How many times do we all talk about, or even set about, making that proverbial ‘fresh start’ or ‘new beginning’ only to find ourselves drifting back to the trusty shores of habit? Sometimes we instigate change, or a change just occurs, bigger than our own sense of willpower and we have to handle it - we don’t have a choice.
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Date Night. Those words have quite a ring to them. But, for parents, sometimes a romantic evening out can seem more like a distant fairy tale. Maybe the budget doesn’t really allow room for a carriage ride and an elegant dinner out. Perhaps fairy godmothers, I mean, babysitters are hard to come by or too expensive. Or possibly mom or dad is just plain tuckered out by the end of the day, too tired to dance the night away.
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Recently, I celebrated a ‘big’ birthday, so family and friends extended the celebrations appropriately. I returned home from one outing with girlfriends and proudly displayed my bright orange latte mug. Painted across the front is: “BFF: Brilliant, Fun-Loving Friend”. My 13-year-old daughter piped up, “Do you really consider yourself fun-loving?” Ouch.
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Focused listening is one of the most important skills your child will ever learn. Children with strong listening skills do better in school, sports, relationships and eventually in their careers. But many children lack this important skill and parents are rightly concerned. What can you do?
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