Focus on the Experience, Not the Outcome

Posted on August 23, 2016

  As adults, we are often so focused on the outcome of what we do that we tend to forget about the experience itself. Somehow, we are always looking for the payoff. For example: How much money are we going to make? Or will we win the prize? Do we serve our children well when we do this? How about teaching them to experience the experience instead of focusing on the outcome? Would that not add more meaning to their…

Three Ways to Bring the Olympic Spirit Home to Your Kids

Posted on August 16, 2016

Have you been tuned into the Olympics over the past week? I have been watching and cheering on our USA team, as well as rooting for all the athletes in the games, hoping they will all do their very best. This is a great opportunity to sit with your kids and share some of the valuable lessons the Olympics can teach us. From all corners of our world, the best of the best come together to compete for gold, silver…

Our Best Selves… But Better!

Posted on August 9, 2016

When my daughter, Nitasha, was just starting elementary school, she came to me one day and said, “Mommy, I want to grow up to be just like you.” The question caught me off guard, and I asked her, “Why?” “Because you’re smart, you’re kind, and you’re pretty, “ she answered, looking up at me with her big smiling eyes. The voice inside my head said, “Really? I don’t think so. If only you knew! Yesterday, I screamed at your dad…

5 Qualities of a Badass Parent

Posted on August 1, 2016

I’ve been hearing it all over the place…badass this and badass that. It’s the new catchphrase. I hear that we need to be a badass in everything we do. But what does the word really mean? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “badass” as follows: ready to cause or get into trouble of formidable strength or skill I like to think that badass means that you are strong in your convictions, whether that applies to your career, to standing up for yourself, to your ethics…

Parenting with Empathy and Compassion

Posted on July 25, 2016

There is nothing complicated about being empathetic and compassionate. It simply means that when we are upset at our children, we need to, first and foremost, remember to put ourselves in their shoes. When we do that, our response to the issue automatically becomes compassionate or kind, which helps us get the message across more productively. By directing anger toward our kids, we hurt their feelings and charge up their emotional temperature, which prevents us from tapping into their intellect…