Carrie's Insight and Empathy

04/06/2020

I have seen so many posts about "returning to normal" and It has been questioning - what "normal" are you going to want to return to. The "normal" of being to busy to participate in the lives of your child? The "normal" of working too much in a job you don't enjoy? I mean just think about it - so many of you have previously posted about missing out on the lives of your children not being able to do the things that you want, wishing you have more time to enjoy life... well... Maybe while you are going at a slow pace and being able to look around you, may be you should determine what "normal" it is you want to return to and what "normal" you are going to appreciate.

03/11/2020

If you already know something about Childhood Emotional Neglect or CEN and how it affects adults you may expect this article to be about guilt or shame. And indeed, despite having their feelings virtually walled off and inaccessible, most CEN people are...

12/02/2019

Do therapists and courts recognize these cases? Do they respond effectively?

09/16/2019

Modeling accountability may be more effective than demanding it.

09/06/2019

08/14/2019

"Never do for a child what he can do for himself. A "dependent" child is a demanding child...Children become irresponsible only when we fail to give them opportunity to take responsibility. " - Rudolf Dreikurs and Margaret Goldman As a parent we want to protect our children as much as possible. The question however is can we protect them too much? [ 756 more words ]

  “Never do for a child what he can do for himself. A “dependent” child is a demanding child…Children become irresponsible only when we fail to give them opportunity to…

08/05/2019

So parents it is that time of year again - Time for school to start. Many people are going to be so very excited. However, many kids will be struggling with anxiety, stress, uncertainty and fear. Parents you are not alone! If you have a child that tends to become anxious about school (adjusting to new things, social anxiety etc) there are a few things that you can start today and continue througout the year to ease their anxiety.

Get everyone in their morning routine today. Wake up, brush teeth, get dressed and have them ready for the day... this will help both of you prepare for mornings. Also make certain you have already talked about the struggle for organization the first couple of days at school and help your child know what to expect.

You also can set aside 3-10 minutes depending on your child for a calming activity - deep breathing, stretching/yoga, calming music, coloring etc. Helping a child practice being calm can help them to stay calm and help them on the mornings that they are struggling. Some kids also are motivated to go for a run/excercise before school, but this can not be forced or it is counterproductive.

Does your child need a comfort item at school - a picture of family, a squishy etc - check their backpack to make certain this is there for them.

Have a plan. If you have a child that tends to struggling with getting ready for school - then have a plan of action - when we panic and get upset, they escalate . Parents should know that if one child is struggling who is going to stick around and help this child - if both are trying at the same time this can at times be counter productive.

Make certain 504 plans and IEPs are accurrate and communicate with school professionals. Many people tends to do assessments and testing in the summer because it is time consuming. Also, many folks have continued treatment all summer and this to can be good information the school may need. (Yes they are busy, but if we can work together your child is more likely to have a successful year.)

Feel free to share other ideas that have worked at your home... and Here is to a successful school year!
~CN

07/17/2019

06/12/2019

If we spent as much time building people up as we do tearing them down and attacking their faults we would be a much more AWESOME society. It seems that people only are concerned with forgiveness and acceptance on certain days of the week and when it is convient. Well here is an idea, give smaller targets and begin by forgiving yourself and moving on. When you are able to forigve yourself the target shrinks. When you are able to accept yourself and love yourself, you will not feel as much of a need to react and respond to others. So... take the first step, give yourself a break. Be positive about who you are, the job you do as a parent, the way you handle yourself, BE YOUR BEST SELF and BE PROUD of the effort you are putting into your life. You only get one chance and if you spend all of your time defineding yourself you are not living - so seperate yourself from those who attack you and break you apart. Join those who love, care, support you.
Self acceptance.