10 Points for Planning Successful Birthday Celebrations June 13, 2009
Posted by coachingparents in Dr. Caron Goode, Intuitive Parenting, Intuitive Resources, Intuitive Tools, Welcome.Tags: anger, children, emotional children, family, Fathers, how to, kids, life, mothers, Parent Children Education, parent coach, Parent coaching, Parent Education, parent support, parenting, Parenting Coaches, Parenting Coaching, parents, positive communication, preschoolers, relationships, teaching children, women, work / life balance
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By
Dr. Caron B. Goode
www.academyforcoachingparents.com
When it comes to party planning, there’s more to consider than who to invite. Each child is an individual and their birthday celebration should be a reflection of their personal style, temperament and personality. For example, my daughter loved a challenge, and each year involved the newest version of a Treasure Hunt that we dreamed up. On the other hand, my neighbor’s she daughter loved to watch movies with her friends.
To plan a customized celebration that your child will truly enjoy, take these 10 points into consideration.
1. Consider your child’s age. An age appropriate party assures that everyone will have fun. While having a clown or a costumed character may sound like a great idea, children younger than four of five, who can’t yet distinguish between what’s real and what’s not, could easily become frightened by masked man. Instead, consider a puppet show, music performer or age appropriate games for your entertainment.
2. Consider your child’s temperament. Some children love to be the center of attention and would be ecstatic to have a party, complete with colorful decorations and games in their honor, while others may feel overwhelmed by the idea. Pay attention to how your child embraces different environments. If he consistently clams up when in a loud crowd, it may be best to have a small, low-key gathering of family and close friends.
3. Consider your child’s ideas. Even preschool aged children may have their own vision of what their birthday celebration should be like. If your child expresses interest in his or her upcoming birthday, ask questions to understand their vision. For younger children, ask a question and provide two choices. “I’m thinking about your birthday cake. Would you like Elmo or Big Bird on your cake?” For older kids, ask open ended questions like “Can you tell me what you’d like on your cake?”
4. Consider your guest list. For young children, the general rule of thumb is to invite the number of children that matches your child’s age in years, plus one. Children older than 8 or 9 can better handle a larger crowd. You’ll also need to think about the children’s parents. If your child is younger, you may want to coach the parents to stay for the duration of the party by suggesting they enjoy coffee or tea.
5. Consider having a theme. Having a party theme can make the whole planning process a lot easier. From your invitations to your activities, a theme will help your guests easily transition from one activity to the next. If you’re having a jungle theme party, for example, your invitations and paper products could have animals on them, your activity could be making animal masks or singing animal songs, and your menu could include jungle juice and animal crackers.
6. Consider a location. The more kids you have, the more space you’ll need. If your child and his or her crew are active, you may wish to have the party outside, in a gym or in other places where the kids will be able to move around without breaking things or bumping into each other. If the guests are younger, your family room at home may be fine. Wherever you choose to have your party, be sure that the environment is safe to play in and explore.
7. Consider the timing. Consider your child’s daily schedule when planning his or her celebration. Planning the celebration around your child’s normal schedule help assure your child is well rested and ready to celebrate. Some kids are naturally more energetic in the morning while some seem to do better in the afternoon. Be sure to take the time of day your child is most centered, alert and interactive into consideration when party planning.
8. Consider the menu. In addition to taking allergies and intolerances into consideration, you’ll want to choose easy, age appropriate foods to serve your guests. While pizza is an easy standby, sandwiches cut into creative shapes to match your party theme, fresh fruit salad, raw veggies and cup cakes are also great menu ideas for young kids. Preschool age kids and older may enjoy making their own mini-pizzas or frosting their own cup cakes.
9. Consider your budget. While parties can be expensive, they don’t have to be. You can save money by making your own invitations or sending electronic ones, shopping at discount stores for paper products and having family and friends bring a dish to share.
10. Consider your conversation. Talk about the party planning with your child. For kids who prefer to be informed about everything, walk your child through what will happen at their party in advance. Role-play situations that may occur and coach your child how to communicate to you if things get too loud or too wild. If you can’t meet your child’s party expectations, talk about it in advance and brainstorm other things you can add to the celebration.
Birthday celebrations are a great way to celebrate your child and to let him or her know how special and precious they are. With a little planning, you can put together a celebration that your child will truly enjoy by embracing his or her personal style.
EVERYDAY GREATNESS May 28, 2009
Posted by coachingparents in Welcome.Tags: anger, character, children, emotional children, ethic, family, Fathers, greatness, how to, kids, life, mothers, Parent Children Education, parent coach, Parent coaching, Parent Education, parent support, parenting, Parenting Coaches, Parenting Coaching, parents, positive communication, preschoolers, relationships, teaching children, women, work / life balance
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By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.
As a society, we seem to be obsessed with “greatness.” We call a person “great” if he or she has performed a single skillful act (e.g. Captain “Sully” safely landing his airplane in the Hudson River). We call a person “great” if he or she survives a life-threatening situation (e.g. Captain Phillips surviving his ordeal at the hands of “pirates”). Now, I’m not diminishing the greatness of an unusual or highly skillful action. I am saying there is another way of defining “greatness” that is more useful. It is what Stephen R. Covey calls, “Everyday Greatness.”
We often associate greatness with notoriety, fame, prestige, wealth or position. We often fail to associate greatness with the character or personality of a given individual. Covey writes, “Everyday Greatness is a way of living, not a one-time event. It says more about who a person is than what a person has [or done]. [It] is portrayed more by the goodness that radiates from a face than the title on a business card. It speaks more about people’s motives than about their talents; more about small and simple deeds than about grandiose accomplishments.”
Covey goes on to say, “Occasionally the world witnesses a heroic feat or discovers a person with rare talent… Such singular events and accomplishments often appear in sizzling media headlines under the banner of “greatness.” But most people know there is another type of greatness that tends to be more quiet by nature, one that generally escapes the headlines. Yet it is a greatness that in my opinion is deserving of higher honor, even more respect.”
You don’t have to be the next Martin Luther King Jr., or the next Abraham Lincoln or Mother Teresa in order to demonstrate everyday greatness. You do have to have certain timeless character qualities within your personality to be described as “great.”
In an earlier book (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People), Covey distinguishes between what he calls the “personality ethic” and the “character ethic.” The personality ethic includes the skills and techniques one may learn and display as their public image, their “personality,” or attitudes one may have that result in temporary success.
The character ethic assumes that there are some absolute principles that exist in all humans, upon which all true and lasting greatness is built. According to the character ethic, it is more important to focus on integrating those timeless principles of effective living into one’s personal character. It is the nature of your character that makes you great!…or not.
What are some of those “timeless principles?” They include qualities such as: Truthfulness; Compassion; Integrity; Perseverance; Dependability; Generosity; Gratefulness; Humility; Responsibility; Justice and yes, Love.
We all have the potential to become great in character. The question of “greatness” then becomes, “Are you living your life in harmony with these timeless principles?” If you have incorporated them into your personal character, and your actions are rooted in them, certainly you can be truly considered “great.”
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Dr. Thomas is a licensed psychologist, author, speaker, and life coach. He serves on the faculty of the International University of Professional Studies. He recently co-authored (with Patrick Williams) the book: “Total Life Coaching: 50+ Life Lessons, Skills and Techniques for Enhancing Your Practice…and Your Life!” (W .W. Norton 2005) It is available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com.
Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D. has 30+ years experience as a Life Coach and Licensed Psychologist. He is available for coaching in any area presented in “Practical Life Coaching” (formerly “Practical Psychology”). Initial coaching sessions are free. Contact him: DrLloyd@CreatingLeaders.com
Lessons from Intuitive Parenting: Mothers Day Special May 18, 2009
Posted by coachingparents in Dr. Caron Goode, Intuition Facts, Intuitive Parenting, Intuitive Tools, Tara Paterson, intuitive children.Tags: anger, children, emotional children, family, Fathers, how to, kids, life, mothers, Parent Children Education, parent coach, Parent coaching, Parent Education, parent support, parenting, Parenting Coaches, Parenting Coaching, parents, positive communication, preschoolers, relationships, teaching children, women, work / life balance
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Did you miss the spectacular Mothers Day interview with Tara Paterson and Dr. Caron Goode about their new book, Raising Intuitive Children? In the renowned book, Raising Intuitive Children, psychotherapist Caron B. Goode and parenting expert Tara Paterson help parents understand an intuitive child’s world, while teaching parents how to validate these intuitive abilities and help your children embrace their intuitive gifts. Listen now to this informative interview at http://tobtr.com/s/505399.
For a Limited Time:
Psychotherapist Caron Goode teams up with parenting expert and Coach Tara Paterson to share explanations, stories, and examples many from Tara’s own family in this ground-breaking guide.
For the next 48 hours, get your free chapter of Raising Intuitive Children at www.raisingintuitivechildren.com.
Become an ACPI Certified Parent Coach May 12, 2009
Posted by coachingparents in Dr. Caron Goode, Intuitive Parenting, Intuitive Partners, Intuitive Resources, Intuitive Tools, Welcome.Tags: children, Dr. Caron Goode, emotional children, family, Fathers, how to, intuitive children, kids, life, mothers, Parent Children Education, parent coach, Parent coaching, Parent Education, parent support, parenting, Parenting Coaches, Parenting Coaching, parents, positive communication, preschoolers, Raising Intuitive Children, relationships, teaching children, women, work / life balance
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Special Invitation for Halloween
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If you have been struggling with the decision to join our Parent Coaching program because it takes too long or the price is an issue, then we have good news for five more people!
The price for the Fast Track Coaching program has been cut almost in half for the special group of people who want to get their ACPI certification before Halloween and start on their way to a fulfilling career as a parent coach!
ACPI is condensing three months of classes to training you in four focused days in coaching skills. And, we pass the financial savings on to you. ACPI covers your hotel fees, books, and media for the courses. You cover your travel.
Only five more people can join in the ACPI Fast Track coaching program in this cycle of classes and become certified by Halloween!
What’s more, if you are ready to dedicate yourself to becoming an ACPI parent coach, then we will set up a payment plan for tuition to allow everyone equal access to this amazing opportunity.
Read about the exciting opportunities in the growing field of parent coaching as covered in magazines like FortWorth Child (http://www.fortworthchild.com/showarticle.asp?artid=546).
If you are ready to be the one of the lucky people to fill our last five seats in the ACPI Fast Track Coaching Program, then get started today (http://www.academyforcoachingparents.com/acpi_site/stimulus.htm).
Take the first step today to take on the Role of a Lifetime!


