18
October
2009
Are you wondering if you’ll ever have your life back again?
Does the thought of taking your child out in public seem overwhelming?
Is discipline a much tougher gig than you imagined?
Are you worried about regaining your authority as a parent?
Is homework time a huge energy drain?
If any of these statements apply to you, register for my parenting class “Becoming Your Child’s Life Coach”
Based on my professional knowledge as a special educator and my experience raising my two sons, I’ve put together a class to teach parents how to parent with “Mindsight”…..really having insight into your own mind and understanding your children’s emotions, behaviors and words.
Discipline doesn’t have to be so tough. It is absolutely possible to raise awesome children while honoring their unique talents and skills.
Go to my website and register for “Guiding Your Children to Their Own North Star” filled with tools adapted from Martha Beck’s work and designed for children.
The class will be recorded, so you may take it live or…. listen to the downloads and the recordings. 
The live class begins on Tuesday, October 20th at 11:00 a.m. PDT and repeated at 6:00 p.m. PDT
However, you may register anytime between now and November 30th.
Register at www.createanewseason.com
or e-mail me with your questions: maryannlowry@mac.com
The six session class is only $99 and includes two complimentary personal coaching sessions.
I’d love to connect with any of my blog readers.
This class is designed to be very “user friendly” for parents, but it’s based on the latest research from neuroscience, positive psychology and interpersonal neurobiology. Class will incorporate some of Dr. Dan Siegel’s insights on parenting taken from
“Parenting from the Inside Out”
Best,
Mary Ann
Posted: Raising Great Kids to be their Uniquely Created Selves
16
October
2009
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Daniel Siegel talk about “Mindsight”. He stressed the need for all of us to make “reflection” part of our daily practice. I’ve definitely put that into practice and have found myself analyzing anything and everything.
“Should I get a pedicure or save my money, since I don’t wear sandals in the fall?”
“Why did the possibility that a little boy was riding in a helium balloon by himself capture the nation’s attention?”
Write me privately, if you want a commentary on the pedicure. I promise to write back.
As for “balloon boy”, like everyone else, I’m thrilled that this news story had a happy ending. I usually don’t watch T.V. during the day, but a friend told me about this story. It immediately captured my attention. Obviously, based on the ratings and the fact that Wall Street was focused on this breaking story, America was watching. Understandably, a local affiliate would interrupt programming to alert the community to the fact that a little boy might be flying high in a balloon, alone. However, this was covered by CNN, Fox News, and global news
I don’t really want to ask, “Why did we care?” I think it’s an awesome sign that we all cared and worried about the safety of this six year old ch
ild.
Most of us are stressed over health care, the economy, the ongoing war, President Obama, bumper to bumper traffic, etc. You name it and you’ll find that someone is complaining about the issue. However, this event showed that we are able to rise above all of the stress and devote time to hoping and praying that this child would be found alive and well. Of course, there was drama in this breaking story, but I want to hold onto the thought that many gave up time to monitor the story out of concern for the welfare of this little guy.
Compassion and empathy are still traits that most of us have held onto even during a tough time for our country. Based on my parents’ stories about the “Great Depression” that was true then. My grandmother always had extra food for the people in need. My Daddy’s extended family all lived together in one big house in Houston, TX. He was a little boy, but only remembers the happiness of the time. There are many more stories that you could share with me about the fact that our best traits often come out during the toughest times.
Martha Beck has said that she goes to her “Core of Peace” when the most frightening things occur. While her brain was mapped by a neuroscientist, she meditated to calm down. The scan showed that she was calmer, but still highly anxious. That doesn’t make sense, but when she began to remember the times in life that were most frightening……the imaging showed her anxiety had diminished greatly.
I’m tying this all together with the conclusion that there is a strong chance that the story of the “boy in the balloon” would have captured our attention in the good times. Our country has always been known for our humanitarian spirit. However, we haven’t given up our spirit of compassion and empathy while things are incredibly tough for many Americans. It’s so easy to become bitter cynics when so many of us have been harmed financially or through the tragedy of war. Yet, most of us still care for our fellow man.
My reflections may be a bit on the naive optimistic side. However, I really want to believe that Americans are truly still holding onto our best traits during this recession. I want to be right, but go ahead and feel free to tell me where I’m wrong.
Best,
Mary Ann
P.S. Just learned that this was covered globally. What does that mean?
Posted: Social Concerns
9
October
2009
Our childhood shapes our brain in many ways—and so it determines our most basic ways of reacting to others, for better and for worse. When parents consistently practice empathy toward a child—that is, they tune in to the way that child views and feels about her world—they help instill in that child a sense of security and an ability to empathize with others later in life. But when parents act dismissively toward a child, they can make it harder for that child to be in touch with her emotions and connect with other people.
Daniel Siegel has done years of research to support these conclusions. Siegel, a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, founded the field of “interpersonal neurobiology,” which explains the brain basis for our habits of bonding with others. His research shows how we can overcome emotional disadvantages that might have arisen from difficult childhoods.
“Let’s say a child’s angry and is starting to throw something,” says Siegel. A dismissive parent focuses on stopping the behavior, instead of acknowledging the emotion that might have caused the child to throw that object. “The emotion behind the behavior is not recognized. It’s not seen.”
If parents consistently fail to acknowledge and discuss the connections between a child’s behavior and her emotions, says Siegel, the child won’t gain any insight into her own thoughts and feelings, nor will she appreciate other people’s emotional states. Siegel calls this ability “mindsight,” and he argues that it serves as the basis of self-awareness and empathy, while also predicting what kind of parent that child will grow up to be.
However, Siegel points out that actual childhood experiences are less important than how we make sense of those experiences. In other words, we can learn to think about our experiences in ways that can help us overcome them. This is good news for parents who had miserable childhoods. In fact, it’s never too late for adults to develop mindsight, because we can always rethink our childhoods, gain a new understanding of them, and thus avoid repeating the mistakes of the past with our own children.
“GUIDING YOUR CHILDREN TO THEIR OWN NORTH STAR: BECOMING YOUR CHILD’S LIFE COACH” is a tele coaching/class I offer from time to time. Since my professional background included years of studying metacognition (teaching children how to think), it’s gratifying by no coincidence that Dr. Siegel’s research validates the practical info that I give parents.
Go to my website and register for a free preview call to learn more: www.createanewseason.com
Register today for the freebies. i’d love to have you as part of the call.
Best,
Mary Ann
Posted: Raising Great Kids to be their Uniquely Created Selves
2
October
2009
My poor blog is collecting dust. I’m sorry that I’ve been away for so long.
Combine finishing the certification requirements to be a Martha Beck Master Coach with settling an IRS audit and a cross country move and I literally had to put my life in triage mode.
Things are settling and I plan to begin blogging on a weekly or bi-weekly basis from this point forward. Really I do! The number one rule for blogging is to post something and show up daily, weekly and I broke the rule.
I decided the best word for the reasons a blog writer doesn’t show up could be caused “Blogcrastination”. So why do dedicated bloggers fall into the dreaded blogcrastination???
10. Challenged by ADHD
9. Listening to too much Texas talk radio.
8. Brain needs a good reflective flossing.
7. Mentally challenged by Twitter world. How does one tweet or retweet?
6. Busy contributing to other blogs as a guest writer for other bloggers.
5. Obsessed with Chicago’s bid to host 2012 Olympics.
4. Waiting for Michael Jackson to be laid to rest.
3. Addicted to Facebook.
2. Forgot to pay Internet bill in June…service just restored.
And the number one reason……… Contribute your own reason!!!!!!! In your view what is the number one reason for blogcrastination????? Whether you are a blog reader or a blogger or a bloggest, why does “blogcrastination” happen to the best of us.
1. Waiting for your ideas!!!!!!
Posted: Life Coaching through My Blog
