People born in June fall under both the Gemini or Cancer zodiac sign
If your kiddo was born in the sixth month of the year, you already know that people born in June are outgoing, charming, and creative. And even though they can be more than a handful sometimes, June babies tend to grow up to be healthy, cheerfully optimistic people. Discover more characteristics and fun facts about June babies, including exactly which precious gem is June’s birthstone.
1. June people are healthier and more optimistic. According to a study published in Heliyon, summer-born babies are more likely to grow up to be healthy adults. Researchers theorize that greater exposure to sunlight and higher vitamin D exposure leads to better overall well-being.
2. Summer people are expressive and quick-witted, but can also have a dark side. Characteristics shared by many Geminis are sociability, excellent communication skills, and an always-ready-for-fun attitude. But like all Geminis who can possess two different personalities in one, June-born people can turn from fun-loving to super-serious and thoughtful without notice.
3. Most people born in June are Geminis, the social butterfly sign in the zodiac. These quick-witted passionate people are comfortable talking to anyone about anything.
4. Imagination rules for June-born Geminis. Thanks to their co-ruling planets, Venus and Uranus, June-born Geminis rarely are at a loss for ideas. Their imaginations rule them and can always be counted on to devise clever solutions to even the most complex problems.
4. Summer-born babies are happy ... Science has found that the season of one’s birth can have a lifelong impact on moods, and babies born in the summer months—from June through August—are shown to be the least susceptible to sadness brought on by seasonal affective disorders.
5. June's birthstone is a pearl, which represents innocence and purity.
6. June babies are giving and forgiving. Most people born in June fall under the sign of Gemini, which means they frequently see both sides of an argument. As a result, June-born people are forgiving and generous. Their Gemini-ness, however, means that they also can be indecisive.
8. There are plenty of celebrities with June birthdays. People born in the sixth month of the year share their birth month with celebrities like Natalie Portman, Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Cooper, Liam Neeson, Michael Cera, and more.
When I realized I was going to be a #boymom, I mentally prepared myself for a lot of things from being completely surrounded by testosterone to having to wipe the toilet down multiple times a day. What I wasn’t prepared for was the influx of outdated and insulting stereotypical phrases directed towards young boys.
From the moment onlookers experienced my five-year-old’s heartwarming hugs or my 2-year-old’s swoon-worthy dimples, I’d be bombarded with “compliments” ranging from “He’s gonna break some hearts” to “That’s an aspiring lady killer” and “He’ll definitely be a ladies man.” And then, we have “Boys don’t cry.” “Boys will be boys.” “Boys are much rougher than girls.” Every time those remarks hit my ear, I’d instantly cringe. I understood there was no malice behind these phrases. They were people making conversation, trying to connect. But what I heard were stereotypes being perpetuated onto my young sons. And these stereotypes had the capacity to do very real damage to their sense of self, their relationships, and even their safety. Let me explain.
I believe children hear and absorb more than we realize. But young children don’t necessarily have the capacity to decipher these supposed “well-meaning” phrases. If they hear them enough and start internalizing them, there’s a chance they become a reflection of those stereotypes. They become boys who grow up to lack respect for another person’s body and personal space, demean another’s display of emotions and not feel the need to be held responsible for it because “boys will be boys.” That is not what I want for my kids.
And it’s even more essential for me to shut down these stereotypes because I’m the mom to two Black boys. When I hear them, I feel like these phrases have the potential to erase the small dose of innocence little Black boys are allowed in a world destined to vilify them. Being wild and rough, or being a “heartbreaker” in relationships are generalizations society routinely associates with Black men. However, the difference is that when Black boys absorb those generalizations, there is little grace that may be extended to white children. According to a 2014 study conducted by the American Psychological Association, Black boys are viewed as older and less innocent in comparison to white boys from the age of 10—which leads to harsher disciplinary actions.
Words have power. I want my children to be well-adjusted, functioning members of society. That’s why I do everything in my power to not only shower them with positive affirmations, but I correct any adult who dares repeat those narrow minded ideologies about or around my children in the hopes they will one day learn the error in their words.
Until then, I’ll continue to do what I can to surround my boys with positive images of masculinity and defy gender stereotypes in the hopes that they will learn that “boys will not be boys.” Instead, boys can aspire to be “good people.”
—Written by Terri Huggins Hart Terri Huggins Hart is a nationally-published journalist, freelance writer, and public speaker. Find her on Instagram @terrificwords.
Elizabeth Brunner is a San Francisco-based designer and the founder of StereoType, a gender-free, style-forward kids clothing brand that’s designed to celebrate individuality and freedom of self-expression by blending traditional ideas of boys’ and girls’ wear. StereoType combines style, design and comfort to inspire creativity, individuality and freedom of expression.
I don’t know where normal worry begins or ends because the anxiety takes of over like an uncontrollable monster that steals every ounce of rational thought.
All parents worry and parents with special needs children, or medically complex children even more so.
Our children are so vulnerable and that makes us vulnerable too.
I worry about what will happen to my daughter if I die. If anyone will love her, understand her, and connect with her the way I do.
I know she will be cared for and I know she will be loved but she needs so much more.
I worry about her getting sick or hurt as she is unable to communicate this with us. When she is sick I have to fight the panic that can consume me.
I worry about someone mistreating her or worse—how will I know?
The worry can eat away at you.
I wonder why this happened to her and what she would be like if she wasn’t affected by this.
Would she be as happy, as sweet and lovable? Would she bring light and joy to everyone the way she does now?
I wonder why I was blessed with this beautiful soul to take care of, this sweet and sassy, smart and silly girl, who is full of innocence and love.
I wonder what kind of person I would be without her.
I wonder what she thinks, how she feels, what it’s like to be her—is she truly happy?
I wonder if she knows how much I love her, deep in my soul, a connection like no other.
I wonder if she knows how proud I am for every single accomplishment, no matter how small because I know how much work it is for her and how hard she had to dig for them. That my heart could burst with every new word that I thought I would never hear, every hug or kiss that I didn’t think I would ever receive.
I wonder if she knows I would take all her struggles, confusion, and pain as my own and carry them for her if I could.
I wonder what she will surprise me with next because she never ceases to amaze me. The worry as a special needs mom, a mom in general, and for me as a person will never stop. I have learned however to find happiness and peace in the here and now. To find the humor in every situation and to appreciate the beauty this life has bought me.
Kim McIsaac , is a blogger at autism adventures with Alyssa . She resides in Massachusetts with her husband and four children . She advocates and passionate about spreading autism awareness and educating and inspiring others . She likes to write , spend time with her family and loves the beach .
I’m just a girl, writing a blog with two dogs by her side, looking for…an audience. It is my hope that this is the first of many pieces that you stop to read. Fingers crossed.
And, yes. I am alluding to Julia Roberts iconic line, “I’m also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her,” from the 1999 film, Notting Hill. For the record, I know very well that I am more than ‘just a girl.’ I’m an educator, who is writing a blog with two dogs by her side, and I have a story to tell.
It is March 2021 after all. How could I not acknowledge the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic brought me to Empathic Paws without a reflection on March 2020?
During that unprecedented month, I was instantaneously thrust into a realm of isolation. In the figurative sense, I was holding myself together with duct-tape; raising and loving my son. Then forced to give that sacred TLC from behind a mask, quarantined, while living under the same roof, an impossibly daunting feat.
March 27th a 102.7 fever accompanied by classic COVID symptoms and a PCR COVID test.
April 1st. Positive COVID results. No joke, April Fools’ Day.
I pushed on. I balanced being a mom, teaching English to high school seniors from the confines of my kitchen table, and continued my doctoral research. No one really told me that it was OK to do anything different. So I stayed as close to my normal routine as I possibly could, otherwise, the metaphorical duct tape would peel right off.
There weren’t many people that I could physically embrace for love and support, besides an 11-year-old and our two large breed dogs. Sure there were FaceTimes, text messages with heart emojis, GIFs of Dr. Fauci, and front-porch wave hellos. But that’s not the same as fulfilling the need for tangible love and support, especially during a pandemic.
There did come a point in time that I met the CDC’s designated period of contagion. Even still, I found myself experiencing the monotonous and debilitating COVID symptoms of racing heartbeats, extreme dizziness, and utter exhaustion. Serendipitously, it was during a physically and emotionally repetitive late-April day, that I was reminded of the power of unconventional and unconditional love, which came by way of laughter. Real, belly-laugh, laughter.
The laughter was inviting and pure. I lifted myself up off the couch to see what all the laughter was about. Outside the kitchen window, I saw a boy and his two dogs.
I saw two dogs and their boy.
At the start of the pandemic, I worried something awful that COVID was going to rob my son of his childhood innocence. Little did I know, there were two, four-legged beings there to protect it all along. My son was blithely laughing. The source of his happiness–our two dogs, Judge and Daisy, and some dirty Under Armor socks (a story for another day).
An observation of cross-species love and support was my antidote.
With laughter as my background music, I sat down and opened my laptop. Out of the 500 open tabs within my Google Chrome browser, I closed 499. I navigated the mouse over the desktop folder, “Leadership Peer-Reviewed Articles.” I clicked and dragged a digital compilation of three years of research to its new home; a transitional folder entitled, “Stuff to Purge.”
There still was that lone tab waiting to learn of its fate. I clicked and arrived at the Google Doc, “Dissertation–HS Leadership_IB.” Did I really want my contribution to academia to be a 200 page document examining high school leadership and the International Baccalaureate program? I moved the mouse to File, navigated to Move to Trash, and executed one last click.
An exercise in digital prioritization enabled me to commit to the turning of a new page. With one click, I discarded three years of writing, research, and pseudo-supportive comments about the dissertation process: if you think you know what a dissertation entails you’re wrong, just pick a topic get it done, and my favorite, you’re not going to save the world.
Delete.
Flash-forward to the present day.
A lot can change in a year. A lot can change and remain the same; all for the better.
As for that whole dissertation-cleanse; to the surprise of many, including those aforementioned pseudo-supporters, I do in fact know what the dissertation process entails—having crafted and defended three new chapters. Maybe it has to do with selecting more than just a topic to write about, maybe it’s because I was inspired by an area that I cared about, the human-animal relationship. I still hold the belief that my academic contribution will be one that has the ability to positively influence the social-emotional wellbeing of students–even if it ends up being just one student, and not the world at large. And that’s OK by me, for that one student might very well be the person to save the world.
Remnants of COVID still linger and attempt to creep-up here and there. Thankfully, I am one of the fortunate ones to hold the official, yet ever-so-vague, Post-COVID Autonomic Dysfunction diagnosis. I am able to navigate this 2021 “long hauler” way of life and for that I am grateful. One dose of the vaccine down. One to go.
And the laughter continues its coveted, omnipresent-reign in our house. Often times, at the expense of another innocent pair of Under Armor socks. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I am well aware that my year-long personal and professional journey would not exist if it wasn’t for my son’s laughter and our dogs’ love. They are the trio that brought me to a state of empathic pause and this new page, is my ode to them.
Jessica is a writer, educator and researcher, with a passion for empathy, advocacy, and social responsibility. Whether writing, teaching, or researching, Jessica takes pride in her innate ability to inspire others to “Do All Things with Love, and believes it is even better to do those things with a dog, or two, by one’s side.
Photo: Kim Mcisaac via Autism Adventures with Alyssa
As a parent of a child with special needs, I’m going to zero in the stigma of the derogatory word used to describe people with mental disabilities. This word is also used as slang and to make fun of others, in reference to them being stupid.
I remember very clearly sitting across from the psychologist as he was reading the results from my daughter’s most recent tests. It was her three-year evaluation where they do a full evaluation and everyone sits around the table and talks about her results and gives recommendations.
This is one of many things as a special needs parent, that is difficult to hear and read. Listening to them refer to her level in ages. It’s just tough to hear, so I brace myself and force a smile. After all, this is just a routine IEP.
I, however, was not prepared for what was said next. As the psychologist was rambling about spatial this, decoding that, my mind was wandering. I was thinking about my beautiful 7-year-old girl and I was wondering what she was doing in class. Then my attention got diverted back as he went on to say her scores indicate “mental retardation.”
I was familiar with the term, of course, but have never heard it in reference to my daughter. I felt sucker-punched. Obviously, I am aware that my daughter is cognitively delayed. She is non-verbal and her receptive language is weak, but developing. At this same meeting, I was told my daughter would never talk or understand spoken word only visuals. I firmly disagreed.
I stared across the table at him biting my lip to keep the tears from flowing. He looked visibly uncomfortable and went on to explain it was just the way the scoring is done. He looked like he almost felt bad saying it.
I had to resist the urge to flip the table over and scream, “Do not talk about my daughter this way. This is not my daughter. She is bright and funny, mischievous, and yes challenging I will admit, but full of potential!” I felt sick. I could see her teacher giving me the slide glance as she thankfully piped in with her recommendations and some positive attributes. I could barely hear her, though. I just needed to get out of there.
I cried all the way home. I honestly don’t know how I safely drove home, it was heart-wrenching.
That word has such a negative stigma to it there was a campaign to permanently change it.
It is now referred to as an intellectual disability.
The problem is, although that word makes me cringe and it has such a negative impact, it is just a word.
Which will be replaced by another word.
The heart of the issue is not simply a word that shouldn’t be used. It is the attitude and overall assumption that special needs people are “less than.” That their lives are not as worthy as typical people.
Ironically, today, I had an experience with a lady who came to look at the daycare that I run. In the midst of the conversation, autism came up, and I told her that I had a daughter with autism. She started to talk about how her friend’s son was “seemingly fine one day and autistic the next.” She said point-blank that he was completely fine then all of a sudden….and then she jerked her head back and began shaking it around, as if she were acting out what it looks like to be autistic. I just stared at her. If I weren’t wearing a mask, my mouth would if dropped open.
I couldn’t even speak, I was so stunned. I am hardly ever at a loss for words but this time words failed me. She went on, talking about how hard it is, mumbling something else as I continued to stare at her.
I can not believe that an adult in this day and age would do this. Outwardly make fun of a disability. Completely inaccurately, I might add. And at a daycare, to a professional who just told you they had a child with autism! I have developed a thick skin over the years—it didn’t hurt my heart the way it once would have—but I was in disbelief.
It is complete ignorance, and it starts at home. We need to teach our typical children to do better.
We need to educate and show our children to the world. To be proud of them and not ashamed. The thinking that any one group of people is better than the next is outdated and simply untrue. Everyone’s life has meaning and value.
My daughter lives her best life every day. Her heart is pure. She doesn’t know evil, prejudice, or hate. Her life is simple. She smiles and, I swear, light radiates through. Her laugh is the sweetest sound you will ever hear.
She is worthy. She is deserving of everything life has to offer. She is different but not less: if anything she is more.
Her soul is full of beauty and innocence. It is up to us to stand up and protect her and others like her. To tell the world how imperfectly perfect they are. To set an example, to give grace, and to educate.
It is not enough to just erase the word. We have to advocate, educate and enlighten others. No more secret world of special needs, we will share the beauty, the joy, and the challenges and show the world how deserving our kids are.
Kim McIsaac , is a blogger at autism adventures with Alyssa . She resides in Massachusetts with her husband and four children . She advocates and passionate about spreading autism awareness and educating and inspiring others . She likes to write , spend time with her family and loves the beach .
Question: What piece of advice do you wish you had known prior to having kids?
A few days ago we received some wonderful news about someone close to us expecting their first child. When they told us the news they then asked, “Do you have any advice for us?” Definitely a common question that many first-time parents ask. While my first thought was to say, “You should have used protection” it somehow seemed inappropriate at the moment (but still funny). But, at the end of the day, it really got me thinking about what I wish I had known prior to having kids.
There are countless books and articles covering this topic but for each person, it is a personal answer. Each parent’s lives are impacted in such different ways that there is no single, correct answer that fits each person’s idea of parenthood. If I asked 10 people for their advice I believe that I would receive 10 different answers. I’m sure some people would say to be prepared for the lack of sleep, while others may talk about a drastic change in their social lives. For my wife and I, I think the biggest change when having children was how it redefined our marriage.
Prior to having children and while we were still in London, our marriage was so in sync that Justin Timberlake would have been impressed. We could predict one another’s thoughts and were always on the same page no matter the topic. We had a strong social calendar (as a couple and as individuals) and our home life was relatively simple. We had disagreements like any couple, but the vast majority of the time it was smooth sailing no matter which direction we went. As a couple, we were in a wonderful spot and loving every minute of our life abroad. Enter Kids…[cue doom and gloom music…jk]
“Happy marriages look to the future, not the past.” – Dale Partridge
To say that our children did a cannonball from a high dive into our simple, carefree, predictable life would be an understatement. From day one we rapidly learned just how unprepared we were despite having taken several classes and made all the appropriate preparations. And my wife and I…let’s just say that our marriage was quickly redefined in the most beautiful of ways. You see, the funny thing about kids is is that even though they can be pure anarchy, the absolute joy and innocence that they also bring to any family should be a reminder of what’s truly important. So, while our simple world was turned upside down, the 180-degree turn was the best decision that we ever made.
While it is true that our social lives have been kicked in the crotch, sleep is a luxury (hence the name Dad Loves Coffee) and much of our day revolves around the kid’s schedules, my wife and I have grown even closer as we’ve had to work together to keep our relationship strong. As a couple, we’ve had to figure out new ways to keep the spark alive while knee-deep in diapers. It’s been a major challenge that hasn’t been without arguments, but at the end of the day, it’s been a challenge that we’ve tackled together. While there are some days that we miss our care-free lifestyle (especially during the pandemic and isolation), we both know that we wouldn’t trade our new relationship and family for anything in the world.
So to any first-time, expectant parents, I would give this piece of advice: Understand and accept that your marriage and personal lives may/will change but you must work together to create a new definition of who you are as a couple. New boundaries will be drawn and a new set of expectations will emerge after the child is born, but it is in your best interest and the best interest of your children to keep your marriage strong despite the changes you’ll face. Because at the end of the day, the best thing that we can give our children is a strong, happy marriage.
Balding, gray-haired 30-something stay-at-home-Dad living in the Lincoln Square area of Chicago. Enjoys coffee, a cold pint and Bear Grylls while musing about parenthood and life.
You wore a disguise throughout my childhood. Dressed up as a friend…. joining me for tea parties in the woods, and summers in the sand, and nights under stars.
A bottomless cup from which I could drink at any time and would never go dry.
“Sit and enjoy yourself.” You whispered. “I’ll be right here, next to you. No need to worry.”
You stood by me through my teenage years….sprinkling a few things here and there to see if I would notice that our friendship had ‘conditions’…..
“Nothing that an ill-fitting bra and box of tampons can’t fix…..” I say with a wave of my hand. Still thinking it’s fun to race you and see just how fast you can go….. Not noticing when I stopped to catch my breath, you were still going.
My 20’s…. oh those were our glory days! We twirled and galloped and spread our wings together. We stayed up late and woke up early and worked hard and played harder…. you didn’t mind. You sweetened even the sourest of pills. When you took things from me, even the important things….
A young friend’s life.
Innocence.
My Grandmother.
You quickly said, “But look! Look at all of these beautiful gifts I have for you!” You wrapped up independence and good skin in a pretty package and tied it with a perky boob bow. Friends forever.
I fell in love with a man and of course, you were there for it all. Holding hands in the front seat while singing along to Neil Young…. driving along some backcountry road. Sleeping in and eating out…. dancing until they shove us out the door. When that man lifted my veil and promised forever….you didn’t interrupt.
It would be 30 years before you and I had our first fight. I wanted a baby and you wouldn’t give it to me. I wanted you to go faster and faster and you just sat there doing nothing. I was so mad at you. Every moment I wanted to be sped up until I saw those 2 pink lines.
It is Thanksgiving day and they hand me my babies for the first time. I snuggle them down into my hospital gown against my skin and breathe in their little heads. You were there too….. sitting in the corner waiting for me to notice.
I didn’t.
I forgot about you for a while.
And then I needed you again.
This time with a different plea.
“You don’t have to go so fast now,” I say.
You have turned my Mom’s hair grey and my skin has crinkles where it used to be smooth. My babies don’t have dimples in their knuckles any more and they can strap themselves into their car seats.
But you don’t slow down. You move faster
“Are you listening to me?” I shout, trying to keep up. “I said, slow down!!! I thought you were my friend!”
But you keep going, faster and faster, barely looking back.
You don’t sugar coat things anymore.
You are tired of me asking things from you. To speed up in waiting rooms, to dawdle on sunny days. To give me more of you in moments of joy and less of you when it hurts. To ignore you for years and then come to you pleading on my knees.
I’m up here in my studio tapping away on my laptop, offering you an apology—telling you I understand.
You are going to keep moving and I can’t keep up. We were never friends. You just wanted me to notice you.
And I do now. I notice you every day. I can’t forget you now, even if I wanted to.
A little voice calls from downstairs… someone needs a snack. A book read to them. It’s raining and they are still in their pj’s.
I slice up the apples and snuggle down into a chair, a little body curled up in my lap. He puts his hand in mine and we rock back and forth…..
I whisper out to you…..
“I know we can’t be friends, but….would it be too much to ask……please, pretty please …….
……..could you just stay with me?”
I smell his hair and close my eyes and keep on rocking back and forth.
A Whidbey Island mom that left a life that was "normal" and ran away with her husband and three little boys to live on an island in saltwater air and open spaces. A mom who is remembering who she was, loving who she is and dreaming of what she could be.
Tinybeans is working on actionable ways to better support all families of diversity on both their platform and in their community. On Instagram today, they highlighted a few of the organizations working around the clock for justice. Until Jun. 30, if you donate to a racial justice organization, Tinybeans would like to give your family a free month of Premium.
Founded in 1992 by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck at Cardozo School of Law, exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
Advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.
Founded in 2013, Black Lives Matter Foundation is a global organization whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
A Black-led collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support the community and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.
Non-profit organization that is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues.
According to a statement from Tinybeans, “We believe everyone should grow up in a world better than our current one, this includes loving our differences, acknowledging them, and remembering we are all human. Tinybeans will continue to work towards a more equitable future for your tiny humans, and hope you’ll join us in on our mission.”
Children can sense the energy around them more so than adults. Their innocence naturally carries the highest vibration, which is love. This is why, in this time of COVID-19, it is important to be conscious that as their parents, they are picking up on your energy. If you are worrying and stuck in fear mode, your children will be susceptible to that kind of energy. Even when you think as a parent your child is not listening to you trust me, they are. I have many friends of mine tell me that their children are listening to conversations even when they thought they were preoccupied playing.
It is important especially during these times to present them with tools that will help them build their life skills. Here are a few activities you can do with them to help them not only process fear but build their subconscious with valuable ways to learn how to become aware of their feelings.
Make a Gratitude Jar
1. Get a plain mason jar and have your child dress it up, call it the gratitude jar. This is a fun activity that will also develop your children’s form of creativity.
2. Each day have them write down on a piece of paper, something they are grateful for. Have them place it inside the jar and continue this daily. You can always tell them when they feel sad or upset, they can go back and read their gratitude jar to help provide them with their own words of inspiration.
3. You as the parent can also contribute to their gratitude jar by writing down affirmations such as I AM Smart, I AM Confident, I AM STRONG.
This exercise will not only teach them to be grateful even when they go through hardships but also teach them to trust their inner voice which is what builds their own intuition. Their intuition is what will become their internal GPS that will help them process pain and fear when they get older.
Practice Grounding and Meditation
Children like to be grounded because it helps them feel a sense of security. Here is an easy way to help your child learn to become present in their bodies.
1. Have them sit comfortably, close their eyes, and visualize attaching their body like an anchor into earth. You can take them through this exercise as a guided meditation.
2. Have your child place their hands on their heart and ask them what emotion there are currently feeling and where in their bodies they are storing that emotion. Then ask them how it makes them feel. As the parent you are simply the observer, provide an empathetic ear without wanting to provide a solution. As parents, you tend to want to fix your children’s problems by providing solutions but what you are doing is not allowing the space for your child to find their own solution which can be found within themselves.
This exercise allows children to express how they are feeling without being judged. It also allows them to learn to trust their own inner voice, thoughts, and wisdom. This will allow their natural flow of intuition to develop and they, in turn, will learn to trust themselves. Also becoming aware of feelings will also stop the suppression of fearful or negative emotions. If children are able to speak openly about their feelings and are aware of where the emotion is stored in their bodies, it will result in being able to process negatives emotions and not keep in stored in areas of their bodies.
Journal Exercise
You can also encourage children to write their emotions in their own personal journal. This will help them to express what they are feeling daily some children are not as expressive as others verbally. Writing is a form of energy release and allows children to openly express their emotions and state of well being through writing in a journal. This will also allow their creativity to shine through because they are learning how to verbalizes their emotions on paper. Journal also allows a safe place for children to openly express themselves in quiet surroundings rather in the presence of another.
It is important that during hard times as parents we give our children the tools, they need to process fear. Not all experiences in life have to be difficult, it is how we choose to react to these experiences that will shape how your children view fear and react to the world around them.
Maria Sofia’s life mission—inspired by her personal struggles with weight loss —is to educate parents and teachers on the importance of teaching nutrition to young children. Maria is a certified Health, Life and Trauma Coach. She is currently working toward her PhD in holistic health and lives in Toronto.
Good news is you’re still going to be alive and well at 47, which should come as a definite surprise considering you think people my age fall into the old category. You are clueless and naïve about the aging process, despite your beautiful innocence.
In a couple decades your understanding of middle age will enlighten and humble your firm edge lines. Not to mention drain your wallet when you realize how many panty liners and expensive pee proof undies you will have to buy to ward off your leakage issue.
Listen, mini me, I can still move, shake, grind, and toss one back with the best of them – even in my limited capacity. Never mind I how I may feel the day after pretending I’m half my age. Pain, discomfort, and hangovers are relative. Not to mention, badges of aging honor.
I’m here to share with you ten important things I’d like your twenty something self to know, which is a mere microcosm of wisdom you need to absorb. Consider these tips the most important, and build off each one to further your journey into the real world.
1. Die to self This can’t happen soon enough. Although it may come as a surprise, you aren’t the center of your own universe. Life is about relationships and the faster you learn who you are as a part of someone else, the sooner your selfish ways will fade. We are on this planet to serve, not to be served. Crazy, I know.
2. Join SPA (Smart Phone Anonymous) Instant access to everything across the globe at the touch of a finger is overrated, so you should get help for your addiction sooner than later. Lasting wonder exists all around you in real time: live human beings, beautiful nature, sporting events you pay gobs of money to watch; to name a few. Plus walking with your head down is hazardous for you and others. Slow down. Savor the moments. Rely on your own brain instead of the google noodle.
3. Laugh often. Smile every day. Cry whenever you feel like it. Each one empties the soul, allowing more life energy to flow back in.
4. Spend time with the elderly Senior citizens are walking TED talks. Pay attention and learn from their triumphs and failures. They know what’s important in life by now. Chances are you don’t.
5. Learn to love yourself and the unique blessing God created you to be You have value, worth, and purpose no matter what anyone tells you otherwise. Learn to cherish the person in the mirror.
6. Ask yourself if __________ will matter 10 minutes, one hour, 3 days, 2 weeks from now. If the answer is no, let it go
7. Be a good listener, not just a hearer Communication is paramount to success. Listen first. Don’t interrupt. Repeat back what you’ve heard to clarify. Listen some more. Speak last.
8. Pursue your dreams and listen to your heart Trust yourself and rely on your inner compass. You get one shot at life and greatness awaits those who keep striving.
9. Be real. Own your authentic self. Don’t waste your time pretending. Be you. Be bold. Be brave.
10. Be LOVE Love is the Nike swish meaning of life. Just do it.
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