Welcome. Today we continue to explore a question on talking to children about death. In the last article we learned the importance of being honest with even young children about death and what it means, and using clear, concrete language they understand to explain it to them. This prevents confusion, fear, and future issues of…

“How do I speak to my child about death?” Many parents are concerned that children younger than 9 or 10 years old are too young to understand what death means and should be protected from it. What this generally means is that kids are not told the truth about what death is or what it means. This article gives information and examples about how to speak to young children about death so that healing can happen.

Hello! I’ve been putting most of my creative energy into writing Chapter 4 of my next book and am so excited about what is unfolding that I neglected this article series… But today I feel inspired to add another piece to the “Getting kids to do what you want” series that I started two months…

Hello again after a lengthy pause! I have been focused on writing my next book so these articles are taking a backseat for the next several months. Yet today I feel inspired to follow up on my last article about getting kids to do what you want… Let’s start by looking at three parenting styles…

In this 6th and final article of the Teen Feelings series, I share 7 guidelines for how to listen to and coach your teen through some problem solving steps: 1. First, find a private place to chat with them. Pause what you’re doing and give them your full attention. This means eye contact, no distractions,…

Welcome back. This is the 5th article in a series about teen feelings. Today, we look at the more subtle reasons why it is important to listen to your teen, and 6 tips for doing so. 1. I cannot stress enough the importance of taking the time to listen to your teen when they seek…

Welcome Back. This is the fourth article in a series about teen feelings. In this article, we take action to build your youngster’s emotional competence. 1. First, let me say that in general, the emotional body is part of our human survival system; it helps us decide what is needed in a situation. In other…

In this third article of the Teen Feelings series, we skip right into the issue of suicide. 1. As I stated in Teen Feelings – Part 1, a general “rule of thumb” is to take all suicidal thoughts and statements that a child makes seriously. Although things may feel dramatic or silly to parents, suicidal…

Last week, we looked at things to consider when deciding if your teen’s feelings and behaviors are aligned with their experiences, or if they are indicators that your youngster is struggling. This week, we take a deeper look into the life of a teen. 1. First, let me state the obvious: that the teenage years tend…

This is the last in a series of six articles about holistic parenting. So far in this series, you have learned how the five aspects of being – the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and energetic – can support you in creating a pattern of nurturing communication and healthy boundaries with children. In this final article…