Wholehearted Parenting – Bonnie Compton APRN, BC,

I’m thrilled that you’ve joined our conversation today! Although some Dads may relate to this show, we’re really going to be talking about Moms. Specifically how critical Moms can be of themselves. I’m in the process of writing a book and am devoting a full chapter to this topic. I believe women are more critical of themselves than men are, and mothers are particularly hard on themselves, both as women and Moms. So I decided that it was time to have this conversation, to bring it out into the open, and begin talking about specific ways then we, as Moms, can be kinder and gentler to ourselves. I’ve invited my guest, Kathryn Thompson, to join my conversation. Kathryn is a writer who lives outside Seattle with her computer genius husband and three kids. She is passionate about collecting Drops of Awesome, the concept that you can change the world one tiny positive choice at a time, and that you need to recognize and celebrate those small successes. Kathryn’s has been blogging professionally since 2005. She was a founding blogger at Parenting.com and her blog has been featured everywhere from the Seattle Times to the Today Show. Kathryn is the author of “Drops of Awesome”, a guided journal to help you discover your inner Awesome, based her viral blog post of the same name. Join us and begin creating your own “Drops of Awesome”!

Parents…do you have any “worriers” in your house? I’m not talking about an occasional worry about forgetting a homework assignment. I’m talking about daily worries, ones that persist. Some worries become so severe that they stop kids right in their tracks and keep them from enjoying and participating in everyday kid activities. When I work with an anxious child, I usually ask them, ”so who worries most in your family?” Sometimes they say they do, but more often than not, they’ll tell me one of their parents is the biggest worrier. I worked with one little boy, who told me “I know I’m coming to see you because I worry, but you should really be seeing my Mom…because she’s the biggest worrier!” I’ve seen and worked with many anxious kids, and what I’ve noticed is that the “apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree”. It’s not uncommon to see an anxious kid with an anxious parent. Research has shown that the prognosis for a child being treated for anxiety is not as promising if they have a parent with anxiety. However, there is good news here! Both the child and parent can learn to face and manage their anxiety, when they are given the tools. I recently came across a newly released book, one that I’m very excited to share with you…it’s a book about anxious kids and anxious parents. I’ve invited the co-authors to join my conversation today. Their new book is entitled, “Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children. Dr. Reid Wilson, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He’s authored several books and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and A&E’s Hoarders. Lynn Lyons is a psychotherapist, who specializes in the treatment of anxious children and their parents, with a special interest in interrupting the generational patterns of anxiety in families. In addition to her private practice Lynn presents internationally to professional organizations and school districts, offering workshops to mental health and medical providers, teachers, school nurses, and parents. I hope you’ll join us!

I’m so glad you’ve joined us today, as we explore PANDAS and it’s effects on children.  Have you ever heard of PANDAS, or has your child ever suffered from this?  I’m not talking about the cute furry black and white bear at the zoo.  PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus infection.  Not all children, who are infected by Strep, will get PANDAS.  Although I do believe that the percentage of children who are at risk for this is increasing, and it warrants a conversation. My intention is not to scare or worry you as a parent, but as a pediatric nurse practitioner and child and adolescent therapist, I feel that it’s my responsibility to bring attention to this disorder in an effort to educate and encourage you to seek early treatment for your child, should it occur. I’ve invited my guest Dr. Susan Schulman, to join my conversation.  Susan has been a community pediatrician since 1976, and developed a special interest in PANDAS, beginning in 1999.   Since that time she has diagnosed and treated many children with this disorder. Dr. Schulman is a graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine .  She is  Voluntary Attending in the Department of Pediatrics at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, NY and Clinical Associate  Professor of Pediatrics at SUNY Downstate School of Medicine. I know you won’t want to miss this important information!

Parents, are you beginning to feel like your kids are permanently attached to their digital devices?  I know I hear this from so many parents I talk to.  Latest research is now telling us that we are addicted to our screens.  I’ve begun to notice how much time I spend looking at my iPhone, just wanting to check my email one more time, or see that latest Facebook post.  Yes, I too am addicted to my digital device and have set my intention this year to put my phone down and be in the present moment…I’m taking baby steps and I’m still a work in progress! Research is also showing a correlation between the increased amount of screen time with children and teens, and a decrease in time spent reading, learning or interacting with others. Have you ever wondered why some children appear to be obsessed with watching TV?  Trying to get them to turn the TV off, often results in a major battle!  Video games have also replaced many children’s time spent outdoors. So what’s a parent to do?  Do you feel at times like you’re fighting an uphill battle?  Are you ready to throw in the towel as many parents have and allow your child or teen unlimited screen time?  Before you do that, let’s take a moment and explore why your child might be obsessed with screen time and what you can to do to help guide them. I’ve asked my guest Bill Ratner to join my conversation.  Bill is the author of the recently released book, “Parenting for the Digital Age:  The Truth Behind Media’s Effect on Children, and What to Do About It”.  He is one of Hollywood’s top voiceover artists, narrating documentaries for Discovery, History Channel, Smithsonian, Travel Channel, and he is the computer game voice of “Ambassador Donnel Udina” in Mass Effect 1, 2 & 3, and the voice of “Flint” in the TV cartoon G.I. Joe.   His published stories can be heard on National Public Radio’s Good Food, The Business, and Strangers. Bill is a 9-time winner of The Moth Story Slams.  He is also a parent, public speaker, educator, and founder of TV Cartoon Scandals-Media Awareness for Children in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I know you won’t want to miss out on our important conversation!

Life can change in a second, especially when you hear your doctor say, “It’s cancer”.  These are words that we all dread to hear.  Not only do those two words affect the person with the disease, but also their family and friends.  Often families are left in shock and aren’t quite sure what to do next.  This is exactly what happened to my guest today, when he heard his wife’s doctor say those same words, “It’s cancer”.  As a result of his cancer journey with his wife, he’s written a book to help guide others, after they too hear these words.  His recently released book is entitled, “Your Wife Has Cancer…now what?”. Today I’ve invited my guest, Carson Boss, to join my conversation.  Carson  is a devoted husband and father who feels blessed to carry both titles. He currently resides in Syracuse, Utah and has lived in Texas and Alberta, Canada. He enjoys singing, performing in Community Theater and traveling around the world meeting new people and experiencing other cultures. I hope you’ll join us…  

Do you find that you get caught up in the daily chatter of your mind? It’s so easy to let our to do lists, frustrations, fears, and anger cycle round and round in our head. We often become consumed by our story…how unfair life is, and we’re often quick to judge ourselves and others. Well, if any of this resonates with you, you can rest assured that you’re not alone. The good news is that we have the ability to affect our mind and our beliefs…we have the ability to choose another thought or story, and create a different mindset. When we’re able to do that, we begin to notice more peace within ourselves, our children and our everyday lives. No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. ~Albert Einstein I’ve invited my guest, Kathy Maher, to join my conversation and share her insights on how we’re able to create a more peaceful way of being. Kathy is a Brennan Healing Practitioner. She found her calling after she retired her 30 year career as a high school teacher. As the President of a teacher’s Association for the last 10 years of her career, Kathy shares that this position opened her eyes to how much pain people bring to work with them. She began to notice how students were negatively affected by their teacher’s pain. Kathy became passionate about helping teachers deal with their unrecognized issues that they brought into the classroom. Kathy credits her Brennan Healing training for giving her a vehicle to help people deal with their issues of fear, anger and betrayal so that they can live more centered and peaceful lives. Yes, peace is within your reach… I hope you’ll join our conversation! Wishing you a Happy New Year…one filled with peace.

Well, the holiday season is upon us and I’m sure you’re busy with holiday preparations.  If you’re still on the hunt for that special gift for your child, you’ll want to stay with us throughout the show!  I’ll be talking to the creative director of Great Pretenders children’s costumes, and the founder of Wonder Works Toy Store.  Not only will they be sharing their top holiday gift ideas for the season, but they’ll also be offering a free giveaway!  I will randomly choose a lucky parent for each giveaway, so stay tuned for details! But first, let’s slow down a bit from the holiday hustle bustle and talk about the importance of spending time together as a family.  One of the best ways to do this is through play.  Children learn through play, and they love it when they can bring their Mom and Dad into their world of imagination.  I think one of the most important reasons to play with your kids is that the time you spend with your children now is not only priceless, but it’s relationship building.  Although they will appreciate their holiday gifts, your relationship with them is what they will really remember when they look back on their childhood. Today I’ve invited my guest, Dr. Jean Feldman, also known as “Dr. Jean” to join my conversation.  Dr. Jean’s noteworthy educational career has spanned more than 40 years.  She has served as a classroom teacher, instructor of adults, author and consultant.  She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Kindergarten Alliance, and the International Reading Association.  Dr. Jean inspires teachers across the country with her engaging songs and creative activities that help make teaching and learning FUN! Hope you’ll take a moment and join us! P.S.  And stay tuned for a chance to win the free giveaways!!!

Parents, do you feel that your life is out of control?  That your calendar is on overload and your stress level is rising?  Omid Safi, a journalist, has recently coined this the “disease of being busy”.  Stress levels are rising across the country, not only in adults but also in children and teens.  We know that stress has a negative affect on our bodies.  But did you know that stress has an affect on your own parenting ability? A study was conducted recently about parents’ stress levels.  The researchers looked specifically at the effect of parental stress on children.  The kids reported being stressed by merely observing their own parent’s stress!  In my office, both children and teens have shared their concerns with me about the amount of stress that their parents are under.  They often say, “I just wish my parents would be happy”. I’m sure we’ve all noticed how stress affects our ability to perform.  Perhaps you remember a time when you were so anxious and stressed before you had to perform, whether it be a presentation at work or a public speaking engagement.    Did your high level of stress enhance or hinder your performance?  How about the last time your teen was freaking out because you wouldn’t let them go to a party and they wouldn’t let it go.  As they slammed doors, rolled their eyes and continued to argue with you…how was your stress level and did it affect how you parented your child?    I remember those stressful parenting moments and I also remember my own parenting ability diminished the more stressed I became. I’ve invited my guest Dr. Ben Bernstein to join my conversation.  Ben is a clinical psychologist and performance coach, who specializes in working with people in high stress/high performance occupations such as athletes, surgeons, business executives and actors. Ben trains people to improve their performance by reducing their stress.  He works with many students across the country who want to improve their test performance, as well as working with their parents.  He is affectionately known as “Dr. B, the Stress Doctor”.   His original training model is the basis of his books:  “Test Success! How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused on Any Test” and his most recently released book, co-authored with Michelle Packard, “Stressed Out! For Teens” and “Stressed Out! For Parents”:  How to Be Calm, Confident and Focused”. Would you like to improve your performance, as a parent? Hope you’ll join us!

Parents, do you find yourself frustrated or angry with your children?  Yes, we’ve all had those kind of days!  What about the days when we get frustrated or angry with ourselves?   I think we’ve all experienced our fair share of incessant thoughts and chatter that race through our mind each day, sometimes on overdrive.  You’ve probably heard the saying “your thoughts become your beliefs…then you act from those beliefs”.  Have you ever consciously stopped and examined your thoughts?  Really stopped yourself in the middle of one of those thoughts?  What if you took the time to push the pause button, before you acted on your thoughts?  I wonder how you’d be if you didn’t believe your thoughts…how would that change you?    How might your day and relationships be different? A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a retreat at Omega Institute.  The retreat was facilitated by Byron Katie.  Although I was aware of her work, which she actually calls “The Work”, I was blown away by the simplicity of the written exercises that we did, and yet I had a sense that her work was so profound it could change not only my life, but the world. I began to question and examine my own thoughts and wondered who would I be without my thoughts…and how might that change how I showed up each day? As a child & adolescent therapist, parent coach and Mom, I know all too well how our thoughts and beliefs have a direct impact on how we are as a parent…and sometimes, our beliefs that we hold onto, do not serve our child or our relationship with them. I’ve invited my guest Catherine Weiss to join my conversation. Catherine spent 10 years questioning her stressful thoughts about her children and her mothering using the self-inquiry tools she shares.  Inspired by her own personal evolution, Catherine Weiss shares moving and sometimes challenging exercises that call us to question the truth of our negative thoughts that are often at the root of our reactions to our children. In her daily exercises we learn the value of being in the present moment, to accept and learn to love what is. Catherine is the author of the forthcoming book, THE PRESENT MOTHER: How to Deepen Your Connection with the Present Moment, with Yourself, and with Your Child.  She is also the founder of the forthcoming Present Mothers Community, the only social network in the world for mothers practicing the most direct, effective route to consciousness: self-inquiry.  Catherine is a certified Facilitator Candidate of The Work of Byron Katie, which has helped millions of people around the world discover sustainable peace and joy since 1987.  She is also a Certified Coach Candidate from Coach U, the leading global provider of coach training programs. Hope you’ll take a breath…slow down…and join our conversation!  

For many years, parents have asked me to help them with their children’s behavior.  As parents, we’ve all had our own experiences when our children misbehave or act out, and we’re easily reminded how frustrated we become.  As parents, I’m sure we’ve all felt our own emotions take over when our child is melting down.  Yet when our child is emotionally out of control, we too feel at a loss…a sense of powerlessness.  At times we’re left to wonder how to get our own emotions under control, especially when our child cannot! As a child & adolescent therapist, parent coach and Mom, I too understand why parents are searching for answers and strategies.  Parenting theories and techniques are great but not when you’re knee deep in the parenting trenches.  The problem with parenting techniques and behavioral strategies, I believe, is that they are often a bandaid approach.  If we apply this strategy in an effort to gain our child’s cooperation, then that takes care of the problem right?  For the short-term, yes, however strategies don’t have a lasting affect and for the most part, are not relationship building. As parents, don’t you wish sometimes you could figure out what’s going on in your child’s mind…what’s causing them to meltdown over something that you perceive as no big deal? Today I’ve invited my guest, Dr. Daniel Siegel, to join my conversation.  Dr. Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine, the founding co-director of the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute.  A graduate of Harvard Medical school, he is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Brainstorm” and “Mindsight”.  He is co-author of “Parenting from the Inside Out” and “The Whole-Brain Child”.  Dr. Siegel’s  recently released book, co-authored by Tina Payne Bryson, is entitled “No-Drama Discipline…the Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture your Child’s Developing Mind”. I hope you’ll join us!

For quite awhile I’ve wanted to have a conversation about child abuse…but something kept stopping me.  I felt that it was an important conversation to have, but one that felt very heavy and dark. I realized that it also hit too close to home for me.   I witnessed physical abuse of my brothers, and as the youngest child in my family, I felt powerless.  I too experienced emotional abuse…the type of abuse that is hidden, that makes you wonder if it ever really happened…the kind of abuse that makes you doubt yourself. Recently, the subject of child abuse was presented to me, but in a way that I felt was the kind of conversation I wanted to have.  Not to diminish or brush abuse under the rug, but to talk about the importance of resiliency.  The importance of not only surviving from the abuse, but thriving.  I also felt it was time to talk about the messages that we take from our own childhood and carry into our adult lives…messages that are not healthy and often hinder our own growth. I’ve invited my guest Dave Pelzer to join my conversation.  Dave is a #1 best-selling author, inspirational speaker and internationally recognized humanitarian.  His books have been on the Best Sellers lists for well over 13 years combined.  “A Child Called It” alone has been on the New York Times bestsellers list for well over 6 years. Dave is the first author to have four #1 International Best Sellers and to have four books simultaneously on the New York Times Best Sellers List.  He has just recently released his latest book, “Too Close To Me”. “In a word, Dave Pelzer embodies Esprit: Spirit, Humor & Wit. As a child, his resilience enabled him to overcome extreme life-threatening obstacles. As an adult, for over 25 years, Dave’s inspirational work has encouraged countless organizations and millions of individuals to recommit their efforts and remain steadfast to their personal convictions.  As an individual who represents overcoming adversity, Dave has dedicated his life helping others to help themselves.  Dave Pelzer believes that our only limitation is ourselves!” I loved my conversation with Dave…I know you will too!

Well, school is back in session and hopefully your kids are adjusting to the new year.  As parents, can we do to help ensure that our kids have a positive school year?  One way I believe we can help our kids is to encourage them to create a positive vision for the new year. Recently, I came across this quote by Michael Jordan.                                           “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” ~Michael Jordan That’s so true, isn’t it?  If we don’t expect things of ourselves, we don’t give it our “all”.  Especially if we don’t believe we’re capable of doing it.  Then it’s easy not to be disappointed in ourselves, because afterall, we never really expected that we could do it in the first place…right? This also applies to our children.  As they jump back into the new school year, it’s a wonderful time to begin the conversation around expectations.  It’s one thing for you to have certain expectations for your child, but where the real value lies in expectations, is when your child learns to have expectations, for themselves. As we encourage kids to set their own expectations, we also need to remember that we’re empowering them to develop their own independence.  We’re encouraging them to utilize their own mind and voice.  However, we often become frustrated, when our kids begin to develop their own voice and opinions, especially if they differ from ours! Today, I thought we’d take a look at how we can help children find their voice and place in the world, while also respecting their parent’s and teacher’s presence. I’ve invited my guest, Connie Grier, to join my conversation.  Connie is an award winning educator engaged in instruction and educational leadership within the public school arena for over 20 years, serving as a student focused educational leader possessing a strong commitment to social justice, parental engagement, relationship building and the development of students and staff.  During this time, she has been praised as a “great communicator who advocates for what’s RIGHT as opposed to what’s easy.” Connie serves families in several school districts through her non-profit, The RESPECT Alliance, an organization devoted to increasing parental advocacy, through her educational consulting firm, CKG Consulting, LLC and through her commitment to the creation and implementation of effective mentoring practices as outlined in her newly published book “The ABC’s of Mentoring: A Bi-Weekly Road Map to Uplifting Youth”.  Please join us and learn the #1 thing. that a parent can do, to help ensure their child’s success!  

For many years, I have been deeply concerned about the way we treat each other in society. As a parent, I’ve often wondered, what are we teaching our children…what are we modeling for them? In my own work, as a child & adolescent therapist and parent coach, I’ve been very concerned about children and families. I’ve spent many hours listening to children, and what I’ve witnessed are children who want to be seen by their parents…really seen. Their parents are often very giving and loving but perhaps not in the way the child needs their love. Today’s parents are often overwhelmed and distracted by life’s responsibilities. They want to provide for their child, however the newest video game or smart phone, although it may be very attractive at first, will not teach values or enrich their relationship with their child. The family is changing as we’ve known it. In our face paced world, I believe something is missing…our connection with each other…and I believe that connection begins with the family. I’ve invited my guest Richard Eyre to join my conversation. Richard is a Harvard Business School—trained management consultant, former Director of the White House Conference on Parents and Children, Gubernatorial candidate, and a ranked senior tennis player. Richard and his wife Linda, have authored forty books, are the parents of nine, and the grandparents of twenty-six. They write and speak on family strategies and life-balance for parents, teachers, and business and government leaders throughout the world. Richard and Linda have been recognized by many, including Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil, as experts in helping parents teach and nurture family values. The Eyre’s latest book is entitled, “The Turning…Why the State of the Family Matters, and What the World Can Do About It”. The Eyres state… “The decline, demise and disappearance of functioning families is, simply put, the biggest crisis facing the developed world today.” l

Most parents I know work very hard to raise their kids responsibly. As parents, we want the best for our children. I’ve talked with many parents, who share with me, that they suffer when they see their child suffer or struggle. I too remember watching our kids as they became frustrated or perhaps struggled with life’s challenges. I also remember my own temptation to lessen their suffering…after all what parent wants to watch their child struggle? In our best attempt to protect our children, perhaps we have over-protected them. In our efforts to “help them”, maybe we’ve helped them a bit too much. When we try to lessen their struggles, we sometimes inadvertently send a message that we don’t believe they’re capable of handling life’s challenges. However, children eventually grow up and are asked to face challenges in their own life. Don’t we want to prepare them, when they’re younger, to work through life’s ups and downs, rather than wait until they’re out in the real world, on their own? Although our kids don’t come with instruction manuals, there are some things that we can do as parents to guide our children into responsible adulthood…and yes, there are some things that we shouldn’t do. I’ve invited Dr. Tim Elmore to join my conversation today. Tim is the founder and president of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta- based non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. Through Growing Leaders, he and his team provide public schools, state universities, civic organizations, and corporations with the tools they need to help develop young leaders who can impact and transform society. Tim has written more than 25 books, and has recently released his newest book, “12 Huge Mistakes Parents Can Avoid…Leading Your Kids to Succeed in Life”. Recognized as a thought leader on the emerging generation, Tim has been quoted in articles on Generation Y and generational diversity in the workplace in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Investor’s Business Daily, Huffington Post, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.  

I’m sure if you have more than one child, you’ve already figured out that each of your children are different from one another. Or perhaps you have an only child but have observed how your child differs from your friend’s children. You may be wondering why your child becomes easily upset or overwhelmed while you’re friend’s child seems to go with the flow. Well, just like we are all different as adults, so are children. We used to view babies as clean slates, but we know that’s not so. Little people come into this world with their own personality and temperament, and their own unique nervous system. Have you noticed that your child is easily set-off by tags in their clothing or certain food textures. Perhaps, they become overwhelmed by noises or crowds. You might have a child that constantly seems to be touching people or things, or loves to give big hugs to another child, who might not appreciate how big the hug was! Well, you’ve probably heard about children with sensory issues…sometimes referred to as sensory processing disorder, difficulty with sensory integration, or some children are referred to as being oversensitive. Today we’re going to be taking a closer look at the “oversensitive” child…not the child who easily gets their feelings hurt, but the one who has difficulty processing or integrating all that they are taking in. I’ve invited my guest, Lori Petro, to join my conversation. You might remember Lori from a previous conversation on Wholehearted Parenting when we discussed the importance of childhood messages. Lori is a Speaker, Advocate and Parent Educator. She founded TEACH through Love as a vehicle to help families heal the cycle of abuse and trauma through the relationship-building tools of empathy, compassionate communication and peaceful conflict resolution. As an adult with Asperger’s, Lori understands the demands of parenting kids with special needs and believes that by building strong bonds, we can cross the bridge to understanding the behaviors and needs of all kids. Lori is a sought-after speaker who consults privately with clients, teaches online and shares her insights and information in her weekly TEACHable Moments videos. After an emotionally challenging childhood and a personal journey toward healing and self-awareness, Lori took her passion for social justice, her degree in education, and a background in entertainment on a mission to change the way we speak to each other. She founded TEACH through Love to raise awareness of the impact of verbal and emotional abuse through parent-teacher education, and media advocacy. Hope you’ll join us!  

I can’t believe that summer is almost over! I remember when my children were younger we tried to pack the summer with fun activities while allowing for slow summer days…and none of us were ever truly ready for summer to end. I also remember joking with my Mom friends and asking them if they were ready to go back to school…because the reality was although we weren’t really going back to school with our kids, there were times it certainly felt like it. I have a lot of insight now, both as a Mom and in my professional work with families, about the joys and frustrations that school can bring. I often hear parents venting about their child’s teacher. I know, as a parent, I was frustrated at times. I believe that if parents and teachers could sit down and communicate with each other at the beginning of the year, the school year might go more smoothly. I’ve also talked with many teachers who have things that they would love for parents to know. So, I thought it was great time to have a conversation and perhaps shed some light, from a teacher’s perspective, as to how you can help your child this school year. I’ve invited my guest Rhonda Moskowitz to join my conversation. Rhonda’s roots are in education. After graduate school she taught children with learning and behavior problems. Ultimately, she was the administrator of a birth through kindergarten early childhood program. Rhonda is a mother of 3 grown children, certified as a PCI Parent Coach, and a Screamfree Parenting facilitator. She’s made it her mission to help parents who say “I’ve tried everything I can think of and nothing works!” Using humor and her focus on what is already working, she offers common-sense solutions for stressed-out parents. Hope you’ll join us!  

Have you noticed how busy our lives have become and how disconnected we’re feeling with each other and nature. We often yearn for simpler times, perhaps remembering our own childhood, when we’d spend many afternoons outside connecting with nature and allowing our imaginations to entertain us for hours. As a play therapist, I often recommend turning off the digital devices and encouraging free play for both kids and their parents. Recent studies are showing a correlation between the decrease in free playtime for children, and an increase in the rate of childhood anxiety and depression. Part of the reason given, is that children feel less in control of their own lives when they are so scheduled. They also are deprived of the opportunity to explore their own interests and solve their own problems. In my own therapy practice, children often share that they wish they had more time to just play. Summertime is the perfect time to encourage our kids to be curious and playful in nature. I’ve invited my guest, Marcie Cuff, to join my conversation. Marcie is the author of “This Book Was a Tree…Ideas, Adventures and Inspiration for Rediscovering the Natural World”. It is filled with wonderful ideas and suggestions for families to connect with nature, while connecting with each other. Marcie’s academic background is in studio art, evolutionary biology and ecology. She has lived as an organic lettuce farmer, a tropical rainforest field technician, an Alaskan tent-dwelling graduate student, a stuffed animal designer, and a Manhattan high school biology teacher. When her two girls were young, she started a blog called Mossy—highlighting simple hands-on family projects inspired by nature. Marcie helped establish and coordinate their grade school garden. Marcie is concerned about our environment and feels that as we connect more with technology, we are losing our connection with nature.

You definitely won’t want to miss my conversation today with Dr. Shefali Tsabary, the author of a wonderful book entitled“The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves…Empowering Our Children”, and “Out of Control: Why Disciplining Your Child Doesn’t Work and What Will”. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, author and TED talk speaker. Shefali recently appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. Eckhart Tolle praises Dr. Tsabury’s book stating “that this invaluable book shows how the challenges of parenting can become a great opportunity for spiritual awakening. He goes on to say that “becoming a fully conscious parent is the greatest gift you can give to your child” We’ll explore…. • Why behavioral strategies alone don’t work • What it means to be a conscious parent • Lessons that your child can teach you • The ripple effect of conscious parenting Hope you’ll join us!

Recently, I’ve noticed more and more parents expressing concern about their children’s lack of appreciation and gratitude for what they have in their lives. Just yesterday, I met with a mother who was frustrated with her children’s lack of respect for money. She shared that her kids really didn’t even appreciate how much things cost and just expected her to buy things for them. I believe, we as parents, have played a role in this. Out of not wanting our kids to suffer perhaps as we did as children, or wanting them to fit in and have what their friends have , we have willingly provided them with everything. It seems that in a effort to be the best parent for our child, we’ve forgotten the importance of teaching them responsibility, not only for themselves, but towards others. I thought it was a good time to have a conversation about how we can help our children learn to be of service. I believe summertime is the perfect time to begin! I’ve invited my guest Brad Jamison to join my conversation. “Guided by his desire to serve others, Brad conceived and executed Thirty Days of Service, a multi-layered initiative based on personally conducting thirty service projects with thirty organizations in thirty consecutive days. Via a daily written and video blog, as well as social media and other outreach, Brad’s goal was to inspire others to serve in their communities. This effort was recognized with the prestigious Daily Point of Light Award, which celebrates the power of the individual to spark change and improve the world. Brad Jamison is an award-winning professional who has built a career combining his love of media and passion for helping others. As an executive and humanitarian, he has leveraged the most powerful mediums to increase awareness, raise millions of dollars, encourage involvement and, above all, make a difference in the lives of others. His organization, Good Citizen, helps inspire others to do the same.” Please join us!