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Back to School – Tips for Getting Through the Morning
by Carolyn Knarr, MSW, LCSW, Director of Children’s Therapeutic Services School is back in session. How is your morning going? Are your kids getting out of bed bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Do they come down and sit for a nutritious breakfast and then cheerfully go brush their teeth and get dressed? No? What is a mother or father to do? If you’re like most parents, you may get frustrated, then annoyed, then start to nag or yell. And it is deja vu, morning after morning. Kind of like the movie “Groundhog Day.” Nothing ever seems to get better — but it can. And the answer isn’t nagging or yelling. Have you…
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Accentuate the Positive
In the year 1944, during a dark time for families and the country, singer and songwriter Johnny Mercer wrote what would be one of the war’s most iconic songs of hope and inspiration: “Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative.” Why did this song become such an anthem of encouragement? Because through the power of music, the lyrics reminded the country that vision, hope, and inspiration are achieved by dwelling on those things which are good, excellent and praiseworthy. We can all have seasons in our life, our families, and our relationships that can be an unfamiliar, dark place. During these times, it can be human nature to lean toward negative…
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Helicopter Mode: Who’s It For… Really?
When we love and are committed to our family members, we want to ensure their success and happiness. It’s natural at times, however, that we may feel responsible, or be made to feel responsible, for the failures or unhappiness of those we love. This can include both our children and our spouse. Feelings of responsibility for another person’s emotions and behaviors can drive us into guilt, which may challenge our own personal boundaries. Before you know it, we might be climbing into the rescue helicopter and dialing the automatic pilot to the “No Boundaries Mode” so that we are always emotionally available to the other person. Now don’t get me wrong. Being emotionally available is a…
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1st Corinthians 13: Parenting with Love
by Carolyn Knarr, MSW, LCSW, Director of Children’s Therapeutic Services Sometimes it is hardest to apply God’s Word to relationships within our family. Let’s face it, our family and children can push us to our limits. We are often quick to react to the flaws of our family members even though we can easily show grace to strangers; and we easily show love and patience and bite our tongues when co-workers do things that bother us. Below is the well-known chapter on love from 1st Corinthians, applied to parenting. It is not meant to make you feel guilty or a “mess up,” but to encourage. It is a goal given…
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