Do you find that you should on yourself often? That’s right—read it again. Albert Ellis, Ph.D. coined the term “should-ing all over yourself” which references our tendency to overwhelm ourselves with should statements or things we think we ought to do. Do you find you should on yourself? Do you say things like…You should be…
When we are away from our children and homes for a period during the day and then return, we engage in a process called re-entry. Whether we work outside or inside the home, the time spent apart from our children can be hard. Thus, re-entry can be hard for everyone, both children and parents included.…
Picking your battles is a crucial part of parenting. However, why do we call it a battle? We are not in battle or war. So, what does this phrase mean? Picking our battles means we must define our values and understand our choices so that we are clear on what we ensure we teach our…
“I am no good.”“I will never get it right.”“Why bother.”“Everyone else is better than me.”“I can’t do it.” Do you find yourself often telling yourself these thoughts? Does your inner critic have a loud voice? Our inner critic, the voice inside of our head that tells us things that makes us doubt ourselves, oftentimes needs…
Oftentimes we do not see what is right in front of our eyes. Our children offer us clues each day as to how we might be able to shift, pivot, and grow our approach to best support them. When we spend some time watching our children and the behavior they exhibit, we gain valuable insight…
Have you ever experienced an ongoing question from a child that just drives you crazy? They asked, you answered, but the begging and pleading continued? My kids used to ask me questions about various things over and over again, trying desperately, but not knowingly, to wear me down. Child – “Mom, can I have another…
Lately, I find myself having nightmares about turkeys flying through the air, and recipes to make for Thanksgiving. While these seemingly trivial dreams may not sound troubling, the meaning beyond the face-value is significant for me. Perhaps you can relate. Are you worrying about or wondering how you will navigate the holiday season amidst all…
While I try to be as politically agnostic as possible in my work, I cannot help but take the first presidential debate as an opportunity to highlight a parenting moment. Regardless of your political views or favorable candidate, I think we can all view this moment as purely parental, leaving politics out of it. Debates,…
As each new day passes by, many parents are experiencing significant emotions themselves and seeing them simultaneously within their children. Many of my clients ask me about the anxiety they are beginning to see come to light within their children. Anxiety rates among children have been on the incline. The CDC reports that “7.1% of…
We cannot punish our children into “good,” “acceptable,” or proper behavior.” However, for many of us, we have been conditioned to think that we can. Or even that we should. Let’s talk about behavior and the deeper meaning. Behavior is often a form of communication for our children to be seen and heard by us,…
