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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
by smaclaughlin | Jan 31, 2015 | hope for the future, other people's children, problem-solving, resiliency, self-esteem, social work
My full time job used to be recruiting, licensing, and training foster parents in Southern Maine. It was hard work. Many families (parents and children) are struggling. I would love to see a focus on prevention. I’d prefer the cycles of violence, addiction, and...
