The way in which you have been showing up in the world is a powerful model for your tweens, teens and adolescents.

Parental anxiety is a model for your child. So is giving in, taking the option of easy and overworking, because “No one else will do it” … sound familiar?

When you are ready for change, consider the role of connection. 

Just like a strong rope, these strands intertwine to create a strong, robust connection: a connection that nourishes the people who hold the ends.

1. Physical – hugs, loving touches, shared nutritious food, movement, physical presence.

2. Mental – thoughts, feelings, and emotions are expressed, listened to, and accepted in their present context with understanding and love. The rule for everyone is, “It is safe to express how I feel.”

3. Places – physical connections to important places are reinforced and created over the years. The memories of being together in these places are referred to with love and tender care. 

4. Family – connections are enriched by the influences of the wider family and positive relationships that nurture and support each other. Our ropes become part of a bigger net that provides balance and perspective. 

5. Spiritual – there is an underlying and acknowledged connection to something unseen that touches us all. As within, so without. As above, so below. 

One year spent creating new parental skills will lead to many years of enjoying the benefits of those skills. Not just with your children, these skills ripple into your closest relationships and the way in which you show up in the world.