Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a shepherd in fields of green pastures? A few years ago I became interested in more about the job as a shepherd. I did some research and found some fascinating similarities between shepherding and parenting.

Anxiety shows up in 8 ways. It does not always look like a ball of nerves.

It all begins with an idea.

A collection of my poems.

It is a learned skill that most of us had to practice often to even have a chance to keep the hoop up. Well, guess what, hula hoop boundaries are the same! They take lots of practice to be able to understand the art of keeping your hula hoop in place around you at all times.

I have said before that I think and learn a lot with acronyms. My brain must think that way, because they come to me fairly easy. When I was hiking the other day, I was going over what I wanted my monthly focus to be for July. The word perseverance kept coming to me, so I have decided that is it! I will be focusing on the how, what, when, where, and why of perseverance.

Do you know the most important way to recognize counterfeit currency? It is to study and know the details of genuine currency. When I first heard this question this morning while listening to a sermon, I was a bit stumped. I did think of studying the real money, but I also thought that it would be smart to study the ins and outs of the fake money as well. The more I sat with the question, the more I realized that examining the genuine would allow you to recognize the counterfeit much quicker and with more accuracy. So, how does this idea relate to perfectionism?

Home. This simple four-lettered word is not exactly simple. T.S. Eliot (1970) suggested, "Home is where one starts from." Home encompasses more than a physical location. Being "at home" refers to an emotional state and a sense of belonging. This word can conjure up many thoughts, memories, feelings, images, and emotions.

There has been a lot of talk lately about self-care; it is almost as if taking care of oneself has become trendy. Sometimes trends come and go and some stick around for a while. In fashion, women thought that animal print would eventually go out of style, but leopard prints, are still draping the runways. Will self-care stick around? Why has it become so on trend? What exactly does it mean to take care of yourself? What are the benefits of self-care?

Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem by providing balance through their role of being chief pollinators to the flowers. Without bees, our food production cycle would go extinct. In a way, we can think of bees as holding the magic wand that sprinkles our earth with beautiful fairy dust. Over the past several years, I have been pulling together from several authors, presenters, books, and schools of thought, and my own experience to develop this idea that there is a flow of B's that all work together to produce a transformational effect.

This title seems a bit strange due to the message that we so often are taught about the need to focus on others by being kind. From another perspective, is it possible that we need to focus on ourselves with kindness in order to care for others? I recently saw an enlightening meme about if we would talk to ourselves the way we talk to our precious dogs, we would be showing ourselves so much more love and respect. Interesting thought.

Hi, I am nine years old and I am in the 3rd grade. I have ADHD and I feel lots of different emotions all day long. I thought it would be helpful for you to know some of what it feels like to be me! IF you don't know, ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I know it is a mouthful, so we shorten it to ADHD. Recently, psychologists decided to not use ADD and just use ADHD, but there are three different types: Combined Presentation (with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity), Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, and Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation. I have the combined type. So, that means I have a hard time focusing, and I can be hyper and say or do things without being able to stop quickly. However, I have learned how to help myself and cope with guidance from my teachers, doctor, therapist, and parents. Each day, I have lots of feelings such as, sadness, anger, confusion, fear, and happy! My mom and dad thought I could help other parents and children by telling you more about when I have these emotions and what I do with them.

In mathematics, Merriam Webster defines a constant as a number that is assumed not to change value; a fixed value. Google defines a mathematic constant as "a quantity that does not change its value whatever the value of the variables." Merriam states another meaning of constant to be "something or someone that is reliably present or available". Some synonyms of constant in the relational sense are: changeless, stable, steady, and unvarying.

As we look at parenting in these uncertain times, how does this idea of being stable and steady play out in our homes and in our relationships with our children?

Do you ever find your self feeling like your mind will not turn off? Are you stuck as if you are a hamster on a wheel, going around and around with thoughts and emotions? You get stuck in the unending rumination cycle of mostly negative thoughts. You are not alone! Both men and women, adults and children, all become entranced from time to time thinking about the what if's. For some individuals, this state of unending thoughts and emotions can dominate much of their day. Believe it or not, there is a solution to improve your ability to choose to get off the treadmill. And, the answer is not too complicated!

In the book, The Scaffold Effect by Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, he states, "The parental scaffold is the external structure and support around the child's 'building.' In the early days, the building doesn't yet have a solid framework. Fortunately, the strong parental scaffold that surrounds it keeps the building from falling down...if the scaffold itself isn't secure, it won't be strong enough to guide the building's upward growth."

According to brittanica.com, "scaffold, in building construction, [is a] temporary platform used to elevate and support workers and materials during the construction....it consists of one or more planks of convenient size and length, with various methods of support, depending on the form and use. I took the liberty to emphasize the phrase, "with various methods of support", because the way we all secure our own scaffolding may look different. There is not a magic formula to how to self-care, but we all need to put a system in place in order to support our children's building.

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, "power is defined as the "ability to act or produce an effect" or the "possession of control, authority, or influence over others". A power struggle between a child and a parent occurs when either the child or the parent is trying to produce an effect (or a reaction) or the child or the parent is trying exert control, authority, or influence over the other. Very interestingly, the definition in the dictionary is completely accurate! The quote (pictured) by the Attitude Magazine refers to a parent often feeling threatened when a child is trying to gain control. The adult may become triggered that his/her power is actually being taken away by the child. In actuality, the child is desperately trying to gain some of his/her own power.

“There's no "should" or "should not" when it comes to having feelings. They're part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control. When we can believe that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices about what to do with those feelings.” ― Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember

What exactly is a ripple versus a wave? Ripples are the instant effect of wind on water and they die down as quickly as they form, as the surface tension of the water dampens their efforts. If a wind blows steadily across a large enough patch of water for a few hours then the ripples become waves and these will not be dampened so easily (naturalnavigator.com)

This series will encompass three parts:

1. Can We Create Boundaries and Give Choices? - Understanding about boundaries and limits. How can we empower our children and still give them choices? How do we create boundaries within ourselves as parents and teach our children to develop healthy boundaries as well?

2. Do We Always Have to Put Up the Alley Guards? - How can we allow our children to fail and not rescue them? When is it good to let them experience heartaches? When should we step in?

3. Modeling: What is the Message We Want Our Children to Hear? - What are we conveying? What is co-regulation? What can we do to model good boundaries?