Children

Getting bad feelings out with play dough

January 25, 2013 Children and Stress 0 Comments

The green glob in Grayson’s hand is the playdough I instructed him to use to get his bad feelings out when he was having difficulties this morning managing them appropriately. I asked him why he was holding his nose. He said, “Because good feelings smell good and bad feeling smell

Read More

For the Children…..in all of us

October 31, 2012 Connecting with Children 0 Comments

Halloween Parade, Ashland, Or. 2012 Doing fun things to delight children, like being an Autumn Fairy in a Halloween parade, can touch the inner child in big kids, too! Being creative, having fun…..what all inner and outer kids love to do!

Read More

Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?

June 18, 2011 Children and Stress 0 Comments

Tammy’s 5 yr. old granddaughter is very frequently (as Tammy describes it with eyes widened and eyebrows raised) in the “why” about everything right now. Tammy is crazy about her granddaughter but feels she may go nuts with the “why” marathon. Recently, while riding in the car, Tammy was being

Read More


3 YR. OLD DARION, THE NEGOTIATOR, TURNS 30 MAY 28

May 27, 2011 Children and Stress 0 Comments

“I can’t eat any lunch because it will just make me poop more.” And so my pre-schooler stated his case in 1984. Physiologically, Darion was correct. My challenge was to use HIS logic to further MINE. “You’re right, Darion, food will make you poop more. But the poop is just

Read More

Muddy Fairy PLay: Dedicated to Ms. Papaya, 31 today!

May 26, 2011 Children and Stress 0 Comments

Easter Sunday, 1985: Out into the woods we went to be in nature’s array of scents and scenes, picnic, hide-and-seek eggs with my sister’s family. My niece, Aliah (sometimes known as Ms. Papaya in my book), was 4. My daughter was 8. They were playing near a gurgling stream. Between

Read More

Busy Mom Stops to Play with Her Kids

May 18, 2011 Children and Stress 0 Comments

This week I was speaking with Brittany, who has a baby and a 5 yr. old. She and her husband are in the midst of moving to a new home and both have jobs. With young children, moving to a new location always has its stress factors. Parenting young children

Read More

Mimicking Toddler Bad Attitude Brings Success

May 15, 2011 Child Wellness 0 Comments

A fun time was being had by 2 1/2 year old grandson, Grayson, and myself, Grandma Boom, this weekend. Playing with Thomas the Train and friends, we were traveling to many fun places and getting into lots of train car jams, not to mention picking up a cowboy and zebra

Read More

Tantrum Surprise Ending

May 10, 2011 Children and Stress 0 Comments

We’ve all seen them….tantrums on the playground, in the grocery store, in a car, at someone’s house…..they make their mark and stand out in their own boisterous way. Tantrums frighten and anger those who don’t understand that young children will experiment with tantrums to figure out if they’re a tool

Read More

Bullied by a Copperhead Snake

May 5, 2011 Bullying 0 Comments

It was dusk but in the Kansas basement there was less light than outside the garage door where Dad was doing the bar-b-que. In 1959 I was ten years old, happily playing outside in the sultry summer evening when I ran into the basement to get a jump rope. Without

Read More