How to Keep Your Sanity When It’s Back-to-School Time

Focusing on Things That Matter Mom

5 Tips for Mom’s Back-to-School Sanity

1.  Heal self-defeating thoughts: “I stunk at math and my kids will stink too!” This was my greatest self-sabotaging thought as a Mom, and I had to heal! As Moms we allow toxic negative thoughts to run through our minds every single day. It’s time to stop it this school year! Moms can be defeated in their parenting before they get out of bed in the morning. Thoughts can’t be removed—they have to be replaced. So here is what every Mom needs to try: Face the fear. Just because you aren’t good at math, for example, doesn’t mean that’s going to be your child’s truth. It’s hard, but arrest those thoughts as soon as they enter into your mind (handcuff it literally). Then replace the negative “Jimmy isn’t going to “get” math thought with “Jimmy is smart, resourceful and able to do it!” (Plus Mom, you can hire a tutor or grab a homework coach to support him). Repeat these “healing” thoughts and strategies every time those old self-defeating ones come up.

7 Tips for When Your Child Stays Home Alone

Ways to Keep Your Child Safe When Home Alone

As parents, we never want to leave our children home alone, but sometimes it is unavoidable.  Here are a few basics to keep in mind when your child must be home alone.

1.  Discuss any fears your child might have. Start by talking to your child honestly about how they feel about being home alone. Your child’s fears may be calmed with information about simple safety procedures in the house, such as locked windows and doors. Sometimes it’s the unknown that frightens a child. If your child knows he or she won’t have to answer the door or the telephone, that may be enough to put their mind at ease. That’s why it’s so important to get to the bottom of your child’s fear by discussing what’s behind it.