26Dec

Inside Out & Lost and Confused

Watching the Disney PIXAR movie Inside Out, I was reminded of my work with children. They experience the world in such different ways than adults. Children have feelings and emotions that they may not understand and cannot put into words. To them, these feelings have a life of their own, as they may take over […]

14Sep

Come Play with Me

One of the most important ways for parents to connect with their children is through play.  According to a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “free and unstructured play” is both “healthy” and “essential” for the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children. Play has been found to reduce stress and anxiety in […]

11Jun

Emotion Coaching Parenting

Think back to the last time your child threw a temper tantrum or had a complete emotional meltdown. What were you thinking about? What was your child thinking about? How were both of you feeling? Maybe you were feeling frustrated, confused, angry, or even sad? Your child probably could not eloquently explain to you exactly […]

20Sep

Anxiety

Anxiety. Worry. Nervousness. Concern. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 28.8% of Americans experience anxiety annually, in some form (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, etc.). Surprisingly, the average age of onset for anxiety is eleven. It is hard to believe that children as young as eleven (and younger) […]

17Nov

Raising a Virtuous Child

“I’m trying to find myself.”  How many of us have ever heard someone say those words?  It seems people are always trying to find themselves—in their twenties, thirties, forties—and beyond.   Lately, I have been asking myself, what would it take to raise a child who knew who they were (or at least mostly so) by […]

01Sep

Back to School – The Child

One definition of stress is, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation” (Merriam-Webster). Stress can be good (planning a wedding) or bad (losing a loved one), but stress of any kind is hard on the mind, body and spirit.