What is happening now…

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I have wanted to write to you for a while now to let you know what I’m up to, what’s happening with me since I last wrote to you.

At the end of June, when I returned from my solo journey in the Balkans, I realized a huge shift had happened within me. The person who left was not the person who returned. I needed time and space to sort things out for myself. All I wanted to do was stop everything I was doing and focus on finding my deeper truth.

In the Balkans, I experienced how valuable freedom, joy, exploration, and discovery are to me, how much I need variety and spontaneity in my life. I also longed to stop pushing and ‘shoulding’ myself. This is what I’ve been exploring for the last several months.

Another thing I discovered on my journey is how much joy I can experience in really simple things…sitting on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice and partaking of the unique sights, sounds and smells around me. Hiking around Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, surrounded by luscious turquoise waters. Delighting in the stunning Alpine scenery from my balcony in Lake Bohinj, Slovenia. Savoring the brilliant colors in the harbor of small village of Cres, Croatia.

In those moments, I experienced such deep, abiding joy and contentment within me and a certain knowing I had everything I needed in that moment.

Since my time in the Balkans, I’ve been hanging out, doing what I feel called to do as much as I can in each moment. I’ve found deeper joy and connection with my family, more inner peace – a LOT more inner peace – and way more relaxed! I’ve stepped out of ‘achiever mode’ and am exploring ‘being.’

Plus, in October, Doug and I spent two glorious weeks in Brazil where we made like the locals – chilled and enjoyed the simple pleasures of the moment…delicious fresh fruit, watching the waves, sleeping in.

And, in the midst of all this, in the background of my mind, I’ve wondered if I would ever do anything again. What if I ran out of things to do? What if I couldn’t find what I was seeking? What if I couldn’t find anything I wanted to do? What about all these ideas about children and relationships that I kept feeling the urge to share?

I’ve done my best to trust myself and my process in all of this, to give myself time. I can feel the tide begin to turn inside me. Something new and joyous is coalescing inside of me…the possibility of new ways to share the ideas about raising children and partnering that have been so valuable in my life and those I have guided.

I sit here now, knowing change is in the wind, as I explore new possibilities for adventure in the world and in sharing the information I feel such passion to share. As I get clearer, I will let you know more.

As always, I would love to hear from you, how you are doing, your joys as well as your challenges and questions about bringing out the best in yourself, your child, and your partner. Our families are our richest and most profoundly important treasure of our lives. What do you want to enjoy more with your family?

I wish you and the family you cherish a most joyous, fulfilling, and loving of holidays!

Here is a link to the recording of a radio interview I did last year about “Reducing Stress with Your Family during the Holidays.’ I hope you enjoy it!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/womensjournaltalkradio/2010/12/16/survive-holiday-family-stress-with-joy

I look forward to hearing from you and connecting with you again soon.

Happy Trails!

To your Joyous Family!

Connie

Filed Under: Fun, Loving Yourself

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 6, 2011 By 2 Comments

This is a big WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!! to all you mothers and grandmothers

who give the best you’ve got to your children and your family every day.

who ask the important questions when you feel a concern for your child.

who have the courage to do what’s best for your child, even when it means not doing what others expect or want you to do.

who want your child to be who she is and not who you or anyone else wants her to be.

who know and take action to value yourself so you can be fully present to your family.

who care deeply about your child’s Emotional Wholeness and make conscious choices to nurture it.

I celebrate all of you, even when you don’t do it perfectly or get it ‘right’ every time. None of us do.

I hope you do something fun for you this weekend and cherish the special moments you have with your child and your family.

Doug and I are taking Sebastian camping this weekend, something we all love to do while Orion and Nichola are taking a weekend for themselves (with Madison). I am delighted to think of them having a special weekend.

What are you doing this Mother’s Day that is special to you? I’d love to know! Please share your plans with other moms. You just might inspire someone else!

A heart-felt Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Filed Under: Children, Loving Yourself, Parenting, Parenting Tips Tagged With: ,

Play with Your Child!

July 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Having fun time with your child is hugely important to both you and your child. Yet in our busy lives, it’s easy to forget to make time and to let the moment go by.

When I watch my wonderful son Orion play with his son Sebastian, I love seeing how much fun they’re having together. I decided to talk with Orion about these fun times with his son to see what I could learn.

In the video below, I interview Orion about the difference it makes in his life and in his relationship with Sebastian and with his experience of being a dad.

I recommend you take a few minutes to listen in. After the call, I realized I had learned something important about myself and my relationships, including the one with my grandson.

What Orion has to share about having fun can impact your entire life, if you really think about what he is saying.

Enjoy!

If you’d like to discover Orion’s personal guidelines of how he creates fun, playful times with his son, become a member of my Joyous Family Coaching Circle and join us on our August Family Empowerment Call!

Filed Under: Children, Fun, Grandparenting, Loving Yourself, Parenting, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A Mother’s Success with Her Daughter’s Tantrums

July 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’ve been telling you that tantrums and emotional upsets with your child of any age can be resolved, and they are not a normal or necessary part of childhood.

I want to share a quick story about a mom whom I’ll call Mary, mother of two girls one a young teen and the other 6, to share with you what’s possible.

Mary and her husband struggled with their younger daughter’s frequent ‘screaming fits,’ which they reported, “could last for hours.” In addition, these emotional upsets occurred several times every day, whenever they had to tell their daughter, “No.”

As you can imagine, this affected the entire family on a daily, constant basis. Everyone, including the older daughter, tiptoed around this young girl, afraid of setting her off. They saw her as fragile and tried to keep her happy.

Mary was exhausted and distracted by the attention and time she gave to her youngest daughter, feeling she was neglecting her older daughter, and having frequent fights with her husband about their daughter’s tantrums.

Then there were the times she was at the end of her rope, when she became an angry, yelling, upset, out-of-control mom, which she always regretted afterward.

Her young daughter was creating chaos for everyone, and she knew she had to do something.

She came to me for coaching, clear that, “My girls need a better mom.”

After getting some coaching, Mary learned how to calmly and consistently respond to her daughter’s tantrums, to not be afraid or overwhelmed by them. Things began to change immediately. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Children, Grandparenting, Loving Yourself, Parenting, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Kind of Tantrum is Your Child Having Now?

July 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Children of all ages have tantrums and emotional upsets. Interestingly, the steps to respond to tantrums are the same, whether your child is 2 or 25. Even if you have an older or even grown child, this info applies to your child also.

Thanks to my work with children and parents, I’ve discovered there is more than one kind of tantrum. Many people believe tantrums are only about a crying, upset child who doesn’t get his way, and there is one way to respond to all tantrums.

Yet if you treat all tantrums as if they are the same, you miss the deeper communication your child is giving you.

Yes, a tantrum – whether it is loud, screaming and crying or silent and withdrawn – is a communication from your child. Your child is telling you something important.

It is not just a manipulation or an act of defiance. Your child is not testing you, even though it may feel like that.

For various possible reasons, your child has chosen this method to communicate with you.

So far, I’ve discovered 6 different kinds of tantrums with 6 different messages. Some of them are somewhat similar and yet each requires that you respond in a unique way. I’d like to share a couple of them with you.

First is the kind everyone generally thinks of when they hear the word ‘tantrum.” Johnny wants something, and you say, “No,” which prompts a screaming, crying scene. What makes this unique is that it’s part of a repetitive pattern your child has learned over time.

His communication sounds something like this, “I want something and you’re not giving it to me. I’ve used screaming and crying before and it’s worked so I will keep this up until you give in and give me what I want just to get me to stop.”

Some parents have told me their child can go on for hours. This is exhausting and no-fun for you or your child.

This child doesn’t know or trust the power of his words to have an impact with you so his default is crying as a communication. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Children, Grandparenting, Loving Yourself, Parenting, Parenting Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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