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Play Therapy – What is it?
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Play Therapy – What is it?

So what exactly is play therapy? How is a child sitting with a trained therapist and engaging in play a helpful resource? Landreth and Bratton summarize it well: “Because children’s language development lags behind their cognitive development, they communicate their awareness of what is happening in their world through their play. In play therapy toys are viewed...

Why Do I Yell at My Kids?
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Why Do I Yell at My Kids?

I always wanted to be one of those parents whose kids would grow up to say that their dad never yelled or snapped at them, that he was always cool and collected, disciplining out of love rather than reactivity. Unfortunately, I’m already ten years into this parenting thing and have botched it too many times...

Parenthood 101 – Affirmation
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Parenthood 101 – Affirmation

‘Affirm’ as defined by Merriam Webster: – to say that something is true in a confident way : to show a strong belief in or dedication to (something, such as an important idea) Let’s flesh that out as it relates to parenting our kids. What can we affirm? Certainly, we can affirm their positive behaviors...

Parenthood 101 – Have Some Fun
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Parenthood 101 – Have Some Fun

I remember hearing about the joys of parenthood many times over…and then I had 4 kids in 7 years. What joy is there in sleepless nights, constant mess, dirty diapers, monotonous routines, and sheer exhaustion? On top of that, I was told to try and have fun with my kids. Really? Comedian Jim Gaffigan put my...

Parenthood 101 – Introduction
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Parenthood 101 – Introduction

As a parent of four, it’s very easy for me to spend a vast amount of my time cleaning up, watching out for, correcting, disciplining, planning, talking with, doing homework, entertaining, or resting from my kids. Over time, and sadly over a lot of wasted time, I’ve begun to realize how certain aspects of parenting are...

Protecting Your Child Online: Prefer Awareness Over Control
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Protecting Your Child Online: Prefer Awareness Over Control

If you search ‘how to protect your child online’, you’ll most likely become overwhelmed with a flood of information. In one corner is the fear monger, spewing forth all the rancid possibilities and imminent demise of your child once they connect to the internet. In the other corner are the shouts for ‘privacy!’ and how...

The Gift of Being Present
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The Gift of Being Present

Spending time with family over the holidays requires a lot of intentional effort.  For myself, it begins with taking off from work early in order to get home and pack up for myself and kids.  Then on to loading the van with the precision of the 20th level of Tetris- luggage, gifts, snacks and children fitting with only inches to...

Little Things Make Small Kids Big
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Little Things Make Small Kids Big

My 5 year old daughter has a runny nose and congestion.  It’s just that time of year.  Lucky for me she remembered to remind me that she needed her medicine tonight as I was tucking her into bed.  She’s moved up in the world from the chalky chewable’s (Have you ever tried one? They taste...