Ep. 192: Ready for Adulthood?
How do we prepare ourselves or help prepare our kids to get ready for independent adulthood? This episode is a good one for older teens/young adults or parents of kids in that age range. I talk about my Ready for Adulthood Checklist and how to identify and start learning skills needed to thrive as an…
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Ep. 191: Do I Matter? The Power of Feeling Needed & Valued
Do I matter? It’s a small question with a lot behind it—for our kids and for us. Feeling noticed, valued, and needed can shape how we experience our families, friendships, workplaces, and communities. In this episode, Sara Kuljis & I talk about the book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection & Purpose, by…
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Ep. 189: Does Your Family’s Schedule Reflect What Matters Most?
Do you want to feel less stressed and rushed? In Happy Campers: 10 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Independent, Capable Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, I share about Sara Kuljises’ workshop & resource, Family Pace & Space, in the chapter “Kids Thrive With Structure.” In this episode, Sara & I reflect on what we’re seeing…
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5 Simple Year-End Reflection Activities
The end of one year and beginning of the next offers a unique opportunity to both reflect back and plan ahead. Because I’ve been a journaler and list-maker since I was very young, I’ve always loved this time of transition and chance to start fresh. If you read my life-changing books post, then you know…
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Ep. 177: Story Teaching with Sarah R. Moore
Sarah R. Moore is the founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and author of Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science & Better Behavior. She’s a public speaker, armchair neuroscientist, and most importantly, a Mama. She’s a lifelong learner with training in child development, trauma recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, and improv comedy. As a certified Master Trainer in conscious parenting, she…
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How Camp Helps Parents Raise Adults
“The movie Stepford Wives came to mind as I watched my students live their college life still somehow looking to the sidelines for mom or dad’s direction, protection, or intervention as if they were five, playing soccer, and needed a parent to point in which direction to kick the ball. I began to wonder, I…
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Ready for Adulthood Check-List for Kids
What skills do our kids need in order to be ready for adulthood? Readiness is an interesting concept. Many things we do, like going to summer camp for the first time, starting college or a new job or becoming a parent, we’re not technically “ready” for. We haven’t had any practice yet! We learn best…
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Countdown to Camp: 5 Things to do NOW
School is ending and camp is right around the corner. Do you know where your summer camp packing list is? I suspected as much. In addition to being a camp director, I’m also a camp parent, so I am well aware of that “where did I put that camp handbook?” feeling. With two of my…
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What are you going to do?
One thing I taught my kids last year was to ask “What else can I do?” to help them learn the important skill of finishing a job well. They still use it at the end of kitchen clean-up after dinner, and the question is music to my ears. And one of my favorite new questions…
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10 Simple Reflection & Connection Activities
Hi Friends, Does anyone else enjoy marking the end of one year and the beginning of the next? Maybe it’s because I’ve always loved calendars and planning, but I find it extremely psychologically satisfying to close the book on one year and open up a fresh page to a new one. I always feel there’s…
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Three Good Things
Sharing three good things with each other during daily family sharing is a great way to connect AND grow gratitude. It’s simple. During sharing time, each person shares three good things that happened in their day OR three things they’re grateful for. This gratitude exercise (when written down) has been proven to reduce depression symptoms.…
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