How do we encourage our children to be who they truly are? Childhood We are told growing up that our marks count, the teams we are in count, the friends we have count, the clubs we join count, the memberships we are in count, the schools we go to count. At home, we are told what to do by our parents. At school, we are told what to do by our teachers. In clubs, teams, or memberships, we are told what to do by the leaders or organizers. What is missing? Us!!! When did WE get

We create our lives with our thoughts, whether they are negative or positive. Our actions follow our thoughts. If we believe we can do what we desire to do, we can. In turn, if we believe we can’t do something, we won’t. Our thoughts, beliefs, and even words have incredible power to create the life that we desire.

I hated school.  I would have rather been playing outside in the field that I was staring at that day.  High school was even worse.  Trigonometry?  While I understand that math is important in this world, the two of us were never friends.  Geometry at least I could relate to.  By the way, forty years after graduating from high school, I find physics absolutely fascinating.  Back then?  I just wanted to hang out with my friends, and no math and I are still not friends. 

Children and teenagers, at times, seem to be very different than us. Is your child or teenager from another world? Maybe an alien? (I have nothing against aliens, in case you were wondering). Maybe or maybe not, but they respond differently and think differently than we do in certain situations. To help children learn, grow, and heal, making a connection with them is of upmost importance. How do we do that if we don't understand them at times?

You can overcome obstacles. Even with obstacles and challenges, you can persevere. I grew up on welfare and we did not have many books in our home. In my family, we were not read to by our parents, who may not have understood the importance of reading to children. Along with other factors, this may have led to me being behind in school and attending a special education class for speech assistance.

For children who are sensitive, school can be a nightmare. All the noises, discussions, arguments, and playing can be overwhelming. Even required to talk all day can be too much for your child. Highly sensitive, quiet, and gentle souls, often introverted, find it hard to cope in such an environment. Hearing other children arguing or being bullied can drain a highly sensitive personality. Your child may come home from school not wishing to talk and wanting to be alone to r

As a child, my home was filled with poverty and abuse. While I understood now that both of my parents had a mental illness, at the time it was devastating. I initially had good self-esteem as a young child, but eventually after hearing negative things over and over, and being physically and emotionally abused, my positive self-esteem was destroyed. I didn’t think I had anything to offer the world. However, I wanted to work with children and teenagers who struggled through