Poems are great tools to help them to read, recite, practice handwriting, and illustrate.


7



“Vulnerability is not about winning or losing, it’s about showing up and being seen.” -Brene Brown Be vulnerable, that’s where the good stuff lies.


18



Be open to the possibility that you might be wrong.


12, 14, 17, 21



Practice “going without.” Talk about how nobody gets what they want all the time. We should learn how to just choose to go without something we want. Get them in on the discussion and pick something every day to do without.


5-9



No absolute restrictions on food but stress that some foods are “party food.” Chips, for example. (I love potato chips!)


4



Teen years are a whole other ballgame. Find a community and stay up with trends and news. Check out the website Raising Teens Today.


12



Put your purse, (wallet,bag, phone, or shoe) in the backseat with the baby. Unattended babies die every day and it’s my worst nightmare.


Infant-3, 21



Trust me when I tell you that one day you’ll look back and realize you judged people unfairly and you held strong to convictions only to end up changing your mind about in the light of life experience. Leave a little space open for second impressions or the possibility that you could be wrong.


17



“Remember Divas and Friends, if you don’t think good things about yourself, how do you expect anybody else to?” - Sheryl Lee Ralph


11, 12. 14. 16, 17, 19, 21



When you feel like judging someone, try to resist the urge and get curious instead. There’s always a story.


16



C.S. Lewis books. (Children’s and adult.)


12, 21



When disciplining remember: First acknowledge the emotion, then address the behavior.


2-4, 13, 15



1

People don’t abandon people they love, they abandon people they’re using.


19, 21



Home is where they love you.


13, 17, 21



“There is no such thing as a “bad kid” - just angry, hurt, tired, scared, confused, impulsive ones expressing their feelings


7, 12



“You have to meet people where they are. Sometimes, you have to leave them there.” -Iyanla Vanzant


21



My favorite actor was Robin Williams.


19



Plan a trip someplace where we can see the Northern Lights.


15



Any thought about self-harm is like a “check engine” light going off for your brain. Seek professional help. You will recover.


12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21



It’s okay if you don’t know how (or don’t want) to move on. Start with something easier…just don’t go back.


16



Misquoting someone here: “It’s not about getting everything you want, it’s about giving everything you have.” Stuff will never satisfy. Pouring yourself into something heart and soul will.


16, 21



End of August by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems.


20



Check out the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. A short but deeply meaningful immersion into service, faith in action, selflessness and living on a lot less than you think you need.


19



Practice making yourself do something you don’t feel like doing. Practice and it gets easier


10, 12, 15, 18, 21



In social situations it's better to talk too little than too much. Don't over-share with people you're not close to.


15



take advantage of the bike trail. Bike places as a family.


11



Don’t waste your life’s purpose worrying about what other people think about you.


12, 15, 21



Sometimes the job will require you to do menial tasks. Do them enthusiastically because nothing is “beneath you.” If the good Lord can wash people’s feet, you can make coffee at the office. Get over yourself.


16, 21



“We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are. - Prince Harry Or to put it simply, wherever you go, there you are.


12, 15, 21



It’s best not to cuss but writing bad words is even worse than speaking them. Even in casual texting, etc. Always an asterisk in place of a vowel to avoid being rude.


16