Ep. 1: Raising Happiness with Christine Carter
In episode 1 of the Sunshine Parenting podcast, I talk with best selling author Christine Carter, Ph.D., about her book, Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents. We discuss two of the tips from her book, including “put on your own oxygen mask first” and family dinner. We also address a listener question about teaching children how to…
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Send a Card
Today is Day 6 of my Happiness Hacks series. In yesterday’s mail, I received a hand written card from one of my best friends, Karen. It’s not my birthday or any other special occasion, and she lives nearby. The fact that she didn’t have a reason to write, other than letting me know how she feels…
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Say “YES” to a Spontaneous Event
Today is Day 5 of my Happiness Hacks series. This morning I did something out of character and said “yes” to a fun, spontaneous event. My friend Alison had posted on her Facebook page yesterday about a local coffee shop becoming Luke’s Diner for one morning in honor of the 16th anniversary of The Gilmore…
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Volunteer
Today is Day 4 of my Happiness Hacks series. About a year ago, I toured an amazing women and children’s shelter where they help moms retain (or get back) custody of their children. The program provides training and education in parenting, life, and vocational skills for the participants. I was so impressed with the program and facility…
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More than “I’m Sorry”
Teaching Kids the RIGHT Way to Apologize An important relationship skill is the ability to resolve conflicts. And resolving conflicts often involves an apology. Most kids are bad at apologizing, and that’s because the adults in their lives are mostly bad at apologizing, too. Apologizing well is a skill not many of us have mastered.…
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Learning to Enjoy the Little Things
September is my “new year.” The busy summer is over, and I have some time to rest, reflect, and regroup – three things I have never mastered. I’ve been drawn this month to books that continue to give me the same message loud and clear: slow down, savor, be present, be mindful. Those words are…
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The Power of Positive Words
Well, I don’t know the child that was returned to me on Saturday. It definitely wasn’t the child I dropped off two weeks earlier. The only logical explanation is that your camp is magic. Magic transformed my scared, sad, not always happy boy, into a confident, smiling, laughing young man. -Email from a Camp Parent I have…
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Campsickness: 10 Tips for Easing the Re-entry Home
“I miss camp so much. I just got back today.” -Emma From pictures posted on Instagram in the days following camp (and for the rest of the year), the message is clear. Some kids really miss camp after they get home — a lot. The feeling of missing camp is so intense for some kids…
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Connection Before Correction
Because I know our counselors may not retain every bit of information covered in training, there are a few concepts I will continue to focus on and share with them throughout the summer. One of those is the importance of connection before correction. I’m convinced that developing positive, close relationships with children serves as a…
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Celebrating Strengths
What are the qualities you like best about yourself? If you’re like me, I’ll bet you haven’t thought about that question much. You may tend to focus more on the things you don’t like about yourself or the qualities you see in other people that you wish you had. One of my favorite quotes is…
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7 Reasons to Get Outside
Next to unplugging, one of my favorite things to talk about is spending time outside. In fact, I believe the combination of unplugging AND spending time outside may be the answer to many of life’s ills. I know that combination works for me. During the summer, I spend most of my time outdoors. As a…
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Questions for Connection
When the calendar turns to spring, my mind turns full steam into counselor training mode. I can’t help it. After 31 years of preparing counselors for their summer working with kids at camp, I can’t help but be über-focused on gathering tools to help prepare them to be engaged with campers, thrive at camp, and…
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