Imagine...

  

Did You Take Care of Yourself Today?

You fed your kids, watered your plants, fed your dog, went to work, paid your bills, had sex with your hubby....and now you feel empty?
Maybe it's time to take care of yourself.... go to the gym, go out to dinner with a friend, and for God's sake, get a good night's sleep!
Get over yourself! You're not a machine and you don't have super powers!!
Slow down and take care of yourself...we teach others how we want to be treated so if you want to be given a break, a back rub, or a night out....show others your worthy of a break!

Distracting or Rewarding Negative Behavior?

If you're a parent than chances are you know that the skill of distraction can be very useful when parenting your child.  When your child sees something that he wants (but can't have) it's often helpful to avoid the situation by showing your child something that is acceptable.  However, we need to be careful when we are distracting that we are not accidentally rewarding negative behavior.  Here's an example...

Sally is throwing a temper tantrum at the grocery store because she wants a toy and her Mom tells her that she can't have it.  Her Mom gives her a cookie to distract her (inadvertently rewarding the negative behavior).  While Sally's Mom feels that she is not giving into the behaviors becuase she didn't give her the toy, Sally is learning that if she throws a tantrum than she will get a treat. 

Although distraction is often necessary (to avoid difficult situations) we need to be very careful about when and how we do it.  It is very important that children learn that they can't always get what they want.  Although it's difficult to say no when a temper tantrum might be the result, it's important that we teach our children healthy boundaries and not getting when you want is part of life.

6 Great Tips for Setting Technology Boundaries with Your Family (and yourself!)

Here are 5 great ways to set boundaries with your family when it comes to using technology in your home.
1.  Put your phone in the trunk of your car.  Tempted to look at your phone while driving?  Take away the temptation by putting your phone in your purse (or diaper bag) and placing it in the trunk.  Then, you will not have the temptation to be distracted!

2.  Cell phone basket.  Set rules for your children's cell phone usage by setting phone times and having your children (including yourself!) turn your phone off and put it in the basket while spending time with the family or doing homework.  This is such a great lesson for your family to learn to focus!

3.  Checking Minutes.  How many minutes has your child used this month on his phone?  Is he using it when he is supposed to be sleeping at night?  Set a limit and make sure you (or your child) checks with the cell phone carrier to make sure you are within the limits!  If neccessary, mark it on the calendar as a reminder!

4.  Prioritize quality time.  Do your children feel like they are the priority when you are playing with them or spending quality time or do they think you are most interested in the person you are texting?  Put your cell phone away and let your children know you want to be with them!

5.  Use a TimeScout (http://www.timescout.com/) - A device that helps you to track your children's use on t.vs and computers.

6.  Be Present. In our society today, it's so easy to get distracted from what is important.  No one knows what tomorrow will bring, so turn off distractions and turn on your presence.  And the best part?  Your children might follow your example when they are alone (IE.  not texting while driving!)