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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Connection Tip #2: Start a Daily Family Sharing Habit
“Just like at camp, connections are the result of intentionally chosen, day-to-day family habits that create feelings of warmth and belonging.” –Happy Campers Secret #1: Connection Comes First One of my favorite connection tips (besides unplugging) is having a daily family sharing habit. I’ve honed my ideas on this topic over many years of practice around…
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Highs, Lows, and Buffaloes
What do kids choose to share about their friendships, camp experiences, time at school, and other life experiences? Sometimes, not much. An activity we do during nightly campfires at camp is an excellent way to get kids to share, and it’s also an easy family sharing habit that leads to better communication and connection. Highs…
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5 Tips for Surviving Your Child’s First Stay at Overnight Camp
Your child’s at summer camp? That’s so exciting! And hard. For some of you, an internal “WA HOO!” went off as the bus filled with excited campers and their duffle bags pulled away. But for others, this whole experience of your child not being home is really hard and causes some emotional distress. In hundreds…
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Ep. 157: Personal Update & Insights during COVID, Fires, & General Mayhem
SHOW NOTES Join the Sunshine Parenting Patreon community for bonus podcast episodes and resources! Those things that are really, really important are generally the things that you wouldn’t be able to take in a fire.Audrey MonkeHi Podcast Friends,This week I share a personal update and some insights I’ve gained over the past few weeks.Among other…
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Ep. 146: How are you doing? A Mid-year Check-in
Show Notes My family’s favorite word to use is ‘unprecedented,’ because everything is unprecedented this year. We try to use the word as much as possible. -Audrey Hi Friends, How are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? Many of us – kids and adults alike – are really struggling right now – physically, emotionally,…
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31 Days of Happiness Hacks
In October, 2016, I did a 31 day writing challenge. The result was this compilation of 31 Days of Happiness Hacks. I still refer back to the hacks, which are never outdated. This morning when I flipped to October in my calendar, I got the same satisfying feeling I get every month. I love the…
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Is Kindness the Secret to a Successful Life?
Being a considerate, kind person who thinks about others is a character trait that helps children form good relationships and leads to a happier life as an adult. What does this mean for super competitive parents who want their children to succeed at all costs, even if it means cheating and being mean to others?…
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Live Like Nigel
Yesterday was such a great day, because I spent it doing a few things I really enjoy – connecting with people and listening to music! What do you love to do? Are you making sure you’re taking time to do those things? My husband and I went to Elton John’s “Farewell Tour” concert last night.…
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9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults
9 Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults camp secret#1 Connection Comes First Creating a close and connected family culture that promotes positive, lifelong relationships is the most important thing we can do for our children.Social connections, more than athletic or academic accomplishments, predict happiness and success.Forming a positive, nurturing relationship with your child…
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15 Books for a Happier, More Purposeful Life
I love books, especially ones that give me ideas for how to live this one precious life just a teeny bit better. Although it was extremely difficult to narrow it down to just fifteen, here are some titles that I recommend if you’re interested in making some life adjustments. Some are old favorites…
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Ep. 67: Working Together to Find a Happier Life Balance – Project “We” with Kelly Pietrangeli
Learn how to be your own Life Coach by understanding what’s working in your life – and what’s not – and become consistently proactive about making positive changes. As you become the Expert of You, you’ll gain clarity over your bigger picture dreams, and have ongoing support for making them happen. Kelly Pietrangeli In Episode 67, I’m talking…
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