Yesterday morning’s Global TV segment was on my Top 6 Must-Reads for Kids. Seeing that tv segments are merely snippets of information, I wanted to share my full list for all moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncle, and friends.
We are all trying to raise a reader.
Here goes:
By Guest Blogger Rebecca Mayville
Whether we like it or not, we have our parents to thank for many things. One of my favorites traits I inherited from my mother is the love of a good mystery – whether that mystery lie in a book, or in a hunting down a great recipe or in finding the perfect theme for my son’s birthday party. And perhaps it’s because I take after my mother’s side of the family – in looks and love of all things dipped (food) and sparkly (jewelry), that I can actually see my mother staring back at me in the mirror. My sister is often paired with our father along with their dimpled chins, love of balancing checkbooks, and ability to actually turn on and operate a vacuum.
Imagine my reaction then when I had a very startling realization – I might actually have inherited a few traits from my father! Don’t ask me how I realized this or what exactly triggered the notion (side note: the art of selective memory is also a gift I acquired from my mother), but now that the thought was in my head, I knew I had to follow the lead and of course I gave it a name and called it The Case of the Reflection In The Ice.
I wanted to share this week’s Global TV segment with you. In my coaching practice, I am seeing extraordinarily high levels of stress and tension in families lately as a common thread. Many of my female clients are stressed, burned out, and it’s being filtered down to their kids.
One study says 50% of kids today feel stressed out. Children’s tensions are on the rise due school pressures, peer pressure, family tensions and just plain every day living.
This week, I shared 5 strategies to de-stress your kids.
Is homework a source of frustration for you? When is the best time, how can we get our kids to be self motivated and do it on their own? On this week’s Global TV segment, I shared my top 5 tips and strategies.
Happy Halloween! Today marks the first day of most of North America’s temporary weight gain. Mazel tov! Mine lasts as long my sons’ candy lasts– which is usually a long time. The boys are pretty enthusiastic about going from HOUSE TO HOUSE TO HOUSE TO HOUSE to collect heaps of sugar.
Now stay with me… if you live in Quebec, chances are your kid plays hockey as do my boys. It’s kind of our thing. But it doesn’t really matter where you live… for the sake of this post, it is interchangeable with gymnastics, football, basketball, cheerleading, soccer, whatever competitive sport your child may play.
I will now give you the back story so that you may follow along. When my eldest son started playing hockey, his little brother was still in diapers… in other words, big brother took up all the resources (time, chauffeuring to practices, etc…). He showed his great skill at a young age, which came as the result of a lot of work and practice. My husband made sure he had all those extras… power skating, extra private ice time, all the extra hours on the ice to improve his game to be able to give him a chance to make the highest level each year (the extras on top of his hockey program which was already 3-4 times per week).
By Guest Blogger Carol Cain
My teen has been working at adjusting his mindset to what he sees around him and his reality. What he sees around him: parents buying their teens expensive, out-of-the-box cars the minute they turn 17 and new iPhones the minute they hit the market. His reality: which does not suck I might add, is that his 17th birthday will be celebrated a week late because we blew all our money on plane tickets for him and the rest of the family to Turks and Caicos for a long weekend (did you know that flying to Turks and Caicos costs as much as flying to Europe during peak season? It’s no joke my friends.)
The day was September 22nd, 2003. I was selfish. A workaholic. 9 months pregnant. And didn’t know just how my life would change the next day, at 5:40am on a Tuesday, September 23rd.
When I heard the first cry, it literally took my breath away. I was instantly hooked. I hovered over his crib in the hospital. I watched him breathe. I watched his little round face for hours. It was a love only a mother could comprehend.
So to my first born child, my son, who turns 11 today, watching you grow over the past 11 years, has literally, just as the moment you came into the world, taken my breath away. When I’m flustered, you remain calm, saying, “Mommy, don’t worry. Don’t get excited, it’s good.” Or how you can read and watch historical biographies and documentaries for hours, wanting to soak up as much knowledge about the world as possible. Or something as silly as your iPod buzzing off the hook (hello 6th grade!), and you saying, “I don’t care about any of that. I prefer to BE with my friends than text them.” You are all kindness, compassion, sensitivity, intelligence, maturity, strength, and someone I would want as a friend in my life.
The other day, I found my son Ethan in my closet. When I asked him what he was doing, he looked at me and said, ”Mom it’s time to clean up in here. You have such nice things but it’s so messy that you can’t find anything.”
I’m embarrassed to admit he was right. For the next two hours Ethan diligently organized my mess. The end result was breathtaking.
Ethan is my 10 year-old middle child. He was born on a cold spring day in 2003. From the minute I looked into his eyes, I knew he was special.
Yesterday, with a steady flow of tears and an abundance of nervous energy, we sent my 10 year old son off to sleep away camp for one month.
I help busy women (like you!) prioritize self-care so you can experience less stress, more calm and greater joy every day!
