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Being your Child’s Maid
“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” (Phyllis Diller) Model homes are beautiful, but sterile. There’s no personality there. There’s just no way the job gets done. until you stop having troops march their way through your kitchen every day. Trying to make your […]
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We’ve Found These Truths to Be Self-Evident
“Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances.” (Thomas Jefferson) Not only did Jefferson give us the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase, but he gave us a model of leadership that we would all benefit from adopting. Deep down, we all know […]
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Funny Parenting
“I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.” (Frank A. Clark) In parenting, a good sense of humor is a must. There are going to be times when all you really can do is laugh. There’s a scene in the movie Parenthood that comes to mind. Steve […]
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What Dreams May Come
“We know what we are, but not what we may be.” (William Shakespeare) This line is worth looking at from two different angles. First, from our own: Just because you came from a family of screamers, doesn’t mean that you are destined to become one yourself. Just because you struggle now with confidence in your […]
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No pain, no gain
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” (Seneca) Muscles grow when they are forced to work. We know that fact, as evidenced by the number of gym memberships in this country. The same principle holds true for our minds and the minds of our children. By shielding your child from difficulty, whether it […]
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Bamboo Baby
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” (Chinese proverb) The first step of lasting growth is to change your thinking about growth itself. Making small changes and being gentle with yourself in the process is your best bet to achieving the kind of difference you’re hoping to make. “Instant results” […]
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Room to Grow
“When they were very small I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I’d done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be.” (Anna Quindlen) Our children are amazing creatures. From the […]
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End Game
“If your children look up to you, you’ve made a success of life’s biggest job.” (Author unknown) We all want our children to respect us. The difficulty is this: you can’t MAKE someone feel respect towards you. In fact, the more you try to force that respect, the smaller you become in their eyes. And […]
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Hooray For The Strong Willed Child
“Children in a family are like flowers in a bouquet: there’s always one determined to face in an opposite direction from the way the arranger desires.” (Marcelene Cox) When people tell me that they have a “strong-willed” child, I tell them, “Welcome to the club – and congratulations!” Children with strong wills are nothing to […]
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Ah, The Power of Pause
“The greatest remedy for anger is delay.” (Seneca) We would all be in better shape if we could manage to remember the words of this wise philosopher. The next time you feel your blood beginning to boil, take a step away from the situation, breathe deeply, and wait just a minute before reacting. By simply […]