Carnations are my favorite flower and I did not know it but the White Carnation is the official flower for Mother’s Day. Here is a little History from Good Housekeeping: “Anna Reeves Jarvis is most often credited with founding Mother’s Day. After her mother Ann died on May
Have you ever listened to how many times we say to our children, “don’t!” That four letter word seems to roll out of our mouth so easily. “Don’t touch that; don’t spill that; don’t stay out too late!” Don’t is not a teaching word. Don’
Empathy is the ability to notice what other people feel. The need for teaching empathy to our children seems to be growing in our society. I am finding more and more articles as well as books being written to help instill this ability in ourSELF and our children. Empathy leads
I was asked this week if I had ever thought about the difference between listening and hearing. Thought I would share what I have learned - listening and hearing are verbs. They are “doing” words. According to English Teacher Melanie - http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/how-to-use-the-english-verbs-listen-and-hear/ there is a very
I wrote this in 2016 on my oldest son's birthday. It is worth sharing... "After almost 32 years, my home is Feeling smaller. All five of my children are on their own path and on with their own lives. Rarely do I do laundry for them anymore,
Family traditions always seem to resonate during the holidays. Growing up, we started with an Easter Sunrise Service with my dad at the forefront of the ceremony. The beauty of the sunrise and the time together brings very fond memories…as does the early morning, “I don’t want to
Listening is a skill. We need to listen to our children. We need to listen when they are speaking, and when they are quiet. We need to listen when our children are talking to others. We can learn a lot about our children when they speak to their friends and
Families and chores have given opportunity to many conversations and debates. Chores can be described as a routine task or an unpleasant but necessary task. Survival Skills For Healthy Families and Love and Logic teaches chores are just a part of being in a family. Chores never go away, no
Parents often negotiate with their children and truly, learning and teaching the ability to negotiate is a positive tool we need in life. After all, negotiating is to agree on something as the end result. Negotiating can provide an opportunity for children to think and plan, to have a little
One of the greatest needs our children have is to have hope with the ability to look to the future. So many children seem to be overwhelmed. Life over the years has become very busy and complicated for families to navigate. Simple living is worth the struggle to strive for
As a parent, raising my children and now watching my children raise “my grandchildren”, I remember how HARD it is. Our lives are so busy and our children are so busy and there is so much turmoil in workplaces, on the roads as we travel, in our government, pretty much
And let’s not forget the strength of a loved and satisfied heart. Just a quick note on the importance of touch. The response our bodies have to touch is said to decrease heart rate, reduce blood pressure and cortisol. Touch is also known to increase oxytocin and according to
...so I thought I would share some Health Information for families as the month comes to a close. Red is the color of heart health - I think I would have guessed that in a multiple choice questionnaire:) According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: The heart beats
This is a letter I recently wrote to my children. Thought it might be a helpful share. “I have said many times to be thankful for what happens on the road. I have prayed for angels to surround you as you each got your licenses to drive. And now with
Valentine’s Day transcends just couple relationships. Be Mine is for our friends and family, co-workers and classmates. It is a day to celebrate what love is… According to Shakespeare: love is a powerful, sometimes tumultuous force, frequently stating that "the course of true love never did run smooth,
Parenting is hard. Relationships are hard. Staying at home, raising your kids is tough. Going to work, raising your kids is tough. Sometimes it is important to take a moment and ask yourSELF - What do I want? It sometimes seems easier to come up with what we don’t
Children want to feel safe! We all do. When we hold true to what we tell our children, they feel safe, loved and cared for. When we threaten, especially with things we won’t follow through with, our children feel unsafe, out of control and insecure. “If you do that
I am lucky enough to have siblings! Two to be exact. An older brother and an older sister, yes, I am the youngest. There is much to be read about birth order and so many other things related to having siblings. I have to say, I feel so blessed to
“Mom, can I please watch a movie?” “Yes you can, we are getting ready to eat and after dinner you can watch the movie.” “I want to watch it now.” “I will turn it on as soon as we finish eating.” “Dad, can I please watch a movie.” “Sure, let
This course is designed for parents with children as they transition to new beginnings, new traditions and understanding the new life they will have without their chosen marriage partner. The quality of our lives is dependent on the positive relationships we have. This course focuses on building uplifting relationships with
This course shares skills and concepts from many different parenting classes I have taken and taught over the years. I have picked the best practices and combined them into this course and added a few personal and practical tips from my own personal experience of raising my five children and
As the year comes to an end and a new year begins, remember the blessings we encounter each and every day. A blessing may be conceptual; a colorful sunset, a genuine smile, hearing the snore of a pet or person. Though a snore isn’t always associated with feeling blessed,
I have heard a lot about generational trauma the past year or so. I know it is wonderful to have a description for what we feel and what leads us to explain some of the feelings we have. One thing I have learned over the years is to provide yourSELF
At some point in your life with your children, you will notice they notice YOU! They want to be like you, talk like you, walk like you, sing like you, behave like you. When you notice this timing of your child’s development, it might be time to take notice