Category: family

Create order in your home and calm in your heart

laurelziegler1 Comment

Anyone who has been to my home knows that I like things in their place. I find it calming to create order in my home. A peaceful, organized home provides the mental space and energy to be more fluid and spontaneous in my life. An ordered home is also an important element to my approach to parenting.

Children need peaceful, loving environments in which they can explore and play. The openness and calm of an organized home allows one to focus their energy and mindset- whether in the act of play, reading or working. Stress is minimized in the home with ordered surroundings which supports positive family interpersonal interactions. Children are invited to rise to the moment with their best behavior in a peaceful home. They develop a sense of order and meditative expression in the act of tidying.

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A guiding question: “Is it reasonable?”

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I’m sure that you’ve had that moment when you’re trying to rush out the door already late and your child turns to you and says “I want to take my Elsa doll.” The pressure of timing is weighing on one side of you and yet your little one has just made a simple request. It very well could have been the words “I want to put my shoe on myself” or “I’m not done playing with my blocks” that were coming out of their mouth. The words that always ring in my ears are “Is it reasonable?”

If I say that I want my children to become strong and independent, then I need to build their confidence and self-worth in the small moments throughout our day. It is in those moments in which I can honor their request – their voice – that I am showing them that their opinion and preferences matter to me. I want them to feel comfortable speaking their mind and knowing that I care and that I’ll listen. It is my hope that validating their independence in these small moments will give them the courage to come to me as they grow older and life becomes more challenging.

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Exposing your children to artistic performances

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How long do you think your young children could sit quietly and watch an artistic performance? Quite possibly, much longer than you might think. I have been an advocate for arts exposure for children from a young age. At six months old, my youngest daughter sat quietly through an acoustic Norah Jones set. Children can adapt well to their environment. They can match the energy and mood of the adults around them. If you are able to be present with your children with a calm and positive energy, they will rise to the occasion to meet you in that moment.

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Do you choose a child-centered life or family-centered life?

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I was 34 years old when I became a mother. I had traveled around the world, visiting six continents, enjoyed strong friendships and had left a challenging career in Silicon Valley to move closer to family in Pennsylvania. I loved my life. At the same time, I felt called to motherhood and welcomed this new chapter in my life with a joyful heart. I was ready and open to loving a child.

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