“I was having fun; why are you so mad at me?!” You’re tired, the kids are wired, and it seems like saying “no” is all you do. Welcome to crunch time – when jumping on the couch, running around a store, and touching everything is the perpetual motion of every child! This is when we’re… More Video Tip: Stop Saying “No”
“Well, I wasn’t mad before you stormed in here.” It’s called emotional contagion, and researchers study it in several ways. We are like chameleons – we’ll change our mood to match the “loudest” mood in the room. If you think about this, it happens all the time: The answer is to increase your awareness of… More Video Tip: Prevent Emotional Contagion
“It’s just another day.” Christmas Week is coming, and for many, that means there’s a certain dread in the air. While we want to see our family, it’s maybe not the easiest thing to do. If you’re alone, you might feel like you’re missing out. Instead of letting all the magical tropes get you down,… More Video Tip: Mental Prep for Christmas Week
“Hey honey, it’s time to go.” Transitions can be tough. When you approach someone who is wrapped up in an activity and need them to change their behavior to accommodate your needs, it can often result in conflict. This little tip can make those requests go much more smoothly by setting expectations and engaging the… More Video Tip: Managing Transitions with Ease
“Here’s what I want you to do.” Ever need to talk to someone hoping they’ll say just the right thing to make you feel better or heard? This is an easy way to have that happen. Humans are pretty bad mind-readers. With this technique, you help them deliver what will help you most. How it… More Video Tip: A Simple Way to Ask for What You Need
“What’s your idea?” This is a great way to avoid fights while gaining insight into the motivation of the people you work with or live with. It’s easy and incredibly productive. If you use this tip – let me know how it works! Hit me up on social media or leave a comment here. And… More Video Tip: Stop Fighting! Ask One Simple Question
I know, I know, sometimes even I giggle when I see the term “life coach”. It is kinda funny. And that’s okay. Until I went through the training, even I didn’t understand the value of a coach. I did understand the mission, but man, has life gotten so hard, we need coaches? Well, yes. Think… More Top Ten Reasons You Could Use a Life Coach
At some point – and I could go figure out when this happened but it pretty much doesn’t matter – we took Driver’s Education out of our schools. Stupidest move ever. If you aren’t aware, here’s how our kids learn to drive today. 1. They take an online course to get a certificate. This is… More Teen Driving: How We Shot Ourselves in the Head in California
Katie is finally a junior and this summer she got her license. That means I don’t have to drive her around anymore. That means I am free. The result, I’m trying new things and having some adult fun once again. And, in my 53rd year, I’ve discovered three things that are keeping me very happy.… More The Joys of Midlife: A Kid that Can Drive and Three Things…
Look closely at that photo: On Friday she was barfing her guts out with the 24 hour flu; the bucket’s still there but now it appears papers are what’s been barfed out. What a way to study! I think the greatest testament to the first year of high school is the fact that I haven’t… More Someone Get Me a Xanax, It’s Finals Time
You can’t have her, she’s alllll mine…. A good friend of mine remembers his adolescence amazingly well. As I described to him the changes going on with my 14 year old daughter, a freshman in high school, he said, “It’s like she just got off the bus in the middle of Times Square. She is… More Just Got Off the Bus in Times Square
First day and last day of middle school. Damn. Hard to believe the time has come. Middle school graduation was last week – I can’t believe how much this kid changed in one year. Who knew eighth grade would mark such significant developments. For a kid who really had one friend in middle school, she… More Wow – Just Changed the Blog Title to “It’s High School”
First Day of Middle School I’m so lucky. I have a fairly uncomplicated kid. Now that middle school is finally coming to an end, I realized what we really went through in the last three years. For anyone just starting out: hang in there – what comes out on the other end is totally… More Middle School is Almost Over – We Made It Through the Wilderness
Last week I sat through three different sessions at the Ypulse National Mashup (a great event) where I heard from three different representatives from Disney: one from Disney Interactive, one from Disney Mobile and one from Disney Music. The Disney Music presentation was near the end of the conference and I left his talk feeling… More Is Disney Trying to Keep Parents Out of the Loop?
Have you watched The Baby Borrowers yet? I am not a big one for reality TV, I don’t even watch American Idol. But I had read about the impact this show had when it was done in the UK and I was anxious to see if American television would somehow mess it up. Good news:… More Baby Borrowers: TV You Can Watch with the Family