own mood and energy as you face challenges in your own life. Then, notice how your breath can change, impact, and support the environment you facilitate with and for the children and teens in your life. Breath can be a powerful tool for talking to teenagers about the tough stuff!
As humans, we all have a desire to belong and to be significant. Positive Discipline teaches that every behavior a child or teen exhibits is an attempt to confirm that they belong and are significant. Today, we focus on how YOU, as a parent or caregiver, can use this concept as a foundation for intentional living.
As the parent of a teen, it can be truly powerful to practice self-encouragement. This involves practicing self-compassion, acknowledging that you cannot control your teen, and giving attention to “successes.” Keep reading for a daily self-encouragement practice.