The Other Parent’s Home

written by diana mercer and marsha kline pruett

when your children leave for the other parent’s home: leaving can feel left out

Editor’s note: as the co-authors of Your Divorce Advisor: A Lawyer and a Psychologist Guide You Through the Legal and Emotional Landscape of Divorce, Attorney Diana Mercer and psychologist Marsha Kline Pruett know a thing or two about how to help keep families organized and calm amidst emotional and legal complications. Here is their insightful action plan for creating emotional balance and inner peace whenever children leave for the other parent’s home.
When we write about divorce and children switching homes, most of the time the focus is on the children: what it is like for them and how to help them make smooth transitions. Read more

The Joy of Toys

written by kyle roderick & steveanne auerbach, Ph.D.

the joys of toys: tips from a toy expert
Do you recall what it felt like to play with your favorite toys? Do you remember how they sparked your imagination and took you on adventures to faraway lands?

As Berkeley, CA. psychologist, author and toy scholar Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (http://www.drtoy.com/) says, “The toys a child plays with can unlock the door to learning, and each new experience helps to turn the key. How much did we learn through our play? How much can your child learn? You’ll be surprised.” Read more

The Child Sutra

written by ria ray

As a mother, wife, artist, healer and business consultant, Ria Ray is committed to helping generate more positive life force in every one of her roles. With the intention of helping adults find more bliss in connecting with children, Ria offers this sutra, or collection of rules, to consider, live with and enjoy.

Children are living, breathing proof of intimate connection. Entirely dependent on the world’s goodwill and fate, children are hugely vulnerable to the behavior of their parents, their friends, strangers and relatives. You may know this intellectually, but I wonder if you know this in your emotions when you are around any and every child? Read more

Stress Management For Children

written by marci zaroff

stress management for children
As a working mother who founded and directs the organic fiber fashion company Under the Canopy (www.underthecanopy.com), I know a thing or two about combining work and family life. In fact, I consider my daughter Jade and son Mason to be my greatest teachers. While I find major bliss in watching them grow up, the world that they are growing up in is so different from the one today’s parents experienced as youths. 21st century reality is way more time-crunched, stressed out and impersonal. It’s also way more competitive. Read more

Defeating the Great Nothern

written by john sovec

a parent’s guide to open communication
For many parents, the experience of raising children can easily turn from an idealized dream of Halloween costumes, lunch boxes, first dates and prom pictures into a battlefield of miscommunication and misunderstanding that leaves both children and parents emotionally scarred. In this type of environment, each attempt by parents to connect with their children is like walking through a minefield. Every step carries the potential of detonating an explosion of conflict and aggression. The result of this type of family dynamic is often a numbing exhaustion that permeates every aspect of family and personal life. Read more