"Real protection means teaching children to manage risks on their own, not sheilding them from every hazard."
-Wendy Mogel PhD.
Parenting Skills & Education
Why do you enjoy parenting so much?
"We live our lives day after day amassing this vast body of knowledge based on all our personal experiences. At some point, each one of those bits of knowledge will be update or replaced by a new and more accurate understanding. We call this process learning, or evolving the way we see and experience the world - our truths. The idea of passing along the best of the best of our knowledge gained from our life experience is so exciting. As parents, we literally shape the reality of our children. We can show them what is behind the curtain and how all the tricks are done. Then, we watch them apply all we have given them, while they add some of their own style of course. "
Thoughts on raising children -
"I often hear people discuss “raising children.” This view of parenting has always proved troubling. It emerges as a theme in my practice as Parents discuss challenges with responding to their child’s difficult behavior patterns. I prefer the statement “raising adults” as they are already children and we are bringing them to adulthood. I believe that this shift in perspective prompts us to become more oriented toward who we would like to see them become.
This perspective promotes shaping outlook and sense of self in relationship to the world rather than limiting parents to merely responding to undesirable behavior patterns after they have already been established. This small shift results in parents having more a intentional influence in their child’s development. I love to challenge people to imagine their child many years into the future with all the character traits they so admire. Now, with all the virtue of that amazing person we now have in mind, lets get about the business of interacting with the child before us in a manner that will produce the person we now know they will become."
So how do we get them there?
"Based on the unique circumstance of each child, there are many strategies ranging from simple to sophisticated that can be combined to develop the most comprehensive parenting plan suited for any specific child and their family. Developing a tailored parenting plan will involve consideration of many factors such as; your family values and goals, current behavior modification methods, reward/reinforcement systems, communication patterns, limit setting and testing trends in the home, responsiveness and flexibility/temperament of the child, and so on. You are welcome to contact me for a free consultation to discuss what approach would best meet your child’s needs."