Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Do you name things? Your children, for sure. What else? When I was young, I named my stuffed dog Shniglefritz. Don’t ask…. Friends of mine name their cars. Absolutely! I never have. Do you? Whether we do or we don’t has something to do with our personality and style. Did its color or make influence its name? A memory associated with your car? Nothing in particular? Names are powerful and empowering. What if we named our houses? Naming it something doesn’t make it true. But, it gives us something to aim for. What’s your goal for your house this summer? If you named yours today, what name would fit? Be … [Read more...]
Healthy Belonging Makes People Our Priority
June 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Since Father’s Day is next Sunday, we’re reposting a blog from February 20, 2012. It will get you thinking about how healthy or unhealthy all your relationships may be and you can relate the ideas specifically to the relationship you had or have with your dad. If you’re a dad, would your children respond as the child I write about? Can you make changes? Should you? Will you? The quality of our relationships – our belonging – can make us or break us. Belonging is the third of the five core needs we teach about at Celebrate Kids, Inc. It’s dependent on our security and our identity and it helps us find our purpose … [Read more...]
How Do You Sift, Sort, Synthesize, and Share?
June 3, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — As a teacher educator and someone who also helps parents raise their children well, I’ve been teaching frequently about how digital technology effects people’s beliefs and behaviors. Especially many people under the age of 30 have been drastically influenced because they’ve never known life without technology. Because of the plethora of websites, blogs, online videos, Facebook posts, podcasts, print resources, and the ease of finding information with search engines, we’re inundated with knowledge. I’m not surprised when young people don’t know what to do with it all. They’re young and haven’t been … [Read more...]
Identifying Barriers to Remove for Growth
May 20, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — The waves kept coming. And coming. It if weren’t for the rocky shore, I couldn’t have sat where I was. The water would have come much further. The waves would have calmly died out. Slowed down. Quietly. And then the next waves would have arrived, continuing the pattern. But, there were rocks. There was the shore. The barricade. It’s where the water churned. The waves collided. The ocean roared. These rocks are immovable, but I know they’re smaller than they used to be. The powerful water has acted as sandpaper and the barricade is smaller as a result. Some water gets through. While recently watching and … [Read more...]
The Heart of the Matter
May 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Did you get what you wanted for Mother’s Day? Did you give what your mother wanted? I’ve turned my blog over to Tina Hollenbeck today. She wrote this as her column for tomorrow’s Celebrate Kids newsletter, but I wanted you to read it. Not only are her ideas important, I hope it will encourage you to subscribe to the free newsletter here so you get quality thoughts like this every other Tuesday. --- The Heart of the Matter by Tina Hollenbeck A few days before Mother’s Day, my husband asked me what I’d like for a gift. I knew he wanted to show his genuine appreciation and that my daughters would want … [Read more...]
It’s Never Too Late for Intelligences to Grow
May 8, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — Her questions were heartfelt. She really wanted answers. She needed answers. “I am not interested in music or art. I’m not smart in these ways. What about my preschool sons? Do I need to make sure they’re smart in these ways? How can I do that since I’m not?” Whether this mom needs to or not is an individual decision. If the smarts were word and logic, I’d say absolutely because of their importance in school. I think for most people, whether their children need the other smarts depends on the parents’ experiences, strengths, and goals for their children. Because my parents were both … [Read more...]
Do You Extend Hope to Others?
May 6, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — Do you extend hope to others? If you have some, I hope you do. We shouldn’t keep it to ourselves. Does it have to be a big deal? A time consuming conversation? The giving away of something you value? No. Might it be? Yes, and it would be worth it. Can it be a smile shared as you walk past a coworkers? Yes. a genuine question, asking someone how she is, and showing with body language, eye contact, and facial expression, that you do want and care about a real answer? Yes. an anonymous gift of money to someone who needs it? Yes. asking someone for practical help so a need you have is met, but more importantly … [Read more...]
Creating and Keeping Traditions Alive for Generations
May 1, 2013 by · 1 Comment
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — In the last years of my mom’s life, she enjoyed living at a senior apartment complex. She formed fabulous friendships there. My sister-in-law and I are still in touch with a few of the special women even though my mom has been gone almost four years already. The Red Hat group went out for lunch or dinner once a month. The wine-and-cheese monthly gathering was always a highlight. Residents competed to bring the most popular appetizer. My mom was a great cook, so she enjoyed creating special treats and tasting others. She faithfully attended the monthly birthday parties to honor new and old … [Read more...]
Live long. Die old.
April 29, 2013 by · 1 Comment
Every Monday, I’ll post about discovering genuine hope and authentic answers for living a healthy life. — I’m not sure when it started, but it’s continued. At some point in almost every program with middle school and high school students, I have them repeat it after me. “Live long. Die old.” “Live long. Die old.” “Live long. Die old.” “Live long. Die old.” “Live long. Die old.” “Live long. Die old.” Suicide is way too common – it’s the third leading cause of death for 11-19 year-olds. There are no words strong enough to express my grief every time I think about this. Today’s young people are overwhelmed by the amount of information available to them. Be a solid source of truth for … [Read more...]
People Smart + Self Smart = Influential Combination
April 24, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Every Wednesday, I’ll post about multiple intelligences so we can better understand children and why they do what they do. — Last week, I finished an eight-week series about our intelligences where I detailed them for you. The last two are people smart and self smart. A combination of these two in your top four can be internally challenging. Therefore, I’m reposting a slightly edited blog from a year ago. As always, I hope it’s helpful. Share it with others who would benefit. All adults and children have the capacity to develop each of the eight smarts. Some will be stronger than others. Some may remain weak. But, we can and should use them in combinations so even weak intelligences don’t have to hold us back. One of … [Read more...]
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