Prior to homeschooling when my son was still in school, I often had to push him to get him to go to school or do his school work. I was concerned that pushing him constantly, and his resultant state of strong resistance, was teaching him that it was more important to disconnect from his feelings …
Read moreTeaching My Child to Follow His Inner Rhythm: My Reflections
I wrote this in my journal this past spring about 2 months after my son left the public school system to attend a 4 day per week outdoor Wilderness/Montessori homeschool program. Prior to leaving school, I felt a sense of panic every time he began talking with his friends about video games because increasingly, it …
Read moreThe Development of a “Self” in Children: My Reflections
Happy Summer! Are you looking for a few extra ‘screen-free’ ideas for your kids this summer—either at home or on those long car rides? It’s great to spend time together doing outdoor activities in the summer, but sometimes the kids need to just chill for a bit or you need to get a few tasks …
We all want our children to express themselves fully and authentically, and not change who they are in an effort to please those around them. What are some small strategies we can use in our everyday interactions that nurture their confidence to express themselves without censoring or shaping it to gain approval of those around …
Read moreRaising Your Child to be Engaged, Authentic and Inspired
When trying to get our kids to focus, we often say “pay attention!” to help them attend to the task at hand. Sometimes it can be very effective and helpful, but other times it can shift their focus and attention in a way that increases their overwhelm or anxiety, especially for sensitive children. Also, it can …
Read more“Pay Attention!” – A New Perspective on Child Focus
Do you ever wonder why your children resist your suggestions for the easiest and most painless way to perform a task, even when it seems obvious that their strategy will result in a undesirable or painful ending? Sometimes I have felt frustrated, and other times I’ve just felt a heaviness in my heart area, when I …
Read moreExperiential Learning: An Antidote to Child Perfectionism
Distractible, creative, highly sensitive, empathetic. Those words describe my son and some of his greatest gifts, and some of those words also describe why he struggles in school. His sensitivity and creativity mean he’s highly tuned to the sensory input around him, but sometimes he has a hard time getting things finished because those same …
Read moreDistractible, Creative, Sensitive: Gifts or Problems?
Despite my best attempts to avoid passing on my perfectionism to my son, I still see the signs in him—high expectations of himself, and harsh self-criticism when he doesn’t measure up. It has been incredibly painful to watch it unfold when I thought I was using parenting strategies that would prevent that! In part, we …
In this post, I explain how resistance can keep us feeling powerless and unclear (indecisive) about our heart-centered path. So when our children are resisting in interaction with us, it’s really important to have a look at how we can take a leadership role in shifting out of that pattern. Resistance keeps us stuck and …
Read moreFostering Motivation and Heart-Centered Living in Your Child
One of the most frustrating experiences I have encountered as a parent has been trying to get my son to do something that feels important to me, and having him resist. At times I have felt exhausted, and more than a little annoyed when it feels as if I am putting in more effort …