Wiggle while you Work.
Help your body digest. Get your blood flowing. Move that lymph. When you get back inside, have a glass of water before you do anything else. Toast to everyone’s good health in the coming year. That will be a lot of positive energy in one place.
Compete as individuals, as families, as age groups, as cross-generational teams. Don’t forget to use your laugh muscles. Winners get dibs on dessert.
The woman cooed, “You have your daddy’s eyes.” The child wrenched her chin away, planted her fists on her hips, and declared, “I don’t have my daddy’s eyes. These are my eyes! I don’t look like a boy.”
Right before her wedding, my advice to the couple had been for the both of them to take a personality test to identify their differences, and then identify strategies for relating despite them. It had worked wonders for my marriage, and I wanted that type of happiness for the newlyweds.
When I was a teacher, there were two ways to end the class:
Teach until the bell rang, and have the kids scramble to get to their next class in 3 minutes; or
Stop a minute early and let them get ready to leave.
I was known to do both, depending on what I was teaching. But, on the days when we had a minute to spare, my students were charged with making me laugh. A good joke, especially a science joke, was their ticket out of my room before the bell. (That was actually frowned upon, but the kids never went too far because they were listening to the others jokes.)
But there were rules. (Of course there were rules. We were in school.) No profanity. Nothing derogatory, sexist, racists, blond-ist, etc. Here’s a few I jotted down in case I ever needed them.
The “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” philosophy does not work. It only serves to teach her that you don’t actually believe in the “Do As I Say” part. What you Say and Do ALWAYS matters. If she sees you living a lie, her trust in you suffers.
That, my friends, is the core of teen angst.
Happy Earth Day. What is my biggest potential impact on my planet? I’m sharing this with you, and you might be motivated to make a small change… and then you might inspire someone else to make a change.
Why stop there? Expand that valuable moment of stillness to your kids. Ask them, “Have you noticed more birds singing this year than before?”
B.S., M.Ed. in Supervision, W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer. Yes, I know my stuff! Throughout our coaching time, you’ll develop the tools and confidence to take action. My coaching will empower you to become the person you want to be.
I don’t follow a template, or ‘one size fits all’ approach. You are unique, and your coaching should be, too. We start where you are, and we work towards your goals.
When I was a teacher, upset parents and defensive kids came to see me for conferences about the students’ behavior or academics. My superpower was bridging the gap between them so they could begin to relate again.
At the time, I thought everyone could do it. Now, I realize that it’s a specific skill set, built upon years and years of conversation and compromise. It didn’t have a name back then, but today we call it Parent Coaching.
I thought teaching would prepare me for parenthood, but when I first saw that urine soaked stick change, dread filled me. What did I know about being a mommy? What if I screwed up my baby’s life?
I was the teacher of tweens and teens, not the mommy of babies!
I kept my fears to myself, so I didn’t have anyone to challenge my notions. Instead, anxiety clouded her toddler years for me. Then, I proceeded to fret away her single-digit years, so I’ve been where you are. Yes, as an experienced teacher of tweens and teens, I was panicked over being the mother of a baby! (Thank goodness she learned to talk.)
At the time, I didn’t understand the power of building a Support System, of reaching out for help, of overcoming the isolation of motherhood… although I provided that support to hundreds of families through thousands of conferences and phone calls.
Then, one day, she turned nine. That was the day she blew out her birthday candles, and announced, “Mommy, now that I’m almost a teenager–“
“Whoa! Hold on there.” I leaned back as my husband and I grinned at each other. “You’re not almost a teenager. We’ll tell you when you’re almost a teenager, and this isn’t it!
Surprisingly, I wasn’t shaken. True, she was ready for my expertise a bit earlier than expected, but forewarned is forearmed. And, boy, was I ready. My years of teaching had prepared me well.
Did we have conflicts? Of course, we did. Did I question my sanity on occasion? Or, hers? Absolutely! Every Mom does.
But, at that point, after 15+ years of successfully working with parent and teen relationships, I had more tools and strategies at my disposal than the average mom.
Today, through coaching, my clients get:
Schedule a free Clarity Consult with me today. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
