Kendra’s Weekly Family Tips!

Families are our greatest teachers, and very often the lessons they bring us come disguised as challenges!  Marriage, divorce, single parenting, blended family life, infertility, adoption, behavior issues, stress, over-scheduled lives, empty nest, personal identity and growth…you name it!  

Over the last twenty years, my clients and I have enjoyed great success with many of the ideas and techniques that I share in my weekly newspaper column, and in my free newsletter.  I have posted one of my weekly columns here for you…from my heart to yours!  

If you would like to sign up for my free e-newsletter you can sign up here, and if you ever have specific challenges that you need help with, please feel free to email or call me and I’ll be happy to talk with you about it. 

The perfect gift for children of all ages!

We’re approaching that time of year famous for resolutions.  This usually involves quitting something like smoking, eating, or spending, but this year’s resolutions don’t have to be about giving anything up.  If you’re a parent, this is a great time of year to resolve adding something to your life - more time making memories with your children!

It doesn’t matter how old they are, kids crave quality time and attention from us even when they’re way too cool to ask for it.  It doesn’t have to be a lot of time every day, and it doesn’t have to be costly, it just needs to be time where we make a meaningful connection with our kids.  With so many things competing for our attention, this can sound like a tougher resolution than deciding to use that old treadmill for something other than a place to hang clothes in the bedroom, but it doesn’t have to be.

I’ve been giving this subject some thought myself lately since I have a tendency to get caught up in the demands of work and home, while forgetting the importance of fun!  I’ve gotten worse about this as my children have gotten older too.  Maybe that’s because they’re capable of doing so much more on their own now, or because ny the time they get hoe from school, eat a snack, do their homework, etc. I need to get started on making dinner.  Before I know it I’m kissing them goodnight and thinking that sleep is calling my name too!

I remember when they were younger though, I made an effort everyday to make them smile, let them know how special they were, capture a moment on camera, or create a memory.  I’d sit and play with them on the floor, go for walks to explore the great outdoors, read them story after story, and wallow elbow deep in paint, play dough, and toys in the bubble bath.  I made a point of connecting with them on their level, even if it meant the house wasn’t spotless or dinner fell far short of a creative masterpiece!

So how do we stay connected as our children get older?  I’ve been experimenting with that at my house, and while it’s too soon to declare long-term success I can say that we’re having more fun!  One of the first things I did was to start reading the newspaper with an eye tuned in for activity.  Anything that sounded interesting, and was generally agreed upon, went on my calendar.  Simply putting something on my calendar greatly increased our odds of actually doing it.  We’re also breaking out the board games, cooking dinner together, and scheduling “dates” so the kids can have special time alone with each parent.

This Christmas why not join me and give your children the most special gift of all, homemade coupons they can use for “together time” with you - and forget about counting calories next year and simply enjoy counting memories instead!