Tips

“May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending. Teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go out into the world. May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than the form. May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another’s judgment of your accomplishments.” –author unknown

I have been working with clients since 1972, sometimes in a hospital setting but usually one on one in the client’s home.

Curiosity-always remain curious for your own growth. Curiosity keeps you interested.

Lessons Learned- some of the best life lessons I have learned have been from clients and I thank them for it. Life is full of seasons so be ready for them.

Accept differences- you can learn about different cultures, religions, holiday celebrations and life styles.

Be caring- Birth and death will affect your clients and you.

Be honest- give honesty and accept honesty both in a respectful manner. Treat people as you expect to be treated.

Maintain a sense of humor

Don’t neglect your personal life.

By Sandy

A week ago we added a German Shepherd puppy to our family. Similarly to the birth our children it changed our routines drastically. Our routines were changed as we had to get up a few times throughout the night to take him out, feed him at certain times, and train him on what to do and not to do. Prior to bringing our puppy home we read a number of books and felt comfortable in regards to what we would be getting ourselves into. Things that we learned were that he would need comforting in the early days in the home, that a crate is a good thing, that he would need to be watched all the time, and puppy proofing the house and training was a necessity. As long as these foundational things were done and we continuously built on the foundation of learning we would have good experiences in the later years of development.

Our children are amazing gifts; we can all agree that in the early years of our children’s lives our lives were drastically changed as we adjusted to having a new life in our homes. We went out and bought carriers, cribs, the appropriate foods, and of course diapers. Needless to say as our children develop and grow we need to adjust to their development. What worked in the early years is not always needed any longer due to their development. As parents we must continually be adding new skills to our parenting tool box. We need to be continues learners so that we can teach and train our children grow in to healthy adults.

As you go throughout your day take some time and evaluate how you parent. Do you find yourself being like your parents; doing and saying the things that you said you would never do to your children? Do you find yourself parenting your 10 year old child the same way you parented him at 5; the result being more back talk, disrespect, and frustration. I would encourage you to add new trainings to your parenting toolbox. There is so much information out there that can help you as a parent. Become continuous learners and lay a foundation that will help your children become healthy adults. What you do now can influence generations to come.

David Rodriguez
Case Manager/Love and Logic Facilitator

To coin a 90’s catch phrase “Stop the Insanity”. I remember as a teenager seeing this blond lady on the TV with spiky hair going around all intense making this declaration. I also recall Jeff Goldblum who played Dr. Ian Malcolm in the movie Jurassic park, when confronting the park owner when he says “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” This morning I listened to a news report that said that the average child spend 7.5 hours a day interacting with some form of technology. These technologies would be game systems, cell phones, television, computer, the net etc. A few weeks ago I saw a commercial for a cable company that was highlighting how every one can now be connected to their choice of social network while watching TV.

In my humble opinion it seems as if we have as a society have substituted authentic face to face relationship with that of cyber-relationships. I know this may sound extreme, but it is a concern. I am all for technology and I enjoy using it just like the next person. I believer though we need to use wisdom and discernment in how much we allow technology to infiltrate our lives and families. As a society statistics have proven the deterioration of the family, as well as the levels of dysfunction that can be found in relationships due to poor communication. I am not saying that technology is the cause for these statistics but that it can be a negative factor.

I have had to reflect upon my family as well as others that I know and it is amazing how we can spend hours using our TV, PC, IPOD, or Game System and maybe a half an hour a day speaking to one and other in our family. I conclude restating that technology is not evil but we do need to examine how much we allow it to consume our lives. As adults we set the standard and give boundaries for the younger generations lets begin now to establish some level of balance for ourselves and the generations to come.

“We are so Busy!”, to quote a friend of mine. It seems as if families are busier than ever. If your children are elementary through high school age you more than likely are feeling the strain. Spring is here and the extracurricular activity schedules are getting ready to start. Along with the business for parents comes stress which is unhealthy for all of us. So what is the solution to the business? Is it to quit everything? Is it to sacrifice family activities, or cut back on overtime? Well though unpopular but wise maybe the solution is not to do it all. Examine you family schedule necessities and priorities. Then evaluate the extras, in light of your priorities. Another thought to ponder is what activities can the whole family participate in? Hopefully as we assess our schedules this spring and summer we will have balanced and stress free families.

David Rodriguez
Case Manager/Independent Love and Logic Facilitator

Have you ever felt like you never measure up? You go through life always feeling like you don’t do enough and you’re trying to meet everyone’s spoken and unspoken expectations? No matter what stage of life you may be in, you will deal with these feelings and emotions in some way. In the movie “Chicken Little”, the main character struggled with these insecurities and was only able to truly communicate them to a few close friends. When it came to his parents, they always seemed to hem and haw around the issues. Only until a major catastrophe hit the planet that was being attacked by aliens, could the son build up enough courage to share his heart without fear.

In the real world we see this story played out all the time. Kids and young adults turning to their friends and divulging all their thoughts and feelings; parents so preoccupied with life that they miss out on key listening times with their kids until a tragedy happens or some other form of crisis. There is no better time than now to recharge and revitalize one’s relationships by removing unrealistic expectations and listening to our kids unconditionally. As parents we need to become aware of the pressures that we put on our kids; it can become the “straw that broke the camels back.” That may seem a bit extreme but it is valid, due to the amount of unforeseen pressures that our kids deal with everyday that we may not know about.

David Rodriguez
Case Manager/Independent Love and Logic Facilitator

With the state of our economy being what it is families are finding the need to “tighten the belts financially”. Here are a few money saving tips that may help you today.

Ask yourself “do I really need this?” Oftentimes, if you walk away from the item, you forget about it and find that you never needed it.

Shop for household items (dishes, decorating items, books, clothing) at second-hand shops (Goodwill, Salvation Army, consignment shops). Make sure you thoroughly wash all items. Many people donate brand new or barely used items to these places as they purchased something they really didn’t need or use.

If you plan to purchase anything, I mean anything (fast food, electronics, etc.), check out www.slickdeals.net. People post coupons and deal scenarios every day! I can’t tell you how many times I have scored free shipping, 10% off from this website.

Every little bit saved can help your family weather these economic times.