The Importance of working through Core Issues before pregnancy.

All parents want the best for their children. When I had my first child at the age of 24 I knew I wanted the best for him, however, I never took the time to ask myself, “What does wanting the best for my child really mean to me?”  When I finally sat down and asked myself this question, I realized that what I wanted for my child and what I was able to provide for my child were two different things.  

The fact is we all have limiting beliefs that are developed by the age of 7. In my book, Key to Personal Freedom, How Myths Affect Our Family Lives, I give examples of some of these limiting beliefs. One example that many of us can identify with is the belief that 'Mistakes' are Bad.

If you can think back to when you were a child, and remember getting in trouble whenever you made a mistake ex: spilled your milk or didn't make it to the bathroom on time, there is a good chance you have the belief that mistakes are bad. So the way that this mistaken belief gets implemented with your kids is when someone makes a mistake, especially when you are tired... there goes your serenity and we often end up yelling at our kids.

Another myth I often see is 'A good parent never thinks of her or him self first". If this is a belief of yours you will end up stressed out and not having a whole lot of fun raising your kids.

This is why I find it extremely important to do some personal growth work before baby comes, (or for those of you who already have kids the sooner the better). At Indigo Village, we have a weekend seminar called, The Remembrance Course. The sole purpose of this course is for you to experience the freedom of letting go of core issues and limiting beliefs and replacing them with new beliefs that will give you the freedom to create the life and the family of your dreams.

I recommend this course to just about all the couples and families that I see in my practice.  In gaining some awareness around your core issues, we are then able to look at new beliefs we would like to create in order to produce the outcome that we desire the most. Some new beliefs you would want to anchor in from our previous examples is that 'Mistakes' are actually wonderful opportunities to learn and grow from, or that taking care of yourself helps you be a better parent.

Ultimately, what gets in the way of allowing our kids to experience their own journey is us! These limiting beliefs get in the way of parenting our children the way we want to parent. Being proactive about your core beliefs is a responsibility that every parent should think about for themselves and for their family.  –Susie Walton

The Importance of Partnership between Home and School

The word “Partnership” is a beautiful one and carries with it, so many meanings for so many people. So how do we establish a common idea of partnership? It takes communication, it takes time & effort and it takes a willingness to be partners. The foundation for such a partnership should be the mutual belief that each party has your child’s best interest at heart. In order to establish this belief, time and energy needs to be put into formulating and growing the relationship between home and school.  Some suggestions for doing so are:

1. Take the time - to insure you understand the philosophies of the school’s programs and curriculum.
2. Participate – Participate in school meetings and events. Meetings are designed to take care of your questions and concerns, to provide you further knowledge of how the classroom and school operate and to allow you the opportunity to create relationships with your child’s teachers and other parents whose children are enrolled in your child’s class. School events enrich your experience of the school. Socializing with one another is a wonderful opportunity to relate with all members of the community and to develop relationships at a deeper level.
3. Enroll in Redirecting Children’s Behavior & Participate in Parent Education Programs – By doing so, it allows consistency & continuity to be created between home and school and a common language can be established.
4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Any time you have a question, concern or idea, please make the time to speak to your child’s teacher, an administrator or anyone who can successfully assist you in coming to a conclusion that will work in the best interest of everyone involved. Communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. With communication – All things are possible; Without it – Nothing is.

Village Gate Children’s Academy is a partner with Indigo Village. Partnership is a cornerstone of our program. Village Gate Children’s Academy serves children Kindergarten through Sixth Grade with Academic Year Programs and Summer Programs. We invite you to find out more by attending our Open House on June 10^th at 6:30 PM at Indigo Village or visit our website at: www.villagegateacademy.com.

Parents, don't overbook your family this Summer!

It's easy to overbook your family during the Summer months. Camps and family vacations are a good thing and at the same time it's important to balance these activities out with free time.  Here are some suggestions on creating a balanced summer with your family.

Open up your Calendar
Print out your calendar and show it to your kids.  Start filling in the dates and activities that you already have planned and look for ways to balance out the scheduled activities with free time.  Free time can be as simple as going to the beach or local park. Whatever you do, make sure your kids have to time to develop self- direction and self-motivation on how they would like to spend their free time versus someone organizing it for them or telling them what to do.

Develop a Family Vacation with Guidelines
Before you head off for your family adventure, find some general guidelines that will ensure your family will get the most out of the trip.  Ask everyone, "What are some of the things you would like to see or do?" This will clarify what your plans will look like and everyone feels like they have will have some success. Don't forget to include down time and create a plan that works for everyone.

Take time for yourself
Planning is great and in the end, you don't want to get overwhelmed.  Model for your kids that self-care is important and take some time out for yourself.  A walk around the neighborhood, a hike or even a bath (by yourself).