Hi Coco!

Don't you love SPRING time?  It's my favorite time of year! 

The hills are green, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing. Everything just comes to life!

It's nature's way of telling us "it's time for a fresh start."

It reminds me to leave behind "the winter" of disappointment or regret and focus on the beauty of new beginnings. Especially when it comes to parenting.

Could you use a FRESH START in your relationship with your son or daughter?

Parenting a child with "complex needs," or "challenging behaviors" can often leave us feeling stuck in disappointment or guilt.

Consider the following questions to help you shift out of a "winter" mindset into the newness of  SPRING.

What would YOU do differently if this was the last day with your kids?

Really think about it!

Would the things that bother you today-the messy room, the forgotten homework, the undone chores, the bad attitude still bother you?

Would you spend your day reminding, directing, or yelling?

My guess is that you would look for ways to show them your love, for ways to build precious memories, and for ways to share with them how special they are to you.  All that "other stuff" we fret so much about everyday wouldn't even come into the picture. 

And what if your kids just had today to remember you by?

What would they most remember about you?

You see, my hope is that we can all just stop long enough to value what's really important. To pause long enough to value our relationship with our son or daughter more than the "to do's" on our lists.

That we would spend more time listening than talking, more time hugging than yelling, more time partnering that fighting. That we would be more flexible, considerate, and kind instead of rigid and demanding.

Take a moment to reflect on this... and choose one NEW thing you can do differently in your parenting today.

Don't have time?  How about a few seconds in your day? That's it! That's all it takes to get started.

Try listening to your daughter for ten seconds longer today (without interrupting) than yesterday. 

And then add a few more seconds to that the next time and so on. 

Or how about hugging your son five seconds longer at bedtime? Or expressing a kind word before he goes to school?

Notice what happens to your perspective. You will begin to notice a shift.

You'll notice little things like the joy in your son's laugh, or the wonder of your daughter's curiosity, or the warmth of their embrace.

The more you notice the good stuff that happens in a day...the more often you'll see of it.

And when you do NOTICE...relish in it!  Soak it up!  It will start to fill your heart with gratitude and HOPE.

You'll start to realize you really do have time for the important stuff and your relationship will start to bloom.

Look around you...enjoy the beauty of SPRING and take your cue from nature.

Do something new in your relationship with your son or daughter.

Something to build the bond between you.

You won't regret it! Promise! 

Warmly,

Coco