How Praise Damages Your Child’s Self-Confidence

Many people will tell you to praise your child, that it helps her self-esteem and develops self-confidence. Yet if you are a parent who praises your child, you’ve probably noticed that it may make her feel good in the moment but does little to build self-confidence in the long run.

You continue to see signs of your child struggling with self-confidence. Or perhaps you want to do all you can to develop his feeling of being able to trust himself so you praise him often.

You may believe praise and encouragement help your child’s self-confidence; yet, in fact, you may be unintentionally and unknowingly diminishing and limiting her confidence.

In my new video below “How Praise Damages Your Child’s Self-Confidence,” I share with you two powerful ways in which praising and encouraging your child actually limits this crucial quality.

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If you’ve missed any of my previous videos about nurturing your child’s confidence, click the links below.

“5 Qualities Your Child Needs to Be Self-Confident”

“Why Your Child’s Self-Confidence Matters”

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If your child’s self-confidence is a priority for you, don’t miss my new teleclass “5 Essential Secrets to Raising a Self-Confident Child.”

In this class, you will learn:

~ 5 reasons why self-confidence is important

~ 3 ways introverted children express their self-confidence that is different than extroverted children

~ Why encouragement actually diminishes your child’s confidence and what to do instead

~ 5 effective, simple do-now actions that will nurture genuine self-confidence in your child

The teleclass (class by phone) is next week on Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 Pacific.

Don’t let this one get by you!

Click here to sign-up and learn more now!

I hope you enjoy the videos!

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5 Qualities Your Child Needs to Be Self-Confident

Every parent wants their child to be self-confident, but what does this mean? How can you tell if your child is self-confident? What qualities does he need to have?

It may not be what you think! Academic achievement or social acceptance does not necessarily mean your child is self-confident.

Your child is skilled at learning to be the person she believes you and the other important people in her life want her to be. Then she acts as she believes she ‘should’ rather than the truth of who she is.

Here’s your opportunity to learn those essential qualities your child needs in order to be self-confident. Look below the surface to see what you discover. [Read more…]

3 Simple Tips to Have More Love in Your Family

In This Issue

Personal Note from Connie

New Article: “3 Simple Tips to Have More Love with Your Family”

Connie Recommends: Parenting Solutions Teleclasses
Watch for more information next week.

Personal Note from Connie

My big news for today is my new Parenting Solutions Teleclasses begin in March. I’ve been planning these for several months, and I feel now is the time.

There will be one teleclass monthly that will teach you results-driven strategies and skills about a specific area of challenge or concern for parents. Each class will include both information and extensive time for questions.

In case you don’t know, a teleclass is a class given over the phone and is somewhat like a conference call. You dial into a number (not toll-free) and then enter a special pin code. Once on the call, you can share your observations and questions and listen to everyone else.

The first teleclass will be on Tuesday, March 12 in the evening. Be sure to save the date!

The topic will be the most-requested challenge in my survey last November. I’ll tell you what it is next week, and I’ll be sharing valuable f.ree information prior to the class itself.

Watch for my announcement next week!

Happy trails!

To your Joyous Family!

Connie

P.S. A big, warm welcome to all our new readers! I look forward to getting to know you.

P.P.S. Do you know someone who is passionate about being a good parent or who might like a little help to create a more harmonious, fun, and easy relationship with their child? If so, would you please forward this email on to her?

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New Article: “3 Simple Tips to Have More Love with Your Family”

In honor of Valentine’s Day tomorrow and because I know we can all enjoy a little more love with our family, here are 3 simple actions you can begin today to make every day Valentine’s Day.

Tip #1: Every day think of one quality or skill you appreciate in each person in your family. Then pause for a few moments to enjoy how delightful you feel to enjoy this special quality of this person you love.

It can be as mundane as “I appreciate that my husband does the dishes every day” to as profound as “I love seeing how comfortable my son is being himself.”

Whatever you think of, be sure it’s something that genuinely feels good to you and then enjoy it in your heart. Hint: You will notice a smile lighting up your face.

Tip #2: Do one thing every day that will please at least one other person in your family.

Be sure to do this without any expectation of what the response will be. Simply do it because it feels good to you to express your love through your actions.

Sometimes these actions may be simple, such as getting someone’s favorite flavor of ice cream when you’re at the store, and others more complex and involved, such as planning a surprise outing.

Tip #3: Most important of all, do one thing for yourself everyday that makes you feel good.

Maybe it’s dancing to your favorite song, a night out to see a move, or even a day adventure by yourself. It could even be 10 minutes admiring your garden or listening to the birds.

Often the most simple can be the most magical and fulfilling.

There you have it! 3 simple, totally-do-able actions you can take to create more love in your family. If tackling all 3 at once seems like too much, then start with one of these tips. Do it for a week or two until it becomes a part of your life and then add the second one of your choosing.

Having more loving feelings and interactions with your family is not really that complicated.

If you’re having trouble with any one of these, be gentle with yourself and begin at a simple level.

For example, if your teenage son has been frustrating and difficult for what seems like forever, it’s probably going to take some digging to think of even one thing you can appreciate about him. Choose something small like the color of his eyes or a memory from childhood.

Simple small actions can create amazing beauty and joy in your family. Simply look at the mountains to see what simple small actions can create.

Joyous Valentines Day to you and your family!

What are you going to do? Let me know in the Comments below!
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Connie Recommends: Parenting Solutions Teleclasses

Monthly teleclasses focusing on important parenting challenges and concerns.

The first one is Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30 Pacific Time. Be sure to mark your calendars. I promise it will be on a topic of importance to every parent. You won’t want to miss it!

Watch for more information next week.

What Can Happen When You Make Your Family a Priority

As you know, I’m passionate about the importance of making our families a priority. One of the things you may be asking yourself is, “My family is always a priority. I think about them all the time. What more do I need to do?”

Here is a story to inspire you:

Isabel Parlett and her husband Peter decided to take my first – ever Joyous Parenting Training in 2008. They had concerns and challenges with their passionate, powerful, sensitive son. Over the last 4 years and a few additional private coaching sessions later, a lot of wonderful changes have occurred.

I recently saw Isabel with her son, and they obviously share a profoundly close, trusting relationship with one another. I felt delighted to see their happiness and comfort with one another.

Yet now their son will soon be a teen with a whole new range of possible challenges and concerns before them.

Deeply committed to be the best mom she can be with her son, Isabel is always seeking new perspectives and insights in how to nurture her son’s Emotional Wholeness. While on a family vacation last August, Isabel decided to make an even deeper commitment to her family and to take action based on this decision.

A couple of days ago I asked her what, if anything, had changed or improved from this choice she made a few months ago. This is what she shared with me…

“While I am not able to knock off work every day, I do it more often than not.

Having more time for family has taken a lot of stress off of me, and is helping me feel like I’m doing a better job as a mom. I’ve been able to keep the house running more smoothly (meals planned and made, laundry done), and take on projects like helping our son research and apply to middle schools for next year.

While we aren’t perfect, our family is having more relaxed and happy time together. Instead of feeling cranky and irritated, we can hang out and enjoy each other’s company.”

I find Isabel’s story inspiring, both because of her courage and commitment to be a great mom and the power of making a few small changes in how we live our lives.

Imagine if you felt less stressed, more organized, and were enjoying more fun hang out time with your family. What difference would that make for you? For your child” For your family?

All that is required is a choice to truly make your family a priority and to find small, concrete actions you can do to make that happen.

I’ve created my ” Nurture Your Family Retreat” to help you do just that, and it’s F.REE – my new year’s gift to you! It’s this Saturday morning so you have to act now if you want to be a part of this event.

Click here now to sign up: http://www.joyousfamily.com/2013-planning-retreat/

If you’re hesitating, ask yourself, “Do I want my interactions with my child and my partner to be the same way as they are now next year in 2014? How much precious time and joyous, loving experiences will you miss if you wait?

It is so easy to settle for what is familiar even if it’s stressful and not fun, even if it’s hurting you and your child. The truth is you and your child desire and deserve more than that.

Perhaps many areas of your life are working just fine and you feel happy most of the time. But what about those difficult, complicated, emotionally painful times? What difference would it make in your life if your could improve those concerns and frustrations?

This retreat is my gift to you to help you step out of the unfun parts of your life and into the increased joyousness that is possible for you.

Treat yourself today! Go here to sign-up: http://www.joyousfamily.com/2013-planning-retreat/

The retreat begins this Saturday morning, January 19 at 11am Eastern Time. If you absolutely can’t rearrange your calendar to be on the call live, be sure to sign up anyway so you can listen to the recordings later.

Wishing you and your family a Joyous 2013!

Connie

You are More Important to Your Child than You Realize!

Have you ever stopped to consider how important you are to your child?

Much of your child’s emotional well-being is literally in your hands, and emotional well-being is so essential for…

~ your child’s happiness and success both now and in the future.

~ the feelings you and your child have for one another both now and in the future – close and trusting or distant and argumentative, loving and honest or angry and filled with pretense

~ your child’s ability to feel safe and confident in the world or to feel uncertain and hesitant

~ your child’s willingness, desire, and ability to listen to you, to care about your ideas and the important life experience information you can share with her, to cooperate with you

Your influence in your child’s life is HUGELY important and will affect you and your child for the rest of your lives.

If your want your child’s emotional well-being and the happiness in your family to be a priority this year, I invite you to my F.REE upcoming 2013 Virtual Planning Retreat for Parents on Saturday, January 19.

This is an opportunity for you to pause and reflect on what matters most to you in being a parent. We’ll focus on how to make 2013 more joyous, fun, fulfilling.

Click here to find out more about this free event.

If you want to know more about how important you are to your child’s emotional well-being, watch the video below.