Embrace the spooky season with a mindful approach. As Halloween approaches, we find ourselves immersed in a world of eerie decorations, spine-chilling costumes and ghostly tales. While this holiday is traditionally associated with scares and thrills, it's essential to remember the power of mindfulness amidst all the fright. In this...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) Learn some insightful tips for keeping the mind in an optimal state. There are many approaches to mental health, and finding the one that fits you is a journey. By deliberately reappraising and recalibrating our thinking, we can change the way we feel and create an...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) Metta meditation offers a boost of love for you, the kids and the world. Loving-kindness meditation, or Metta meditation, is an ultimate form of generosity, selflessness and love toward ourselves and others. In fact, Metta is a Pali word for benevolence, friendship, affection and kindness. The...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) Why mindfulness is an essential skill of the new year. Navigating the modern world is not easy — our culture places excessive demands on our time and attention, often pulling our focus away from those nearest to us and even away from our personal health and...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) With the festive season fast approaching, it’s incredibly important for parents to give themselves the time and space to prepare for the upcoming challenges. For adults, the holiday season can be incredibly overwhelming. We are exposed to a constant stream of advertising, our communities and homes...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) Learn some research-backed tips for fostering a thankful child. Wanting to raise a thankful child has its challenges. The entitlement cultural narrative can be a significant challenge in your quest. Has your child been given a birthday gift or invited to a friend's party? You know...
(Photo Courtesy of iStock) How mindful parenting can help develop a healthier parent-child relationship. It can be very challenging to raise a young family. If you have found yourself losing your patience and overreacting when your child says or does something unacceptable, you are not alone. Fortunately, there are ways...
(Photo Courtesy of Raychan/Unsplash) Why you should consider parenting mindfully. If you have ever found yourself reacting more harshly than necessary when dealing with your child only to feel remorseful later on, you are not alone. Mindful parenting is a parenting strategy that focuses on stopping a negative interaction in...
(Photo Courtesy of Taylor Wilcox/Unsplash) How to help your kids achieve goals in the new school year with a sensory vision board. Does your child have ADHD, autism, anger problems or other issues that get in the way of effective learning? If so, you're not alone. Many parents struggle with...
(Photo Courtesy of Kelly Sikkemma/Unsplash) When news of pandemics and school shootings create anxiety, and cyberbullying causes fear, artistic expression, and present-moment awareness can instill calm. If the world feels more stressful to you than ever before, you’re not alone. COVID-19 and its unending variants, school shootings, cyberbullying, threats of...
(Photo Courtesy of Paul Chambers/Unsplash) Have a soothing summer vacation with the help of these six mindfulness exercises for traveling with kids. Family vacations can be magical, creating memories that last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, traveling with children can be challenging too. Your children may experience new places and new...
Attention, OC Parents: Are you feeling stuck, frustrated, or just burnt out? Our panelists hope to give audience members guidance and tools to deal with the stressors of parenting today. ATTENDED ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS? COMPLETE OUR SATISFACTION SURVEY If you missed them check out the full Zoom Workshops... July...
Share Your Story and win a family Funday session at Art Therapy OC with Diana Shabtai. ArtTherapyOC.com Instagram & Facebook @ArtTherapyOC Attention, OC Parents: Are you feeling stuck, frustrated, or just burnt out? We want to hear from you. We are looking for parents who would like to share their current...
Dr. Diana Shabtai—Diana Shabtai, Psy.D., ATR-BC will be leading a Art Therapy series interactive workshop with you. She is a board certified Art Therapist who obtained a Masters degree in Clinical Art Therapy , MA in Marriage & Family Therapy & a Doctorate degree (Psy.D.) in MFT. She is passionate...
(Photo Courtesy of Canva) This Father’s Day, we’re reflecting on the life lessons that fathers can pass on to their children — particularly boundaries. Father’s Day is just around the corner. There are so many essential life lessons that dads pass on to their children. Father’s Day is a reminder...
(Photo Courtesy of Pexels) Mother's Day offers a natural opportunity for kids to learn the elements of love and kindness. Mother's Day really is about mom. Moms should not feel like they need to turn their day into a necessary learning experience for their children. However, it's impossible to ignore...
(Photo Courtesy of Annie Spratt/Unsplash) Embodying kindness can offer children many benefits for themselves and others. Is the word kindness overused? The truth is that it is easy to dismiss kindness as a catchphrase in this busy world we live in. However, kindness can never be an overdone idea! The...
(Photo Courtesy of Monstera/Pexels) Help your kids develop a mindful brain with some exercise. Are you wondering how to help your child flex their mental-health muscles? The brain is the ultimate mindfulness muscle! Play is the default brain workout for children. Most children effortlessly fall into play that allows them...
(Photo Courtesy of Canva) Learn how to create a mindful household for your child for parenting in unprecedented times. Is mindfulness possible in the chaos? It's the question that every parent asks. Life comes at us fast when we're helping our kids navigate the stress of school, socializing, family dynamics...
(Photo Courtesy of Canva) Fun activities to do with your kids for mindful holidays. It's easy to fall into the trap of rushing around, getting fixated on gifts, and clinging to picture-perfect expectations during the holiday season. There's nothing wrong with embracing the tinsel and glow of December. However, the...
(Photo Courtesy of Kampus Productions/Pexels) How mindfulness can become a useful part of your child’s mental-health toolkit. Parents shouldn't be intimidated by conversations about how to manage childhood anxiety. It's very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that anxiety is a problem that needs to be fixed. In...
(Photo courtesy of Canva) Learn about all the potential benefits mindful journaling offers to students. Parents looking to make the most of their child’s educational experience may want to encourage the use of the mindfulness tool, journaling. Some of the benefits of journaling include reduction of anxiety, improved grades, students...
(Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rockowitz/Unsplash) Helping children cope with the effects of living through a pandemic with mindfulness tips and tools. With a phenomenon as wide-reaching as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is nearly impossible to know the full extent to which communities across the globe have been disrupted. The loss...
(Photo Courtesy of Jeswin Thomas/Unsplash) Keep organized with these mindfulness tools during the back-to-school season. Throughout the pandemic, mindfulness has become a key practice for many parents. As lockdowns set in, it became much more important to focus on the small things that brought us joy, instead of grieving for...
(Photo Courtesy of engin akyurt/Unsplash) How parents can ease back into mindfulness after many months of intense pandemic anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested all of us — from the young to the old, to the sick and the healthy — no one has been un-impacted by the implications of...
(Photo Courtesy of Canva) Fathers can also greatly benefit from mindful communication with their children. Being present and practicing mindfulness with children is easier said than done. While new mothers are traditionally expected to be mindful, fathers are often understudied and overlooked when it comes to the relationships they form...
(Photo Courtesy of Maksim Chernishev/Unsplash) Learn how practicing mindfulness can help with some of the stresses of motherhood. Nothing in the world can fully describe the emotional roller-coaster that is motherhood. Motherhood marks a new chapter in a woman’s story and brings with it a new sense of purpose and...
(Photo Courtesy of Jan Kopřiva/Unsplash) Calming techniques for the chaos and anxiety of special needs life. Raising a child with special needs is a challenging task that can drain parents, especially when effective coping methods are absent. Brain development in children is a complex process that depends on several factors,...
Two new studies offer insights on how mindfulness techniques may impact parenting. Mindfulness starts with awareness. With the following questions having no correct answers, reflect on them as you read this article. By being mindful of our behaviors, we can be less reactive and more resourceful in our choices. Never...
A tale of "The Two Wolves" is a helpful allegory to help guide our pursuit of mindfulness. An old Cherokee Indian is huddled around a campfire with his grandson, with only the shine of the moon and hum of the turning world for company. "A fight is going on inside...
Start the new year off in a more mindful state with these meditation tips. As we all know, a new year can bring with it a whole wave of emotions. Many people look ahead to the next 12 months and make resolutions, vowing to make positive changes in their lives...
As we near the end of the year, it’s a good time for going back to some mindfulness basics. Mindfulness is far more than being aware of an experience — it is also understanding why we are aware of it. Mindfulness is the human capacity to process a situation and...
Knowing the right ways to show empathy and compassion can serve as useful emotional tools for parents. The definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, while compassion is described as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Just because...
The key to learning is first learning how. When we talk about education — whether our own, our children’s or other people’s — we talk a lot about the importance of learning. We talk surprisingly little, though, about how to learn. We fail to address the reasons why learning is...
Reframe how you and your children process feelings to help develop healthy emotional agility. Many people approach their emotional well-being as a zero-sum game. They get it into their heads that the goal is never to feel bad, ever. No bad days, no frustrations, no negative thoughts. If they feel...
Parents have a lot to handle these days. Here are some methods for staying sane when things get real. Becoming a parent and having the opportunity to raise a little one of your own is one of the best gifts that life has to offer. Still, as beautiful as the...
Photo by Meghan Holmes on Unsplash Develop new fun activities to spend quality time together as a family this summer. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed much about the way we live and relate to others. Social distancing is necessary. A lot of conventional summer family activities, like visiting the local...
Learn how you can rock as a father with these simple tips. As a father, you want what is best for your child. You know you cannot always be perfect. But you want the decisions you make, the actions you take, and the ways you treat your children to make...
These meditation tips can help soothe our nerves during this challenging time. These times are challenging, there is no doubt. Focusing on one’s mind in the moment can bring great insight, as it allows one to think clearly about the subject matter at hand. Mindful parenting is simply an ongoing...
Balancing work, kids and stress amid the coronavirus pandemic. As days pass, the novel coronavirus continues to account for the disruption of the lives of a significant portion of the global population. This has triggered feelings of anxiety, depression and fear among people regardless of their cultures, genders or ages....
Special needs children offer important lessons to parents and the community. Indeed, the term special needs is associated with disabilities and implores parents as well as stakeholders in the community to ensure their children get special assistance and accommodations for their medical, psychological and learning deficiencies. However, the use of...
Why parents should make screen-time limits a priority. The amount of screen time in the United States has been increasing over the past five years. Data from a recent survey by the Nielsen Company, postulates that the average screen time in the United States is 10 hours and 39 minutes....
With some preparation, parents can ready children for a successful camp experience. In recent years, there has been an increase in awareness on the need to expose children to camping activities. Exposing children to camps increases their sense of self-reliance, ambition, adventure, optimism and self-esteem. Camps offer unique opportunities that...
Here’s how to up your parenting skills to superpower level for the new year. Parenting is a tough job. Your commitment, love and genuine desire to help your children grow and thrive are key to super parent success in 2020. The new year offers an opportunity to refocus and reprioritize....
Stress is a fact of modern adult life, especially during the holidays. It can be difficult to gather the energy needed to maintain a career, home, family and social life. When your personal reserves are running low, your relationships suffer. In addition to a number of serious physical symptoms, stress...
Teach the kids about the benefits of the holidays beyond simply buying presents. The holiday season is a favorite time of year. All of the lights, food and festivities tantalize our senses and invoke feelings of playful merriment despite the cooler weather. The true intention of mindfulness practices is to...
Learn how to transform fear into courage with these mindfulness techniques. To feel afraid at times is normal — everyone experiences fear. Learning tools to deal with fear will allow you and your child a stronger voice in life. Fear is an emotion that can help us be cautious. Parents...
Apps can be a priceless tool. Imagine your child having a coping skill in their pocket that can bring harmony and presence at home or in the classroom. Meditation apps are fostering great results, they can help young ones calm down and help improve focus and concentration. Many environments can...
Incorporate mindful intentions during the back-to-school season to set your family up for success. The start of a new academic year can be overwhelming for parents and children. Mindful intentions help with the transition and will lay a foundation for a successful school year at any age. Intentions are different...
Summer trips can serve to refuel the family unit by keeping actively mindful. Enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Trips are an ideal time to reset, reconnect and refocus the family. Cultivate joy with mindfulness on your summer vacation. Traveling provides opportunities for your child to learn patience and...
Parents continually face stressful situations with the constant demands of work and family. Uncontrolled stress makes it difficult for a parent to respond appropriately when their child acts out. Yelling, spanking and other aggressive or violent punishments can be the result of stress buildup. A moment of uncontrolled anger can...
Incorporate this meditative body scan technique to help soothe your family’s collective mind. From the time the alarm clock jolts you out of bed until you lay your head on the pillow at night, you rush from one activity to another. Racing to keep up in today’s world often leaves...
Children acting out aggressively can be emotional for everyone in the family. But mindful parenting techniques may help. On a sunny day, you find yourself seated on a park bench watching your toddler run around and chase a new friend. As you sit chatting with the child’s mother, a sudden...
Mindfulness is a meditative technique that can help boost the parent-child relationship. Mindfulness is a technique used by many meditation practitioners. The goal of the practice is to bring awareness and consciousness to the present moment. Adherents of mindfulness are able to gain greater insights and better understand their reactions....