1. Take a technology break each day when your children are at home. Social media and cell phones do not invite a quiet mind. Turn off all the devices (yours and theirs) for thirty minutes and spend some time together puzzling, coloring, playing non-competitive games, singing, telling jokes or planting a garden. There are many […]

In the practice of self-compassion we treat ourselves with the same care and kindness we would show a treasured friend. Dr. Kristin Neff, trainer and researcher on self-compassion, encourages parents to differentiate between self-esteem and self compassion.  Self-esteem, she suggests, is based on performance – judging yourself as a “good parent” or a “bad parent”. […]

If you took your kids to see the recent movie “Inside Out”, you were introduced to the core emotions, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. In the movie, the character Joy, trying hard to protect Riley from experiencing distressing emotions, becomes bossy, and judgemental while engaging in heroic attempts to prevent Riley from just experiencing […]