For the past few weeks, even though some mornings have been super cold, I’ve noticed the birds are showing up and singing their song. Not one dramatic soloist, but a full choir. On a walk yesterday, I spotted daffodils pushing up through the soil like tiny yellow victory flags screaming “We’re here! We made it […]
Read MoreThe last few months have been challenging and eye-opening for me as a coach and as a human being. Like you, I’ve seen really disturbing public and political behavior (as well as societal trends) that upset and scare me…but they also cause me to examine the topics that I work on with teens and parents […]
Read MoreAs the new school year begins, both parents and teens often feel the pressure of balancing academics, activities, and family life. The good news? A few small shifts can make a big difference in creating a calmer, more connected home. Here are five quick hacks that families can use right away: 1. Start the Day […]
Read MoreSummer should be a time for sunshine, fresh air, creativity, and connection, not just endless scrolling. While screens can provide entertainment and social connection, too much time on them can leave tweens and teens feeling sluggish, disconnected, and irritable. Setting some healthy boundaries around screen time this summer doesn’t mean taking away all their fun. […]
Read MoreHow often do you check your phone in a day? Like, really think about it. Do you reach for it the second you wake up? Scroll while you eat? Watch videos when you’re supposed to be doing work or homework? If so, you’re so not alone. But here’s the thing: we rarely stop to think about how our […]
Read MoreToday I’m reflecting on this last year while I was in school at North Carolina State University, studying Family Life Education and Coaching. I started this program after finishing a few other certification programs and opening Mindful Health and Harmony LLC in 2021. Initially I was only working with tweens, teens, and young adults but I […]
Read MoreMiddle school can and should be a time when kids figure out some stuff about themselves; there’s no better time to “try on things for size” to see what fits. This includes clothing and hairstyles, activities, new friend groups, music, language (sorry, mom – I don’t like it either) and maybe even some worldly or […]
Read MoreLately I’ve been working with a lot of parents who want to learn the best way to help their tweens and teens grow their independence and leadership skills. One can’t be an effective leader of others if they are unsure of their own capabilities and unclear with their communication skills. National Leadership Day is Thursday […]
Read MoreHere we are, halfway through the first month of 2025! I don’t know about you but to me, January is a huge relief despite the cold we’ve had in North Carolina these past few weeks. The holiday season is always busy, fun, and for a highly sensitive person (HSP) like me, it’s a lot. Almost […]
Read MoreWe’re so close to the December holidays and the start of 2025! The time just keeps speeding up somehow. Your college-age kids will most likely be home soon if they aren’t already and your younger kids will be getting a nice break. Chances are good, everyone is a little squirrely right now! For those of […]
Read MoreHappy December! I hope your Thanksgiving was whatever you needed it to be this year. We celebrated quietly (minus the cheering for the Detroit Lions!) and it was perfect for us. This has been a very busy fall season for me, working with clients (both parents and kids), doing some speaking engagements, and taking my […]
Read MoreIt’s mid-July and already my clients are telling me that they are getting “Back to School” emails. Neither kids nor parents are ready since it feels like summer just started! I hope that you’ll wring every last bit of fun out of this down time but as a coach, I’m always looking ahead too. I […]
Read MoreHuman connection is one of my favorite subjects to discuss with teens and young adults. We are hardwired to need and want the company of others so why is it so hard for kids these days? A lot of my tween and teen coaching clients express concern about their ability to make and keep friends. […]
Read MoreDecember Newsletter Post for those who aren’t on the mailing list yet! I’m writing this the day after Christmas because despite my best intentions, the holiday and “end-of-year overwhelm” got the best of me in 2023 and the “Newsletter Fairy” did not show up to produce it for me. Can anyone else relate? We often […]
Read More“I was so happy when I was younger.” Who do you think said that to me recently? An elderly friend? A person facing a 40th birthday and pondering mid-life? Nope. It was a 13-year-old and my heart nearly broke. The world is her oyster, even if she can’t see it. Her life is truly a blank canvas at […]
Read MoreThanksgiving was last week and if you’re anything like me, you’ve already moved on to Christmas and maybe even 2023. This time of year seems to move so much faster than the rest of the year, am I right? We are programmed to make resolutions or changes in the new year and many parents want to […]
Read MoreLet me share some adjectives and comments I get from clients and their parents. Perfectionist. Type A. Anxiety. Stressed. Effortless. Must good at everything. I can’t get anything less than an A. I have to be thin. I have to be pretty. If I could change one thing about myself, I’d make myself prettier. I won’t get into college if I don’t take all AP […]
Read MoreRecently, the high school near my home had a “code red lockdown” which is every bit as scary as it sounds: a code red means that there is an immediate threat to the school and its occupants and that all people will be moved to safe areas and the interior doors will be locked. No one is […]
Read MoreI’ve seen girls change in the 30+ years that I’ve been teaching and in my last 4 years as a coach in the wellness industry. The confidence level has dropped, the anxiety level has risen, comparing themselves to other people has risen, and the seeming “resignation” about what they look like and how they view themselves […]
Read MoreIs there anyone out there who says mean things to themselves in their heads? Be honest! We all have some kind of running dialogue in our heads (our thoughts) and sometimes we take it to a negative place, saying super ugly things to ourselves. Most of the time, they are things that you’d never say to someone else, […]
Read MoreWe all have that person in our life who we’ve known for a long time and have always liked spending time with…until we found ourselves realizing that things have changed and we don’t actually enjoy that person anymore. She makes us feel agitated, she complains all the time, nothing is ever good enough, she puts us […]
Read MoreThis past Sunday I had an interesting conversation with my friend Jill, who runs a successful choral program in a public school. We were discussing the new school year, the current challenges of the pandemic, and the effect that remote learning had on the kids, particularly the ones who were at transitional stages (starting middle […]
Read MoreSchool is starting all over the country in what promises to be another strange year for kids and parents. I’ve seen many posts from friends and acquaintances who have kids entering their final year of high school, with musings of how they got to this point so fast. The river keeps moving, doesn’t it? Everyone is hoping […]
Read MoreNormally I write about kids, life coaching and what I’m experiencing with my music students but today I was compelled to write about something that transcends both my worlds as a life coach and musician. It may take a bit to get to the point but scene-setting is necessary here so please bear with me! The […]
Read MoreI’m sure I’m showing my age but who else remembers the RIF* “Reading is Fundamental” commercials on TV in the 70s/80s? “Once a child learns to read, the world becomes an open book!” I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on: Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, trips to the school library for whatever the […]
Read MoreThis is such a huge subject and it’s not likely to hit everything in one post but I want to open the discussion since the topic has been swirling around since…forever. I finally decided to write about it because I’ve now talked with two friends whose daughters are experiencing eating issues as well as seeing concerning […]
Read MoreThis week, I encountered two music students who were not their usual “on-the-ball selves” during their private lessons. After observing them make a few mistakes that they normally wouldn’t make and a whole lot of yawning, I asked each girl if she was feeling OK. Both admitted that they hadn’t slept well the night before. When I queried […]
Read MoreThis weekend I had the pleasure of leading a small group of middle school girls in a “COVID Conversations” workshop. It was my first student workshop that was health-related, rather than music-related. I was excited and nervous but ready. You see, I had finally learned to release myself from my “safety net” of teaching music […]
Read MoreThis is a touchy subject right now because “news” is everywhere and not all of it is reliable! While we want to raise informed kids, it’s important to monitor the constant stream of information, much of it negative, that comes their way. The answer to that question: it varies widely from teen to teen. An […]
Read MoreAs I practiced my clarinet today, I had a thought that gave me pause: Many kids today are stuck in a cycle of activities that they would enjoy more if they weren’t always feeling like they had to be “the best” at it. What happened to doing something for the joy and fun of doing […]
Read MoreI’ve been teaching the clarinet for 32 years. Like all new educators, I wasn’t great at first and there were bumps in the road, lessons learned, and things I wished I could do over. But over time, as I grew into a confident and creative teacher, I recognized that I was not only teaching music […]
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