Re-dos Did your mother have a phrase she used when you were a kid that has become engrained in you? The phrase that comes to my mind literally makes my skin crawl. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to…”. I just shivered. While maybe I wouldn’t go with the same phrasing, I do […]
Implement a Regulation Schedule Some of the most common times for fits, meltdowns, defiance and whining are during transitions. From sleep to ready for school, from play to mealtime, from awake to bedtime…oh and homework. Even transitions during their day at school can be rough: from art to math, from recess to schoolwork. You don’t […]
Playful REDIRECTIONs One of the biggest reasons kids end up in counseling is because of fits. The knock-down, blow-out fit that takes parents, teachers, and caregivers by surprise. Because one minute they’re fine and the next, well…they’re not. They’ve flipped the switch. Nothing’s getting through and everyone is hanging on for dear life. Fits derail […]
This weekend I went tubing with some friends. We were floating the river, which was pretty low and there were a few rapids to go down. Nothing too crazy, I mean, we were in innertubes, but exciting enough that you needed to pay attention to the water. I was in the 2nd worst tube on […]
Relationships can be so challenging. Obviously—I know. But the reality of that has been hitting close to home recently. One of my very best friends and I have had a really difficult season of friendship. I know so often we talk about romantic relationships and parent/child relationships, but for many of us, our friends become […]
Today I went for a run and I saw a mom and daughter running around the reservoir. We were going opposite directions so we passed each other twice. The first time I saw them, the little girl who was probably 10 or 11 was NOT into it. Her mom was, though, coaching her to take […]
Let’s get ready to rumble!!!!! Play is powerful! It’s good for babies, tots, teens, and adults. We all need play in our lives! And there are many different types of play: structured play, therapeutic play, FREE play, and rough and tumble play! It’s all important. Some play, like coloring or making jewelry, teaches fine motor […]
To all the parents who think their teen has absolutely lost it, Before we go on, I NEVER want to minimize the struggles teens are going through these days. The fact is they live in a very different world than any generation that came before them. I think there are a lot of factors contributing […]
To all the tired and weary ones, Sometimes life can become so overwhelming, you just go numb. Those sunny, warm spring days with the windows down, music on, and the mountains in sight don’t do anything for you anymore. You sit—blank faced. Not happy, not sad, not mad. Numb. It’s not depression because it’s not […]
30%. That’s it. That’s the rate for accurately attuned mother’s and infants with a secure attachment style. There’s a really important concept in attachment theory—it’s called attunement. It’s when a mother sees distress in her baby and knows if it’s an angry cry, a hungry cry, or a “pay attention to me, I’m lonely” cry. […]