Deepen connection and increase effective communication with kids and others
Laughter is the best. It is contagious, isn’t it? You hear a child laughing and you can’t help but also find yourself giggling. This week, I want to challenge us all to use laughter and humor to connect with our kids. That might be telling …
I have talked about how I believe Gary Chapman missed the 6th Love Language of cooking. I use the topic of love languages a lot in therapy and I think most people find it to be helpful. For me, my love language is hospitality and …
My kids don’t know it yet, but I am working on a gratitude scrapbook for them for Christmas. A couple of months ago, I found myself in a place of feeling pretty low. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to connect with my kids. …
I have written about love notes to our kids before. In an era when our kids are continually flooded with information from websites, texts, and tweets, I want to continue to be a competing presence for them. From time to time, I write a note …
So this one might seem crazy, but I think our kids love when we are crazy. You know how there are like crazy holidays on any given day? Like… did you know December 30 is National Bacon Day??!! And Praise Jesus…. December 6 is “Put …
I recently did a talk with a large group of middle schoolers about defining moments. The focus of this was multi-fold. First, to get them to see we have small decisions everyday that can make a huge impact to who we are and how people …
It’s a Monday. And it has felt like a Monday for me today. Some good things, some things that, well…. just feel like a Monday. A few weeks ago, I was embarking on an experiment to engage in a Daily Reminder to help make myself …
I know this wasn’t included in my original plan, but I think we should also include a solid couple of days devoted to the health of our marriage/relationship/partnership. If you are currently single, don’t worry, these things could certainly apply to any relationship if you …
Do you guys remember Saturday Night Live back in the day? The episodes with Al Franken as Stuart Smalley – when he looks at himself in the mirror and says, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” His “Daily Affirmation.” …
Three little letters add up to one big-time impact word – J.O.Y. Y’all, can I tell you how hard joy can be for some people? Including myself? I have been in some very vulnerable conversations with people in my therapy room. And I often am …