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No Laughing Matter: Moms Are Drinking More And Experiencing The Serious Consequences Of Doing That

After a day racing from one career task to another, throwing food at children while driving in the van from one activity to the next, I sat down to my crock-pot dinner on a Wednesday and cracked open a bottle of wine. I could feel my shoulders relax as the glass touched my lips. At [...]

November 15th, 2018|Core Beliefs|0 Comments

Seven Ways to Foster the Growth of Critical Thinking in Families

Have you had moments when something happens where you aren’t sure what to do and look for direction from someone else? Or have you made decisions in a hurry without taking the time to mull it over? Or perhaps you’ve been pulled by your emotions to react in a certain way because you’re so full [...]

September 18th, 2018|Core Beliefs|0 Comments

Meet the parents who started their own school and became global education leaders

When you meet Jeff and Laura Sandefer, you first notice how warm both of their smiles are. Laura in particular is someone you just want to sit beside but you’re not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s the hint of a southern lilt in her voice or that she looks at you so intently you feel [...]

December 1st, 2017|Core Beliefs|0 Comments

The Power of Words: Choosing Ones that Help our Children

Have you heard of positive and negative core beliefs before? These are the beliefs we hold of ourselves, other people, and the world based on our life experiences. These beliefs happen as a result of decisions or interpretations we make about situations we encounter. For example, when a child continually tries to build a tower, [...]

April 5th, 2017|Core Beliefs|0 Comments

What to do When Your Child or Student Says, “I’m Stupid.”

One of the most painful things to hear our children or students say is: “I’m stupid” or “I’m dumb.” Our first reaction might be to utter something to counter their statement like, “No, you’re not!” but that response may actually not be helpful. Using phrases that show our children how to address their negative core [...]

April 5th, 2017|Core Beliefs|0 Comments

Choosing Words that Help Our Children Grow Positive Core Beliefs

Have you heard of positive and negative core beliefs before? These are the beliefs we hold of ourselves, other people, and the world based on our life experiences. Positive and negative core beliefs happen as a result of decisions or interpretations we make about situations we encounter. For example, when a child tries to build a [...]

  • One day he asked if he could stir the spaghetti sauce on the stove. She calmly responded: “Sure. Be low and slow.” He smiled, and did just that.

How Spaghetti Sauce Gave me My New Parenting Mantra

Do you let your kids help when you're in the kitchen? They can make a pretty big mess, but there's great lessons to be learned there for kids. In fact, the kitchen can still teach us adults a few things, too! My youngest son loves to help in the kitchen. I stared at my sister [...]

How to Help Children Through Your Big Feelings

One day I just sat down on the sofa and cried — a lot — for no reason. Instead of doing what I typically do as a psychotherapist, which is to jump into solving mode to “get myself out of this,” I just allowed myself time to cry. I did this because I had faith [...]

  • How to Create the Perfect Calm-Down Corner

How to Create the Perfect Calm-Down Corner

A calm-down corner (or area as it doesn’t have to be in a corner) is a place for angry and upset children to go to engage their minds and release their anger. I used this when my children were little in place of time-out because time-out didn’t work for my sensitive son. Here, I’ll show [...]

  • Here are five fun empathy-building strategies from Michele Borba's new book, UnSelfie, that young kids enjoy.

Five Fun Ways to Nurture Young Children’s Empathy and Kindness

When my three boys were two, four and five, we played a game called “Secret Teddy.” Teddy was a small, ragged stuffed bear that “mysteriously appeared” on one son’s pillow each night with a little note describing how he had been especially caring that day. (Trying to be sneaky was always challenging).  I only needed [...]