Turtle Lessons Lesson #1 Standing on the beach in one of my favorite spots in the world, Honokawaii, Maui, I saw a giant sea turtle lazily sunning on the shore. With the start of school, most families are feeling anything but lazy. But as I watched the turtle, it was a good reminder that no matter how structured or hectic life becomes, it’s important to take a time out to breathe, to have even a few minutes of downtime. When my kids were in school, it was hard as a busy mom to give myself even 5 minutes of downtime,…
Read MoreBack-to-School – Excitement or Dread? Back-to-School sales are everywhere! When I was a kid, I loved the preparation for going back to school – new clothes, new shoes, and all the cool new school supplies! People like NEW! Our brains like NEW – it’s interesting and different. But for families whose children have traditionally struggled with school, the hope of a new school year and a fresh start is often mixed with dread. What if this year isn’t different? What if we’re still spending hours and hours doing homework? What if this year’s teacher isn’t as understanding? In a Back-to-School…
Read MoreToday is my sister-in-law’s birthday. Growing up, my children always loved visits from Aunt Nancy because she was so much fun. She would make them laugh and they would do anything for her! Laughter makes us feel good! Laughter supports our health. Laughter is just plain fun! Victor Borge said: Laughter is the shortest distance between two people When students are starting to dig-in because something is hard for them, I often find that being playful or kidding with them, will adjust their attitude before it becomes a problem. When my son was little, the last thing he wanted…
Read MoreThis weekend we went to the Ringling Brothers, Barnum, and Baily’s Circus. Besides being truly amazed and a little bit terrified by some of the acts, I was struck by the incredible amount of organization involved. Everything ran like clockwork and everyone and everything was in its place, right down to the shovels and buckets to clean up after the animals. Obviously this kind of organization is critical to keeping the cast, crew, animals, and audience safe, happy, and able to have a good time. How do they keep 200 people and dozens of animals so organized? The answer is…
Read MoreWe love our sports, but parents beware Growing up, my mom flatly refused to let my brothers play football. It wasn’t because my dad loved baseball so much, but because of the possible head injuries associated with football. We are a pretty sport-driven society. Most of the children and teens I know play some kind of organized sport and when my kids were growing up, we were among the families who spent nearly every afternoon and holiday involved with sports. There is huge benefit to movement and regular exercise, not to mention the social, teamwork, and self-discipline aspects of organized…
Read MoreIt’s Fourth of July. Dogs and Sensitive Kids Beware! My neighborhood happens to be one of the few in Southern California that allows people to shoot off their own fireworks. With Fourth of July right around the corner, our evenings are now punctuated with unexpected explosions as people try out their fireworks. We love Fourth of July in our neighborhood. It’s such fun to walk around and see everyone out in their front yards enjoying the festivities and fireworks. But, as many dog owners and parents of sensitive kids know, the noise and suddenness of fireworks can be terrifying. Why…
Read MoreI’m having trouble writing my blog this morning because I’m sitting at Starbucks trying to write and everyone around me is talking about the Kings’ huge win last night. I’m a big Kings fan, so it’s hard to not engage! For those of you who are not NHL Hockey fans, the Los Angeles Kings are going to the Stanley Cup Finals after three seven-game series! GO KINGS!! The amazing thing about these series has been that every time the Kings were down and seemed to be heading towards a loss or elimination, they managed to pull it together and win. …
Read MoreSTOP the Band-Aid Approach to Dealing with Learning Challenges Dr. David Angus, author of A Short Guide to a Long Life was recently on talk radio speaking about preventing and reversing disease and pain by addressing the root cause of the problem. What struck me, besides my interest in health, was that his message was the same as ours… Stop putting a Band-Aid on symptoms and deal with the issue that is really causing the problem. When applied to health, this might look like strengthening core muscles to prevent long term back pain or avoiding habits that cause pain and…
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