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Showing posts from August, 2009

The Bus is Here and I Can't Pry My Child Off My Leg!

Identifying Symptoms of School Phobia Written By: Aaron Welch, MA, LMHC, PC Most parents can remember the traumatic and extremely emotional “first day of school” for their children. This moment in life is difficult for everyone involved; the parent, because it means that their little baby is growing up, and the child, because they have never been away from mom and dad like this before. The child is entering an unknown world, full of strangers (and aren’t they taught to not talk to them), adults who look scary, and a new set of rules and expectations. This day is also difficult for the teachers, as they must manage an entire class of emotional and fearful children. Even the bus drivers sometimes feel pressure as dad and mom follow them all the way to school to make sure that he/she is not a driving maniac. Yes, the first day of school can be very difficult for all of us…but what if the child is 14? Or 16? Or 18? What if the first day of school becomes an issue every

Smart School Choice builds Strong Kids

The strategic changes needed to bring out the best in your children By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified Counselor & Certified Life Coach Recently I had dinner with my friends Bill and Nancy Palmer and the subject of school choice came up; mostly because at one time they had each of their five children in five different schools. If you think that schedule sounds crazy, then you’ve never met the five remarkable young adults they raised who have launched successfully out into the world. It was extremely stressful at times to keep things organized but they were committed to building strong kids and were creative enough to always find options to help each child grow in strength and confidence. How did they do it? Simple, they picked the educational experiences that were the best fit for each of their children at each stage of life regardless of convenience. Many times parents are afraid of school change, or don’t realize they have so many choices available to them in guiding their kids

When should parents begin to let go of their kids?

Managing the change of letting go of children so they can launch into a successful life as young adults By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified Counselor & Certified Life Coach Parents are told to give their children "roots and wings" from the time they are born until it is time to leave the nest, some twenty years later. I believe that the first part comes easier than the second, which may not come at all for some older adolescents these days. Let me explain a few factors to help you understand why some kids never seem to launch into early success as young adults. Giving a child 'roots' is about shared traditions, Judeo-Christian values, personal accountability to a moral standard of behavior like the 10 commandments or the golden rule as well as providing a safe and loving home environment. I believe that most parents do their best to care and provide for their kids. I also believe that most parents try to build these core values into the heart of their kids whi

Empowered or Entitled?

Empowered or Entitled? What Are We Teaching Our Kids? Let me begin by asking a simple question… What the HECK is going on?????? Whew…that felt good. I’ve wanted to scream that question (and dozens like it) ever since I began teaching in public education several years ago. Honestly, I almost feel like I fell into a coma over the past fifteen years, only to awaken to an educational system and to a society that gives adolescents the idea that they are entitled to everything whether they have earned it or not. Where was I when this shift occurred? It’s not as if I spent the last dozen years in isolation, living alone in a cave somewhere. Truthfully, I have never stopped working with adults and teenagers alike as a pastor, coach, and counselor. I don’t think I fell asleep at the wheel and yet I feel like the driver who opens his sleepy eyes to find that he has drifted onto the wrong side of the highway, in oncoming traffic. I am seriously concerned about

Discovering Your Destiny

by Barb Waldron Could it be that reading this article right now, wherever you are, is part of your destiny? If we take God at his word that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16), then it is no accident you are reading these words. A good friend recently gave me a plaque which reads, “May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.” Being at LifeWorks right now is part of God’s plan for you. In the days, weeks, and months that follow, as you partner with us, we desire to help you bring lasting change into your life that takes you to a new level of personal, professional, and relational fulfillment. How does it work? By embracing your destiny. I’d like to invite you to think about your life in terms of a simple acronym corresponding to the word, “destiny.” Perhaps these keys can help you unlock the life you were meant to live. D: Dependence on God. In our society, independence is highly touted. And