
Do You Want to be Happier? Get Outside
Studies demonstrate that exposure to fresh air, sunshine, trees, and simply being out in Nature improves our mood, lowers our stress level, improves focus and impulse control.
More infoMary Sheedy Kurcinka Ed.D and Lynn Jessen MA
Studies demonstrate that exposure to fresh air, sunshine, trees, and simply being out in Nature improves our mood, lowers our stress level, improves focus and impulse control.
More infoIn the Spirited Child Facebook group, parents often ask, “How do you cope with the judgement from others?” One strategy is to remember you are not responsible for the feelings of other adults – that’s on them. Your responsibility is the well-being of your family. Another key strategy is to focus on what you have more control over, which is setting your child up for success in difficult situations. When you do, there will be fewer challenging behaviors for those critics to judge.
More info“I’m bored. There’s nothing to do. You never play with me.” Sound familiar? If you are feeling drained by your child’s seemingly endless demands for interaction, your first reaction may be to insist they play independently. But have you ever noticed that the harder you push, the more they seem to cling? So, if pushing doesn’t work, how can you get a break....
More infoThose of us with "Spirited" children often get caught up on the challenges. That is why it is important for us to take time and focus on our children's gifts.
More infoMust tears, shouts and snowsuits be synonymous? No, but the secret to happy cooperation is recognizing who you are working with. "Spirited" kids are active, sensitive and intense. To keep things moving along smoothly it is important to plan accordingly.
More infoYour child is screaming, “You are stupid.” Or worse, “I hate you!” You feel yourself spiraling, every cell in your body triggered. Do you yell too? Flee? Burst into tears? Or do you somehow stay cool?
More infoLate bedtimes, disrupted routines, unsolicited advice, too much sugar and CLUTTER from all the gifts bringing you down? Here are seven steps to help you REBOUND from the post-holiday blues.
More infoDarkness falls at 5:00 PM here in Minneapolis. Long, cold nights make us want to curl up under a down comforter with a good book or to simply fall asleep. But like the snow piling up outside, the “to do” list of the holidays dumps more on our schedules already filled to the brim. So how do you keep the “happy” instead of the “hollering” in the holidays?
More infoThe demands of being a parent can feel relentless. Frequent meltdowns wear you down, and leave you feeling powerless to stop them, but you are not. Today, Lynn and I offer you four effective strategies to lower stress by preventing some of the meltdowns from occurring in the first place.
More infoExtroverts and introverts – what each type considers “fun” and “needs” is quite different during the holidays.
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