by Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

Are you thinking, “This really stresses me out!  I have to make a goal to find time to make goals.”  WHAT???   

Every mom knows the struggle to find a time even for our “bathroom needs,” never mind getting to the gym, healthy meal planning, “me time,” or cleaning out the children’s drawers.

There is hope!  The top mistakes that cause goal failure are;

1. Setting too many goals.
   
   
2. Setting goals that are too big.
   
   
3. Not writing goals down.
   
   
4. Not being specific enough.
   
    
   
   Try this worksheet with JUST ONE goal.  (Visit my previous blog: Super Mom with the daily and real life goal sheets as well)
   
   

Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

As always, if I can be of any service to you and your family, please go to  www.tracylamperti.com , or click the Book Appointment button above. Tracy Lamperti, LMHC, BCETS

Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant
My Blog

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lamperticc@gmail.com

774-722-5919

Being a parent, I feel I am constantly learning and trying new things. That's why I thought meditating regularly would teach me more about myself.  By really committing to a meditation practice, I hope it will help me become a better person and therefore a better parent. I could never find time to regularly meditate aside from the occasional sessions here and there in the past so I would have to start with baby steps. It is nearly impossible these days with a toddler in tow to be be able to devote even a few minutes to something for myself but when I realized that there are some opportune moments in my day- the occasional afternoon nap (and thank goodness that she still naps now) and right before I go to bed. Mornings are pretty much out for me since my toddler wakes up at the crack of dawn practically but there are still minutes that I think I can sneak in some reflective time. I am starting this 28 day meditation challenge this month and while I dislike any type of challenge that can be done in a number of days or weeks I thought I'd give this a shot. I won't endorse any  specific meditation practice since it is something I think most people should  try to find comfortably themselves but my yoga instructor and mentor back in  Brooklyn recommended Sharon Salzburg and I am reading her meditation book now. I  still think it's more helpful to meditate with a local meditation group.  With  my limited time I find with these guided meditations and podcasts available  online I could still start out with 5 minutes a day at home. Will meditating  regularly make me a better parent? I can't tell for sure but perhaps it will  offer me more patience and focus without distractions or clutter or just freedom  to be more creative with my toddler. I'll keep posted on my foray into  meditating and parenting in the coming weeks as I set out on this challenge.
~ Sung Bin

by Pamela Wills, CPC

 It occurred to me recently that most of our fears and complexes seem to follow similar patterns, like ripples on the surface of a pond.  I’m no doctor, but it seems that if we look at fear of one thing, we might learn about how to deal with some of our other fears.

 Take fear of the dark, for instance.  Lots of us deal with this fear as kids.  Most of us let it go as we mature, only to be faced with it again as parents of small children who are afraid of the dark.

 *sigh*

 It’s like we just blinked, had a baby, blinked again and BAM!  Suddenly, there we are, dealing with our old fear again.  Maybe, all those years ago, we got over this fear without a fight.  Or maybe it was a long, painful, drawn-out process.  Or maybe we never really let it go, not completely.

 *sigh*

 What do we say to our child about this fear?  What are some of the suggestions we give them for dealing with this most basic of fears?

 Well, one thing I always tell my daughter is to face her fears head on.  In this case, that means to remember it’s just the darkness that feels scary, nothing else.  Right?

 So, with that established, I ask her what the dark can really do to hurt us… Anything?  I mean, how can the simple absence of light in a room really hurt us?

 - We could trip over one or more of the 29,000 different toys / books / shoes/ other random cr@p strewn across the floor of the bedroom and fall down.
- We might bump into a piece of furniture or a door and get a bruise.
- We might smack into each other and bump our funny bones…

 Hahaha that might just make us laugh and forget all about being afraid of the dark!

 Okay we could keep on going in this silly direction but you get the picture.  It’s not really the DARK that’s scary, it’s what might happen in the absence of light that scares us.  Right?

 So.  How do we remedy this situation?  What suggestions do we give our kids for dealing with their fear of the dark?

 1) Well, the easiest solution is to turn on a light.  The hall light, a night light, a light in the closet.  While this may help alleviate the fear temporarily, it’s really just a bandage and won’t cure the fear.

 2) Another fix is to complete a monster sweep before turning off the lights.  I kid you not.  This approach works wonders.  Are there any monsters hiding under the bed, Mommy?  Any lurking in the closet?  Behind the big bookshelf? 
  Nope.  Okay, then we’re all good.

3) One other possibility is to remind our child that darkness is just the opposite of light.  Without it, we wouldn’t know or appreciate light, couldn’t rest and cool off and sleep properly.  We can be very thankful for the dark  because it really is our friend.

Whichever approach you choose to employ, I promise you it can be applied to many other fears with a pretty decent relevancy rate.

Don’t believe me?  Read on, if you dare:

1) Temporary fix / bandage: Take a shortcut around your fear.  Pretend it doesn’t exist.  Turn on the lights in the face of darkness.  Block out the very thought of it.  See how long that works for you. (N.B.: this approach doesn’t usually help kids get over their fear of the dark, either.)

 2) Monster sweep: Shake up your fears by hitting them smack between the eyes.  Root them right out of the closet, sweep them out from under the bed,  call them out from behind the bookshelf.  Show them the door, kick them to the  curb.  Never let them live in your head rent-free!  They have no control over  you because THEY ONLY EXIST IN YOUR IMAGINATION.

 3) Make friends with your fear: Find some quiet alone time or sit with a person you trust and have a conversation with your fear, as if it is a living breathing person.  You could also put this conversation in writing, as if  you are sending your fear a letter.  Ask your fear questions, thank it for giving you a lesson to learn and grow from, show it some respect for bringing you to your knees.  And then tell your fear that although you are thankful for its presence in your life until now, for whatever reason, you can no longer spend time with it.  You will just have to learn to live without each other. 
It  will really be best for both of you.  And then simply say, GOOD-BYE.

Okay, #3 may seem a bit weird, but it really does help… BTW, #2 is my personal fave.  Works wonders.

 And that, my friend, is where the ELASTICITY meets the road.

Pamela Wills is a Certified Coach (CPC) and Licensed Educator based on lovely Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  With her coaching company, Elasticity Coaching, her mission is to help you rediscover your true Self and learn to own your
truth.  As a Self Discovery Expert and Truth Coach, Pamela would love to work with you, especially if you are a brave soul who has finally left a codependent,  controlling and/or emotionally abusive relationship and now have a burning  desire to express your authenticity.  Sign up for her free weekly eZine, subscribe to her blog, follow her on Twitter and  like her Facebook page for events, deals and free stuff.  Or simply  send a message to pamela@elasticitycoaching.com.  Pamela and her Elasticity will  help you bounce back, better than ever!