Look at that “I can do it!” face. Now that’s what confidence looks like! I just had to post this PARENTING WIN that a dear friend shared with me.

I've dealt with A LOT of separation anxiety over my career. I have worked with both parents and their children to help them move through this upsetting stage, and I’ve pretty much seen it all, until now! That’s because I just learned about Nomophobia! Have you heard of this?

I had the privilege of attending Chris Ulmer’s keynote address yesterday at a local educational conference. What an opportunity! What a guy! What an emotional day!

We are our choices. Ron and I try to live with this in mind every day, so when we had kids it became our family’s mantra. Our boys would often scoff whenever we said this to them, because it made them have to stop and think; it held them responsible if they tried to take the easy way out. In full disclosure, I have to admit, they’ve called US out (albeit with an exaggerated nasally voice and some finger wagging) when we’ve tried to do the same. 

A few years ago, my husband and I decided to try to improve our health by changing our diets. We took the plunge into a plant-based way of life. We MADE the commitment and stuck with it until it became easy. We weren’t sure if it would be the right decision (Though, it didn’t hurt that even our pans were happy for us!), but it wound up being one of the best commitments we ever made to ourselves. 

PUPPETS!!! When was the last time you played with one? •••• If you have children, you should DEFINITELY have puppets around the house. There are so many benefits to playing with them!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  “EACH DAY OF OUR LIVES, WE MAKE DEPOSITS IN THE MEMORY BANKS OF OUR CHILDREN” ~ Charles R. Swindoll
Over the years, I’ve learned that children really don’t remember special occasions because of the gifts they received. What they REALLY remember are the traditions and special experiences tied to the occasion.
Soooo....

Okay, so I know this photo isn't the best, but we were having the BEST time celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary back in December! We were standing in a garden in downtown St. Augustine, FL and there were colorful twinkle lights floating all around us. It was beautiful. 

Safe and helpful. If you think about it, these are the ONLY RULES YOU NEED to guide a toddler’s behavior.

Young children do not benefit from long lectures or explanations when they are misbehaving, and when they are out of control, they won’t hear you anyway, so don’t waste your breath. Try to ward off negative behavior quickly by asking one of two simple questions: 

If you like to provide a lot of creative, open-ended activities for your children, then YAY for you! You are helping your child become an out-of-the-box thinker!  If you want to help them build their brains AND their bodies at the same time, then don’t forget to allow opportunities for them to create while STANDING.

I’m certain all parents want to raise smart children who love to learn, but just how do you do that?

Advertisers would claim that you need to buy their “educational” toys or apps, with all the bells and whistles, so that children can get started young and don’t get left behind! Early childhood educators would say, “Whoa!!!!! Not so fast!”

If you’re reading this, you must be having a little moment to yourself... which in a household with young children, can be quite a feat. However you managed it, congratulations!!! Whoop! Whoop! I realize you probably have only 4 1/2 minutes left, so I won’t take up all your time- just one minute.

Let’s use this one minute for a quick game of self-reflection. Look up into the sky and clear your mind.

Meet my sweet dog, Oliver.  I wonder if dogs daydream.  I imagine they do. They seem to have life figured out in every other way. WAKE.LOVE.EAT.LOVE.PLAY.NAP.LOVE.REPEAT. They MUST sneak DAYDREAM in there somewhere.

Did you know that there are many benefits to daydreaming?

Help your children develop an inner sense of achievement and pride by emphasizing their accomplishments, both the ones that come easily, and, especially, the ones that are difficult. Confidence grows by overcoming challenges. Stepping in too quickly is counterproductive if we want children to learn to trust and believe in themselves. 

Thank you to all the parents who came to the Homegrown Happiness discussion on how to nurture the mindsets that matter (in ourselves and our children).

When my boys were little, their ZOLO toy set was a BIG hit in our house. It provided not only hours of fun, but years of fun! Why did it stand the test of time? Why did it remain fun? Why was it a toy that my boys went back to over and over? Why did it never get old?

According to Richard Louv, author and journalist who has written several books after spending years investigating children and their relationship with the natural world, says "When reminiscing with their families about childhood memories, grown children seldom mention the best day they spent watching TV or playing a video game. Among the memories they do recall, if they’re lucky enough to have had such experiences with their families, are outdoor adventures—even if they complained loudly about such outings at the time."  

I teach a lot of music classes for children and their parents, and I am so grateful for that opportunity. One of the best ways to bond with children is through music!

A musical life is crucial (even if you think you can sing!!!) because it has numerous benefits.

YOU MATTER. You have to recognize that in yourself before you are able to show your children that they matter. Think about your positive, intrinsic qualities. Are you loyal, open-hearted, curious, creative, resilient, forgiving? A bad hair day or a few extra pounds can't change that. When you reflect on your life, place value on WHO you are. Get up each day, challenge yourself, and try to be better than you were yesterday.

This book is a must-read! "If your child has the talent to be a baker, don't ask him to be a doctor." Ahhhh, wise, wise words!!! Wendy Mogel shares this important Hasidic teaching, along with pages and pages of sage advice on how to raise self-reliant children.