Blog
Dealing with Screen & Gaming in these uncertain times
A friend recently reminded me of the Dandelion and Orchid theory. While the majority of kids are believed to be dandelions (meaning they are better able to deal with stress), I think we can all recognize that some kids have a harder time dealing with their emotions...
Techniques to Manage Adverse Effects of Social Media
This is the photo I shared with my family and friends on Monday, Oct 19 (on what would have been Myles' 14th birthday). Pretty beautiful, eh? I shared it with them to let them know that I was okay. What this picture doesn’t tell is how I was struggling with my...
How to remove judgment when we listen to children
The interesting thing about listening is that, when we don’t separate our own internal dialogue from what we hear, we may unwittingly end up judging the person who is sharing with us. Conversely, when we share with someone, it is incredibly disheartening to not be...
Simple Strategies to Create Microcosms of Positivity
The stress and anxiety that we are continuously exposed to can be contagious and impact our relationships and our own feelings of safety, internal peace, and positive outlook. On a philosophical level, I can’t help but hope that the level of disruption we are...
How allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can help us during difficult times
There have been a lot of ups and downs as the school year commences. In-person classes are not what they were previously, and virtual classes keep getting postponed. There are promises for learning opportunities to come, that this too shall pass, and things will get...
A few tips to help focus on the positive
Negative thoughts have a way of taking over, especially when we are having a tough time with one or more aspects of our lives, and it can be really difficult to stop them. Changing our thought patterns to be more positive can be easier said than done, however, with...
How did it go? (Back to school in times of COVID)
For those of us who had to deal with back-to-school, this week has been unusual to say the least. Many schools scrambled to communicate their back-to-school strategies with parents, and parents scrambled to make sure their kids were prepared for the first day back. ...
How to Teach Our Kids to Let it Be, Let it Go…
Let it be, let it go! Whether The Beatles or Idina Mendel’s theme song from Frozen come to mind, it is sound advice to learn to let things be or let them go when those things make us feel anxious, stress, sad, or generally bad. To know what we can control and learn...
A Few Tips to Help Kids Prepare for Transitions
Dealing with transitions sometimes looks and feels a lot like grief for those of us who struggle to let go of things that are familiar and secure. While not everyone will feel this way, for many, taking time to prepare for transitions can help us move towards...
Finding the courage to face business-as-usual (and school) after disruption
We are all faced with uncertainties due to the current pandemic; as we witness the resurgence of COVID-19 in places where it seemed it had been quelled, we must also process the push towards business-as-usual in order to maintain some level of economic viability. This...
How to Promote Positive Self-image, Self-esteem, and Support Resilience for Our Kids.
Have you ever felt so miserable about things going on in your life that it was difficult to concentrate on anything else? There are times in our lives when we hurt and feel overwhelmed by our pain. Sometimes when we are in this painful headspace, we may find that we...
Tips to help deal with Fear and Anxiety
Fear is one of the strongest emotions that we face in life. How we respond to fear and anxiety is very personal, and can vary significantly given our genetics and life experiences. Many of us can relate to times that feelings of fear and anxiety can hijack our...