Most young children are aware of death, even if they don’t understand it. I remember vividly my first personal experience with death--my neighborhood friend’s dog was hit by a car. We were standing on the sidewalk and it seemed to unfold in slow motion right in front of us. I can still connect with the helpless feeling I had at six years old—there was nothing I could do about the horrible outcome of the collision or for my friend as she sobbed uncontrollably.
     Death is a common theme in cartoons and television, and some of your child’s friends may have already lost a loved one. But experiencing grief firsthand is a very different and often confusing process for kids. As a parent, you can’t protect a child from the pain of loss, but you can help her feel safe. And by allowing and encouraging him to express his feelings, you can help him build healthy coping skills that will serve him well in the future.
     Other points to help your child process the death of a loved one are:

• Be guided by your child’s questions instead of offering too much information. Young children don’t have the concept of forever. Older children need simple but direct answers, not euphemisms like “Grandma went to sleep” which could conjure up scary feelings around bedtime.
• If you have religious beliefs about the afterlife, now is the time to share them. But even if you aren’t religious, you can still comfort your child with the concept that a person continues to live on in the hearts and minds of those who loved and cared for them.
• Children will often imitate the grieving behavior of their parents. It is important to show your emotions as it reassures children that feeling sad or upset is okay.
• Making a special gathering to share favorite stories of the person who has passed on can keep us connected to the memories of their life. Some families do this on their birthday or other significant holiday, sharing a favorite meal together. Others hold a memorial service instead of a funeral. Creating a special photo album or display in the home helps children and adults to connect with the heart of the person beyond the sadness.
• Books that deal with death and dying are excellent ways to open conversations. Several good books are “The Tenth Good Thing About Barney” by Judith Viorst, “The Fall of Freddie the Leaf” by Leo Buscaglia, and “Badger’s Parting Gifts” by Susan Varley. Here is a link to “Badger’s Parting Gifts” beautifully read by Rube Dee. Video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRTRABhJTbo

 
         If you know children who are dealing with a big loss, these books can encourage them to talk about and work through their sadness and cherish the special memories they have. For more on helping children deal with loss and grief:
https://childmind.org/article/helping-children-deal-grief/
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/death.html
​

Did you know the average North American child now spends about seven hours a day staring at screens and mere minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors? Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth. Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat obesity, and boost academic scores. Most critical of all, abundant time in natural settings seems to yield long-term benefits in kids’ cognitive, emotional, and social development.  Of course, spending time outdoors is important for adults as well!

Growing up, Scott Sampson—the paleontologist and CEO of Science World in Vancouver, Canada — went on annual camping trips to the Rocky Mountains with his family. However, he said in a recent TED talk, “This was not where I fell in love with nature. That happened close to home — looking for rocks in the backyard, playing kick-the-can in the neighborhood, bushwhacking in the local forest.” 

Sampson recommends three steps we can take with our children to connect with nature.

• Notice:  Take time to see what is around us when we step outside of our homes.  Look at the sky and notice the clouds, see the many variations of the color green on a walk, ask questions like “What does the air feel like?” or “Did you hear that bird in our backyard?” We impact the future when we value and care about the natural world together with our children because they value what we value.
• Engage: Allow kids the time to interact with nature whether it is collecting sticks, throwing rocks into a pond or taking an adventure (hike) together. Tell them about your own experiences and memories—apple-picking a local farm, growing pumpkins in your garden, seeing an eclipse, or using binoculars to look at birds. Check out books from the library to help them find out more information on things that they are interested—"Why do crickets chirp?” “Where do birds go when it rains?” or “What kind of cloud is that?”
• Wonder: When it comes to the natural world, Sampson says that love and wonder should go hand in hand — if we want our children to connect with it, they need to have the chance to be captivated by it. He says, “You can give them amazing experiences like harvesting and eating plants that they themselves planted and nurtured.” 

As parents, we are always aware of the potential dangers of exploring nature whether it is our child having a close encounter with poison ivy or a snake, getting too close to rushing water or climbing high into the branches of an inviting tree. As you choke back the words “Be Careful!” consider these tips that can help foster awareness and problem solving in your child. Say:

• Notice how…these rocks are slippery, that branch is strong.
• Do you see---the poison ivy, your friends nearby?
• Try moving…your feet carefully, quickly, strongly.
• Try using your…hands, feet, arms, legs.
• Can you hear…the rushing water, the singing birds, the wind?
• Do you feel…stable on that rock, the heat from the fire?
• Are you feeling…scared, excited, tired, safe?
• What’s your plan…if you climb that boulder, cross that log?
• What can you use…to get across, to help you stable yourself?
• Where will you…put that rock, climb that tree, dig that hole?
• How will you…get down, go up, get across?
• Who will…be with you, go with you, help you if…?

To view the full TED Talk:  “How to Raise a Wild Child” by Scott Sampson https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Mn4ve9fLsuA
Sampson also wrote a great book on the same topic www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Wild-Child-Science/dp/0544705297?tag=teco06-20

As many families are preparing their children to start a new school year, I would like to share this article with parenting advise on how to help your child get off to a good start. As a former teacher for 25 years, I totally support the ideas and insights presented here.

Love and Logic Parenting, by Dr. Charles Fey, www.loveandlogic.com/
​
Centuries ago, I presume, a tradition developed whereby parents felt compelled to provide a tangible expression of their gratitude toward teachers. The original motivations for this tradition are unclear. Some may have been prompted by genuine appreciation; others may have been spurred by guilt and attempts to atone for the unruly classroom conduct of their children; some may have darker motivations where it was hoped a small payoff would “grease the wheels” a bit toward a better grade for their child.
 
While I’m sure that most educators truly appreciate the gesture, I’m not sure how many apples an average person can eat. I wonder how many of those cute little picture frames, paper weights, plaques, and other cute thingies eventually get regifted.
 
Of course, all of us dedicated educators want to be appreciated for our hard work, long hours, and willingness to be exposed to every germ known to humankind. It’s nice to be appreciated for the fact that we choose to love kids even when they behave badly and produce noxious fumes. It’s great to be appreciated for the fact that we take classrooms full of kids with different needs, abilities, behaviors, and troubles and turn them into high-powered learning teams.
 
Great teachers are amazing!
 
The best gift we can give them involves our own parenting. The most wonderful display of our appreciation is to send them students truly ready to be respectful, responsible, and eager to learn. No doubt this gift also benefits our children, who will rise to the top when equipped with such character attributes.
 
Listed below are just a few things you can do:

• Make sure that your kids overhear you saying positive things about their school and their teachers.
• Ensure that they are doing chores without reminders at home, so that they know how to do assignments without reminders at school.
• Allow very little time with technology, including video games, texting, surfing the web, watching videos, television, etc. These activities make it more difficult for our children to remain calm and content at school.
• Have family meals together, where you enjoy each other and talk about all of the things you’ve learned during the day. 
  
  

Thanks for reading, and thanks for raising great kids who have what it takes to benefit from the privilege of schooling!

(Adapted from Love and Logic Parenting) www.loveandlogic.com/

​DRILL SERGEANT 
This parent commands and directs the lives of children through the following methods:

1. Provides messages of low personal worth and resistance 
2. Makes lots of demands and has lots of expectations about responsibility 
3. Tells the child how he/she should handle responsibility 
4. Tells the child how he/she should feel 
5. Provides absolutes: “This is the decision you should make!” 
6. Demands that jobs or responsibilities be done now 
7. Issues orders and threats: “You get that room cleaned up or else…” 
8. Takes over the ownership of the problem using threats and orders to solve the problem 
9. Uses lots of harsh words and very few actions 
10. Uses punishment, pain and humiliation to serve as the teacher
   
HELICOPTER PARENT 
This parent hovers over children and rescues them from the hostile world in which they live through the following methods:

1. Provides messages of weakness and low personal worth 
2. Makes excuses for the child, but complains about mishandled responsibilities
3. “Takes on” the responsibility of the child 
4. Protects the child from any possible negative feelings 
5. Makes decisions for the child 
6. Provides no structure, but complains, “After all I’ve done for you…” 
7. Whines and uses guilt: “When are you ever going to learn. I always have to clean up after you.” 
8. Complains about having an irresponsible child who causes “me” much work and responsibility 
9. Uses lots of words and actions that rescue or indicate that the child is not capable or responsible 
10. Protects child from natural consequences and uses guilt as the teacher   
 
CONSULTANT PARENT 
The consultant parent provides guidance and consultant services for children by: 

1. Providing messages of personal worth and strength
2. Seldom mentioning responsibilities 
3. Demonstrating how to take care of one’s self and be responsible 
4. Sharing personal feelings about own performance and responsibilities 
5. Providing and helping the child explore alternatives and then allowing the  child to make his/her own decision 
6. Providing “time frames” in which child may complete responsibilities
7. Modeling doing a good job, finishing, cleaning up, feeling good about it 
8. Asking one’s self, “Who owns the problem?” and helping the child explore solutions to his/her problem 
9. Using lots of actions, but very few words 
10. Allowing the child to experience life’s natural consequences and allows them to serve as the teacher
 
God gave all of us free will and that includes the opportunity to mess up.  Failure and Success are two sides of the same coin. Drill sergeant and helicopter parents take away the opportunity for children to make choices and to learn from their mistakes. We increase the odds of raising resilient individuals by guiding our children with lots of empathy and natural consequences. 
 
For more on this, see my earlier blog: https://www.coachmyrna.org/coachmyrna-blog/archives/09-2018
Check out my new four-week parenting series “Mission Possible: Raising Resilient, Responsible, Respectful and Fun-To-Be-With Kids” to support you as you parent your children. coachmyrna-webinars

     Have you ever disappointed someone you love dearly, someone who believed in you? That feeling can be crushing. The closer we feel to another person, the more devastated we are when we do something that they disapprove of. When relationships are damaged, it takes a lot of investment to repair them.
     As parents, we need to realize that loving relationships give consequences their power. Consequences are opportunities for our children to learn from mistakes if we remember to keep our relationships intact by putting empathy first. For parents who get pulled into endless arguments, that becomes the focus of their relationships with their kids.
     I think we can all agree that arguing with our children is not a good thing. Fighting, arguing, and lecturing causes us to move from the frontal cortex part of our brain where thinking, reasoning and impulse-control happen to the brain stem which is responsible for basic survival and the “fight-or-flight” response. When we or our children are in “fight-or-flight” mode, understanding, reasoning and connection get buried beneath angry words and feelings.
      Empathy allows children to learn from their mistakes. Anger short circuits learning. Sarcasm backfires every time, sincere empathy works wonders. It allows the parent to remain the “good guy” and the poor choice to be the “bad guy.” Empathy prevents fight-or-flight & maintains lifelong loving relationships!  
     One tip that I love to teach parents to avoid arguing and keep the relationship connection comes from Love and Logic Parenting. It is a two-step process:

• Step One: Go “Brain Dead” 

The less we say, the more effective we become.  Lectures never worked for any parent in all of history.

• Step Two:  Calmly repeat a one-liner

One-liners need to be spoken with genuine empathy, no sarcasm. They keep words from squirting out of our mouth. Using them helps us remain calm regardless of what our kids say. Kids argue with us to get attention, hoping that with enough arguing we will give in. By remaining calm, we starve them of argument fuel. One-liners can include: “I know,” “What a bummer,” “Probably so,” “Thanks for sharing,” “And what did I say?” and more.   
     Focusing on the connection creates a living thread between us and our children, and these threads weave a powerful bond that fills them with a genuine and lasting happiness.   When we unconditionally care about our children’s happiness, they feel a powerful connection to us. They feel whole, safe and included in our lives.
 
Check out my new four-week parenting series “Mission Possible: Raising Resilient, Responsible, Respectful and Fun-To-Be-With Kids” to support you in creating stronger connection as you parent your children. coachmyrna-webinars

​     The world that parents are raising children in today has changed tremendously over the past twenty-to-thirty years.  People are living longer which means that grandparents can be more a part of their grandchildren’s lives. 
     We see a large increase of three and four generation families. Yet, we are a global community and often live far from our extended family.  Most often, both parents work outside of the home.  There are many children being raised by single parents and by grandparents.
     Technology has changed our world forever. Children and youth today do not know a world without cellphones and tablets. Communication is instantaneous and we can connect with those halfway around the globe.
     Among all those advances and changes, the fact is that family is important and is the most basic social unit. It has been said that family is the only institution created by God. I believe that regardless of all the technological and societal advances, parents will always be the most important source of information and values for their growing children.
     I would like to ask you to think for a moment about your goals in raising your children.  For many parents, one of their goals is to teach them to obey.  However, I would propose that having this at the most important goal is an inferior one because it creates a family culture based on rules and compliance instead of relationship, choice, freedom and love.
     Parenting is an inside job. We guide our children through our relationship with them.  Through our connection with our children, we build trust, respect and love. This allows them to make choices, learn from their mistakes and develop their own moral compass.  As parents, when we remain calm and ask guiding questions to help our child sort out problems and emotions, our relationship is strengthened and the poor choice remains “the bad guy.”
     Brene Brown said, “Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and values; when they can give and receive judgment.” As we parent our children, we are creating the inner workings of our future adult children. Connection is key. Relationship is the heart of the matter!
 
Check out my new four-week parenting series “Mission Possible: Raising Resilient, Responsibility, Respectful and Fun-To-Be-With Kids” to support you in creating connection as you parent your children. coachmyrna-webinars
 

Reprinted from a Face Book post by Leah Carroll

To the mom of three at Chick-Fil-A:  I sensed your panic when your five year old son pointed at my son in his wheelchair and shouted "Mom look at THAT boy!" You leaned forward and quietly told him and his three year old brother that we don't say things like that and they shouldn't point or stare.

But as in most cases, these suggestions are futile with young, curious minds and they continued to stare and loudly ask questions about my son's differences. When you realized your whispers weren't working I saw the panic disappear and you took a deep breath and took a step of courage.

You brought your boys over to Malachi and said "I bet he would like to know your names!". As they said their names my little Malachi started grinning from ear to ear and jabbering back to them. The joy on his face brought tears to my eyes- he loves kids his age but so many are fearful to come and speak to him. Your boys continued to ask questions about his foot braces, his wheelchair, why his legs don't work, why he holds his mouth open like that.

You took the time to educate your sons in that moment and help them understand that different is okay. Different is not something to fear. And that it was okay to ask questions!

Thank you for giving my son a chance to meet your kids. Thank you for being the type of mom who educates your children instead of frantically trying to silence them. Special needs moms have to develop tough skin- we get used to stares, comments, and whispers.

Please know it takes a lot to offend us, particularly when the comments are coming from young children. Give your kids the same grace we give them and use the opportunity to teach them about differences.

​So Chick-Fil-A mom, thank you for raising your children to embrace children like Malachi. And thank you for giving my son something to smile about.

UPDATE: After this post went viral the Chick-Fil-a Mom reached out and Malachi reconnected with his new friends. We still meet up for play dates and she and I have become very close friends. Chick-Fil-a did a follow up video of our reunion that can be found here: youtu.be/_FqXgxnfzd4

    "Meltdowns are terrible, nasty things, but they're a fact of childhood," says Ray Levy, PhD, a Dallas-based clinical psychologist and co-author of Try and Make Me! Simple Strategies That Turn Off the Tantrums and Create Cooperation. "Young kids—namely those between the ages of 1 and 4—haven't developed good coping skills yet. They tend to just lose it instead." 
     What is it that sets off a tantrum?  Basically, every single tantrum results from one simple fact: the child isn’t getting what he or she wants. For children between 1 and 2, tantrums often stem from trying to communicate a need—more milk, a diaper change, that toy over there—but not having the language skills to do it.  For older toddlers, tantrums are more of a power struggle. "By the time kids are 3 or 4, they have grown more autonomous. They're keenly aware of their needs and desires—and want to assert them more. If you don't comply? Tantrum city” says Levy.
     When your kid's in the middle of a tantrum, it can be tough to keep yourself from having your own meltdown as well.  Author, psychologist and trusted guest expert Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore says that a parent’s response to tantrums has a big impact on whether they continue or not. “If you pay attention to tantrums, they are going to happen more often. If you get angry in response to tantrums, they are going to escalate.” 
     So, as a parent, what can you do?

• Take steps to prevent tantrums by being aware of situations that are likely to bring on a tantrum and having a plan (i.e. bring a snack and a toy, make sure your child isn’t overly tired, etc.)
• Don’t try to calm your child down, make sure they are safe and wait until they are able to ready to talk. Say to your children “I am sorry you feel so bad, but when you are screaming I can't hear and understand what you want. I am here, I will listen, I am fine and calm. Let me know when you are ready for a normal conversation and I will help you."
  
• Remain calm and speak softly; the louder your child is, the more quietly you respond.
• Creating a diversion or distraction sometimes works. We once survived a long car ride in the summer heat by holding a bubble wand to the air conditioner vent and filling the car with magical bubbles!
• Realize that there are two basic tantrum types.  Meltdown tantrums occur when the child is overwhelmed, tired, or hungry. The best strategy is to wait for your child to calm down and offer a hug, a tissue and a snack. Dramatic Tantrums involve the child trying to get what (s)he wants. The best response from the parent is to ignore the child’s manipulations so that the behavior isn’t reinforced.
• Don’t worry about what other people will think. Studies have shown that people only judge your reaction to the meltdown. If you remain calm, they will think, “Now that is a great parent.”

     One of the biggest challenges as parents is managing our own emotions when our children do unexpected, even "awful" things. Looking back, I realize that it was often in these very moments that I learned to be present to my children without trying to fix, manage or organize anything. My mantra became "This too shall pass." and "I am enough."
     Children need to figure out themselves in relationship to the world and we are their guides, their support and their teachers. The most important thing is that we find ways to take good care of ourselves, learn how to stay as calm as possible, forgive ourselves when we get upset or lose it and reach out to others (spouse, friends, family, a coach) to get the support we need.

Check out my new four-week parenting series “Mission Possible: Raising Resilient, Responsibility, Respectful and Fun-To-Be-With Kids” to support you as you parent your children.  Webinars

     In the book, “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul,” Dr. Stuart Brown explains that play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play. 
     Play explains why play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve and more. Particularly in tough times, we need to play more than ever, as it's the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic. In fact, play just might be the most important work we can ever do.
     One point that Brown makes again and again is that true play requires a person to let go of pride and self-consciousness. A game of Twister would be horrible if everybody were concerned about what others thought of them. In short, play requires humility. Developing a humble spirit around others allows one to truly play with others- and since play is that which fosters creativity, a culture where humility is the rule is a far healthier culture, economically and socially.
     Play is the cornerstone of happiness and being a parent allows the opportunity to play without getting weird looks when we let our silly sides to show.
     So, what is on your family’s play list?  What fun do you have planned in the coming summer months that can engage the whole family?  If your family play list needs some work, use the next  family-meeting to discuss this topic. Have each member of the family answer the following three questions:

1. What activity makes you lose track of time?
2. What makes you feel free and away from the "have-to's"?
3. What activity allows you to be yourself?

     Next, figure out what types of play all of you share. Then, plan your family’s next play outing or activity.  Need some ideas to get started?  Check out this site:   fun-family-activity-ideas-together

By Dr. Charles Fay www.loveandlogic.com

What do parents do when their children become truthfulness-challenged? If many adults in today's world suffer from Honesty Deficit Disorder, who are we to think that our offspring will always be immune? The good news is that conscientious parents can turn the tide on truth-bending behavior by applying the Three E's of Love and Logic.
 
The First "E" of Love and Logic: Example
 
Obviously, parents who act truthfully around their kids are far more likely to have kids who tell the truth. A not-so-obvious application of good modeling involves discussing our moral dilemmas with other adults when our children are within earshot. When our children overhear us talking about temptations… and how we've chosen truthfulness instead of deceit… powerful lessons get locked in.
 
The Second "E" of Love and Logic: Experience
 
When children lie, they need to experience logical consequences. One of the most practical involves expecting them to replace any energy they've drained from us as a result of their fibbing. Does lying drain your parental energy?
 
The Third "E" of Love and Logic: Empathy
 
Those who understand the Love and Logic approach understand that consequences preceded with empathy are far more effective than consequences delivered with anger, guilt, or sarcasm. An added benefit of responding to our children's mistakes with empathy is that they'll be far more likely to admit making them. Do you want your children to be afraid of you when they blunder? Do you want them to hide their mistakes rather than bringing them to your attention? Of course you don't! That's why it's so important to discipline with love rather than lectures.