Part #1: Am I an Over-Functioning Parent?
I’ve been thinking about the idea of “over-functioning” often recently as it is a huge topic in my office and many of the therapist and mom podcasts I listen to.
The Gift of Play
Parents of young children are probably so familiar with the advice that they should play with their kids. We call it quality time, special time, playtime, etc. Often it probably just feels like one more thing we need to do in…
5 Strategies to Support Your Anxious Child on Big Holidays
In preparation for the Fourth of July next week, I was thinking about the biggest challenges some families face on this day. While we have talked a lot in past blogs…
Lessons from a Water Park
As a mom and therapist, I have learned that there are lessons in almost anything we do. Interestingly, one of my latest “lessons” came while I took my son to a pool with a huge inflatable obstacle course.
Navigating Amusement Parks with Tricky Kids
Wait, we need a whole blog about how to have fun at Disneyland???? I know, I know. What has parenting come to? If our kids can’t just have fun at the happiest place on earth…
Navigating Summertime Challenges
Oh, summertime. The wonderfully unpredictable juggle of vacation weeks plus a variety of camps and activities for your child. Plus, a healthy dose of parenting expectations that things should be…
#7 Finding A Balance
It might seem strange that a parenting consultant writing blogs filled with parenting tips and ideas would say that there is not one right way to parent. Of course it seems strange! We are parenting during a time when parents…
#6: Develop Resilience
In our world of quick problem-solving (thanks Google), it can be easy for parents to forget that the main goal of parenting is to raise their children to be independent. Particularly with the rise of attachment parenting and gentle parenting ideas…
#5: Approach with Curiosity & Positive Intent
So often, as a parent, I will notice myself making assumptions about my son’s behavior. For example, he likes to sneak little toys or Pokemon cards to school, which his kindergarten teacher is not a big fan of…
#4: Practice Self Compassion
In my office, we often discuss the impact of the way we think about ourselves or others, or even life in general, on our perception of those very things. For example, suppose we focus a lot on the difficult parts of parenting or our children…