May 2nd, 2013 | 3 Comments

The Parents Guide to Teaching Mindfulness to Your Anxious Child

Note to Readers: Raising  an anxious child brings additional parenting challenges we are not normally prepared for. I am so grateful to Anxiety Free Child for sharing this insightful article.

by Rich Presta

Raising an anxious child brings an acute awareness to being calm and mindful as we navigate parenting.

You’re familiar with what happens when a baby faces food for the first time. The food often ends up on the baby’s face! That’s because babies have an innate curiosity about everything in the world around them. When they run across something they’ve never seen before, they touch it, they smell it, they taste it – and they even rub it on their face.

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April 16th, 2013 | 1 Comment

Boston Bombing: Helping Children Cope

By Lori Lite

The Boston bombing sent a wave of shock, fear, and anxiety through families across the world. Children are vulnerable when faced with these types of tragedies and do not have experience coping with these extreme feelings and concerns. We all like to believe that we live in a safe world and as parents we do all that we can to protect our children.

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March 20th, 2013 | 4 Comments

Easter Tips For Family Fun

by Lori Lite

Easter tips for family fun allow you to put your own creative spin on Easter and incorporate stress management.

I can still see my daughter with her hands on her hips declaring her truth. “I understand the Tooth Fairy and Santa, but really now, a giant Easter Bunny hopping from house to house hiding eggs?” Holidays are a wonderful excuse to reconnect with family, share stories, look for signs of hope, explore relaxation, and spark your creativity. It doesn’t matter if you celebrate a particular holiday, or you just want to believe that a giant bunny hops from house to house hiding eggs. Use this hopeful holiday to create your own family day.

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February 11th, 2013 | 1 Comment

Reading for Relaxation

Note to Readers: Reading for relaxation is an often overlooked stress management tool for children. A good story of triumph can brighten the eyes of any child. Reading gives children a chance to stop the mind list and incessant chatter in their brains.

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December 15th, 2012 | 2 Comments

Holiday Relaxation Breathing For Children

by Lori Lite

Santa, relatives, parties and the mall can make children nervous or even tremble with fear. Relaxation breathing for children is an effective self-soothing skill they can use before or during their visit with Santa and relatives. Any child with anxiety, Autism, Aspergers, or Sensory Processing Disorders can benefit from this technique. All children can use deep breathing for stress management, anger management, and falling asleep. Practicing breathing prior to stressful events empowers children. Please enjoy the following excerpt from my breathing book  Sea Otter Cove: A Relaxation Story .This story is also available on the Indigo Ocean Dreams CD and in Spanish. It is fun to learn relaxation breathing with a sea otter and sea child.

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November 15th, 2012 | 8 Comments

Hurricane Sandy Tips Help Kids Recover

Hurricane Sandy Tips Help Kids

by Lori Lite

It’s no secret that natural disasters have a way of uprooting lives and tearing communities apart. Hurricane Sandy has devastated the lives of thousands in the northeast, most who are still working tirelessly to get their lives back to normal. Children, in particular, thrive in a structured environment, which becomes nonexistent in times of a natural disaster.

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November 9th, 2012 | 2 Comments

The No Regrets Parenting Meditation

Note to Readers: Children want their parents to be happy and they know when they are stressed out or disconnected. When we fully connect with our children we give and gain joyful experiences that create long lasting bonds. Establishing feelings of  connectedness in childhood opens up future communication when our children become teens.  Thanks to Dr. Rotbart for sharing this simple technique to incorporate mindful parenting. 

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October 7th, 2012 | 2 Comments

Parenting Fatigue

Note to Readers: As I read the tips to find recovery from parenting fatigue, I realized that these important tips apply to parents at all stages of parenting. Just substitute the word toddlers for  teens and keep reading…you just may see yourself. I believe that when we honor and care for ourselves…we teach children self-love. Thanks to Ronae for sharing this with us.

by Ronae Jull 

If you’re the parent of a teenager, you know that over-the-top feeling of Parenting Fatigue. You’re exhausted from always working to keep tight boundaries, teaching important life lessons, and guarding against all those dangers you hope your teen never has to experience but are afraid they will.

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September 28th, 2012 | 4 Comments

Kids & Stress Reducing Foods

Note to Readers:  Stress reducing foods can be an important ingredient in your family’s overall wellness plan. The right foods can reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue.  When we expose children to more that the ‘children’s menu,’ we expose them to a variety of healthy foods they are more likely to taste and like. Parents are amazed to hear that their child ate artichokes, salmon, and quinoa at my house.  A little creativity can go a long way. Kids will eat a healthy food when they help to prepare it, grow it, or give it a fun name. Quinoa soup is called Halloween soup at my house all year round! Thanks to Stephanie, AKA The Nutrition Mom for sharing her stress reducing foods.

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September 5th, 2012 | 3 Comments

Stress Free Birthday Party

Birthday parties for kids especially tweens and teens is an important social event. With a little planning parents can throw a stress free birthday party providing an environment that is fun, safe and stress free. Below are a few tips that will help you and your child plan a party to remember.

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