hope for the future | Sarah MacLaughlin, LSW

Prepare to Care (For Yourself)

by smaclaughlin | Nov 1, 2020 | hope for the future, modeling, self-care

I have written before about the importance of parents taking good care of themselves so they can take good care of their young children. Never has this been so important. Winter—the cold, dark, and snowy kind—really is coming. The problem this year is we have the...

Spiritual Parenting in a New Age {guest post}

by smaclaughlin | Aug 6, 2019 | balance, hope for the future, motherhood, patience

Meet educator, mom, and wise spiritual teacher, Rachel Horton White. I sure can relate to her description of how her patience gets tested! I love how she gives it a capital “P” and names it—along with Selflessness and Sacrifice—all Life Lessons...

One Thing We Can All Learn to Do Better: LISTEN

by smaclaughlin | Aug 23, 2016 | books, brain science, hope for the future, parenting

You probably already know that I am a certified Parenting by Connection instructor. I love, love, love the Hand in Hand Listening Tools. You can imagine how excited I am about this new book! These Listening Tools lit a huge lightbulb in my head. Here I had written an...

What Is Positive Parenting? {book review}

by smaclaughlin | Aug 16, 2016 | books, communication, connection parenting, cooperation, hope for the future, mindfulness, modeling

Lucky me! I get to read a LOT of great parenting books. Not everyone feels this way, I know, but here’s what I love most about reading them: more examples, testimonials, and belief in seeing children in a new way. And that, my friends, is what Positive Parenting...

Your Child Is Not Bothering Me

by smaclaughlin | Jul 7, 2016 | connection parenting, developmental expectations, emotional intelligence, hope for the future, modeling, other people's children

I have a missive for all you parents. Especially the moms and dads of screaming babies, melting-down toddlers, whiny preschoolers, sassy school-aged kids, surly tweens…wait I guess I’m talking to all ya’ll when I say: Your child is not bothering me. Your child is a...

Love First: Parenting to Reduce Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, and Other Forms of Hate

by smaclaughlin | Jun 14, 2016 | bullying, disaster, discipline, emotional intelligence, gender bias, hope for the future, race, resources, safety, sexuality, violence, white privelege

It is hard to parent this week. It’s hard to focus. Difficult to not check my phone for updates and news conferences. Tricky to keep from crying and being otherwise emotionally snarled. It is so hard to stay relaxed about our world and what the future may look...