When she walked in the restaurant she looked at my daughters and rolled her eyes “how did you get them to wear a dress?”. I sighed back at her. There had been some discussions and eye rolling. Getting kids of any age to dress for the occasion is not simple and for some parents it is a bitter battle. Here are four… Read More »How to get your child to dress appropriately
It has to be one of the questions we ask ourselves repeatedly. Managing big emotions can be hard for little ones and it doesn’t get easy on its own. As puberty creeps earlier and earlier in our culture, our brain development isn’t keeping up. Our childhood brains are no match for the emotions of puberty. Because children lack the ability to self-regulate… Read More »How do I Help My Child Deal with Big Emotions
“He loves you for who you are. He just wants to see you try.” I have said some variations of those words so often in the 20 years of parenting. There is so much meaning in that message. Hearing it from the pulpit from the mouth of the priest this morning gave me a renewed appreciation of its importance. As adults, we… Read More »Teaching them to try
As a big proponent of attachment parenting, I had a hard time with the spiritual concept of detachment. Forming and maintaining healthy attachment to and with our children is a primary task of parenthood. It begins as soon as they are born with skin-to-skin contact. The act of breastfeeding a child releases oxytocin which is our body’s primary bonding chemical. We establish… Read More »Healthy Detachment in Parenting
From the moment they can crawl, they start to explore. We remain their “safe base” in psychology speak. We are the place they return, the place they look back to for reinforcement and reassurance. At the end of the slide, under of the monkey bars, on the sideline, from the audience, we encourage and cheer as they take big and little steps,… Read More »How to Encourage Independence – and why you should.
I said another goodbye today and it really doesn’t get any easier. When I dropped him at preschool 16 years ago, he gave me a quick hug then ran into the classroom. I was shocked at how easy it was for him and so hard for me. As I walked through the scorching parking lot with my three month old baby wrapped… Read More »Dropping your child off at school
Fear and anxiety are striking our young people in a surprising way. Or perhaps not so surprising when we see how many adults are struggling with those same issues. How can parents expect to teach their children how to cope when they themselves are struggling. Hope is something that can be fostered best in times of difficulty. Father Gabriel writes “The least… Read More »Fostering Hope in the Face of Fear