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Back to School Anxiety
Most children are stressed by the advent of going back to school after summer pleasures. But stress is not the same as back to school anxiety which is identified by avoidance of school preparation, avoidance of talking about school and irritability about the topic. Children who are naturally anxious or have anxiety disorders are the…
Read MoreCritical Thinking and the Importance of Plau
Play is often structured in games, sports, video games, and classes that teach something like karate or painting. But there are great advantages to unstructured play which is left to the imagination of the child. Without specific rules or an adult present.kids are left to use their own creativity to create narratives about whatever…
Read MoreDown with Negative Self-Thought
How do you suppress negative self=thought? Some of us our chronic thinkers. It’s important to parent ourselves well. Our minds are so busy we forget to listen to the quiet around us. If you are someone with negative self-talk, that’s the first thing to do: Just listen to the sounds or quiet around you…
Read MoreThe Joy of Breastfeeding
If you wish to breast feed let me share with you the wonderful moments that I remember with my baby. Sitting in a comfy chair in the middle of the night when all is calm and quiet and it’s just you and your baby there’s nothing like that moment of feeling your infant at your…
Read MoreHow Parents Help an Angry, Willful, Anxious Child
A Willful Child Needs to be a Skillful Child Willful children are a misnomer. They actually are belligerent because they can’t articulate their needs and express their anger and anxieties. Typically when parents face a child with a temper tantrum or oppositional behavior, they try to use rewards and punishments to teach the lessons they…
Read MoreThe Joy of Unstructured Summertime Play
Play is the joy of summer time when all those structured, sometimes overscheduled activities during the school year are over. Now is the time to give your kids free rein to explore and discover what interests them. It’s a time for imagination to bloom as kids find new outlets for their infinite creativity. Parents often…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Empathy at Work and at Home
The benefits of empathy at work and at home has a huge impact on understanding others and leads to more satisfying relationships. Empathy is a learned skill that begins around ages three and four and grows if it is noticed and applauded. It’s the ability to understand the thoughts, beliefs, opinions, intentions, and feelings of…
Read MoreParenting Without Punishment
Parenting without punishment is an unlikely concept to most parents. However, many tasks or rules we want followed feel like punishments to kids like chores, going to sleep on time, curfews, saying “No” to requests for material goods, and having limits on screen time of all types (phones, videos, T.V., computer youtubes, facebook, Instagram, twitter).…
Read MoreThe Essential Parent
The Essential Parent is one who is involved in the lives of those she lives with and has respect for herself. In an ideal world, parent and infant exist in an atmosphere of joy. But the world is real, and parent-child relationships are complex. An infant may grow up in one of any number of…
Read MoreListening to Your Children and Teens
Listen to your children and teens is the core of the Parental Intelligence Way. When you are puzzled by their behavior or shaken by their emotions like anxiety or anger, the key is to understand what is on their minds by listening nonjudgementally, attentively, and lovingly. Here are some tips to help them talk: Ask…
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