1. Breathing Exercises One way to calm down and re-focus is by concentrating on your breathing. An exercise I enjoy doing with my daughter is “cookie breathing.” I’ve heard a couple of different variations of this such as focusing on exhaling as if you’re blowing to cool down a hot cookie. The way we do
“More than screen-obsessed young children, we should be concerned about tuned-out parents.” This statement jogged my memory of a photo I once saw. It was of a couple sitting up in bed, as they were illuminated by the light of their phones in the darkness of the night. Neither of them appeared to be speaking to
Every family deals with stress. This is normal and it is not always a bad thing. Families can experience stress when waiting for something exciting, like adding a new child to the family. This stress helps motivate preparation for the new baby. Stress can help us realize that something is wrong and it can help
Do you remember the first pet you ever owned? I remember being 5 years old when I got my first pet; a blue betta fish named Rainbow Blue. I was thrilled to have this little fish that was all mine. Every day I made sure to feed it and attend to its needs. Eventually, I
Imagine that you are at home with your children. You’re scrolling through your social media feed while your spouse is working on their laptop. Your toddler and preschooler are watching a children’s program on the television and your school-aged child is playing a game on your tablet. Suddenly the power goes out, taking the precious
Have you ever been on an airplane? Before the plane takes off the flight attendant reminds the passengers where the safety exits are located and how to access the overhead oxygen mask. Importantly, they instruct the passengers to put on their masks before helping another person. Why is it important to put your oxygen on
In 2001, The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) began studying how education programs and early child care across the country could prevent child abuse and neglect and build healthy, happy families. They came up with an approach called Strengthening Families. Strengthening Families is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development,
Being raised by a single parent is special but far from easy. I grew up in a single-parent household along with my younger brother. As a single mother, my mom did everything in her power to make sure my brother and I were happy and gave us the best life possible. As a child, I
In some cases, divorce is necessary for the well-being of the family, for example, when there is abuse. Though when that is not the case, strengthening marriage and working through conflict avoids many challenges while at the same time supporting children in learning valuable skills for life. Why avoid divorce when possible Divorce hurts children
Growing up, I was fortunate to have my grandparents in my life. My relationship with each of them was as different as each of their personalities, from the grandpa who lived out of state but was a “snowbird” and traveled through Utah each fall and spring and treating us to dinner at a local buffet
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