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Discipline

Apr 12

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★ Tangled- Parents as Coaches

You may be on the sidelines watching them but they are always on the sidelines watching you.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

And we think the biggest battle in America is between political parties? Well then you haven’t been to a kids soccer game recently!

Open up your collapsable chair at your own risk. And pack a concealed weapon. Duct tape. Read more

Mar 27

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★ Tangled- Parents as Disciplinarians

Discipline should be synonymous with teaching not punishment.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

I’d like to start this discussion on common ground. It’s far too easy to jump right into the ring and debate parenting techniques, punishments, or how young is too young to leave a child home alone. The list of parenting dilemmas keeps growing as our technological universe expands.

I believe we can, we must, create a home base on stable ground from which we can tweak, turn and twist our methods to adapt to children who spend more time on Facebook and YouTube than they do building forts in the basement. Or playing outside with friends they can actually see.

Regardless of your beliefs about discipline, there are 5 fundamental needs of children that must be met to have a stable home. Read more

Mar 18

The Anatomy of Discipline

This discipline dissection is designed to help you train your own Gazoo.

Anybody remember this guy?

Meet Gazoo! He’s your new best friend!

Gazoo and I became acquainted when I was a child watching the Flintstones cartoon. Gazoo is a little, flying, green martian that lands on my shoulder out of nowhere. Let’s just say I’m ying and he’s yang. He talks to me in my ear. He has a PhD in annoyance. Yet I’m so grateful for the little bugger. If it weren’t for him, well, there wouldn’t be a FITskitz- that’s for sure! Here’s a brief story to show Gazoo at work. Read more

Mar 8

★ Tangled- Parents as Mediators

Mediation is the invaluable skill of positive manipulation.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Part I here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

Kids in conflict. It starts on the playground and doesn’t end until senior prom. Or does it end? In the grips of social media today, sometimes I wake up in a time warp back in middle school. Middle age drama isn’t so different. (Didn’t we mature?!)

Now more than ever, parents need to be great mediators! Sure, there are times to be dictator (stay tuned for Parents as Disciplinarians) but mediating can be the most effective way to prepare your children for the real world. Let’s take a close-up look.

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Feb 28

Exercise Apathy

Even after years of working out, no one is immune to a break-in.

shutterstock_97144178 Mind Thief

Lately working out every morning has been a struggle. A mental battle with myself. I just don’t feel like heading to the gym, sweating, breathing hard, exerting myself. I just want to NOT DO IT! I yearn and plead with myself to do something other than work out. Read more

Feb 12

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★ Tangled- Parents as Teachers

Teach your kids how to fly before you set them free.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

How much you should help your 1st grader on their homework? How should you intervene if you daughter is picked on by other girls? Or should you?

What if your child constantly complains about their teacher? What if your child athlete isn’t maximizing his potential on the playing field?

Should your home be a dictatorship or a democracy?  Do you want your child’s friends to hang out at your house?

You may want to shake or hug me, and that may shift depending on which post in the series you’re reading. With no parenting manual exiting the womb with a crying newborn, we might as well learn from parents whose children are blowing their own bubbles out in the real world.

These parents, like me, now sit back with excitement and trepidation. We watch their bubbles soar up into the blue, praying and hoping not too many pop in their face. We privately yearn for repeated validation that we did our number one job well. Read more

Jan 10

VIPER

I'm revealing the five key tools I've used to maintain a healthy lifestyle for 25 years.

shutterstock_35394193 Snake

In my recent post, The ABCD Method of New Beginnings, I acknowledged the power of fresh starts. Declaring change is like a drug. Blood is flowing, thoughts racing, and energy bounds.

Making a decision to change your life is the first step. The easy step. Signing up for a fitness class, a gym membership or buying your first blender so you can begin your 3 day cleanse? Terrrrrific!  Acknowledge you’re in the honeymoon period of lifestyle change.

Want to be married to your change? That’s going to take commitment, willpower, discipline, and re-commitment. Here’s how. Read more

Jan 7

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The ABCD Method of New Beginnings

Follow the ABCD method to turn resolutions into life long habits.

shutterstock_97390301 Start

A new year, a new you?  At least for a few weeks, eh? The gyms are packed. Personal trainers are working their own tushies off. Sparks are flying.

Motivation is a beautiful thing. January brings a new oxygen to the planet. As if we require some universal signal that it’s ok to declare a new beginning. Much like the first day of school. The backpack is full of new stuff–tools sharpened and minds eager.

Take full advantage at any time of year to declare a new beginning. If it’s January 1st, that’s great! If it’s your birthday, a Monday, or the first day of class—perfect!

There is extraordinary power in beginning.  Read more

Aug 24

The 7 Deadly Sins at the Gym

Gym rats learn a lot from observation.

I’ve seen trainers and members come and go over the years at my gym. I’ve been there so long I’ve secretly given people nicknames because, frankly, I see them more than my best friends. There’s “rooster” and “diva darling” and “tough monkey.”  (Please don’t ask for the explanations:)

A gym rat is that person who religiously goes to the gym. Whenever you go, the rat is there so you just want to assume they live there. I know because I was one. Read more

Aug 15

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From Babies to Buddies

The time to become friends with your kids is after they leave the nest.

It seems like just a short while ago, we found out we were expecting a baby. Igniting our will to give him or her every opportunity imaginable. We would build a fortress to protect our baby from harm, disappointment, and all of the tough challenges we knew he or she would have to face in this world.

I spent plenty of time envisioning the kind of mom I wanted to be. The one whose children would come talk to her about anything. One of those cool moms. The best friend kind that always shows tolerance and understanding.

I wanted our house to be the “go to” shelter. With an awesome basement and super cool parents, surely all the kids would want to hang out at our house. That way I could insure their safety and be a part of things.

It didn’t take me long to switch the channel from Leave it to Beaver to Gilligan’s Island, where survival depended more on leadership and compromise than popularity. Read more

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