When Life Catches On Fire
"Sometimes you don't know anything is wrong until everything is on fire"
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Life Lessons from the Playground - Drink Lots of Water
Drink lots of water I learned this from a continuing ed class – kids get to playing, enjoying themselves, forget to drink, and it causes chemical imbalances in the body, all the way to the brain level. They act out not (only) because they’re little terrors, but something is going on. When an incident happens or is starting to escalate, the first thing we did was make them drink water. Oh my word, the difference in behavior when they were re-hydrated was amazing! People, the human body is more than 50% water. When things are going downhill, re-hydrate.
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Personalities in the Workplace - Managing with Mind and Heart Podcast
I recently was a guest on a podcast series with Ethan Nash of Nash Consulting, a business and management consulting group in consulting who do awesome work in equipping leaders, engaging employees, and improving organizations (you can see why I connect with them, right?). We had a blast talking about Personalities in the Workplace – so much so, we’ll be doing a part 2 in the new year – but buckle in as we talk about everything from archery to diversifying your team!
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Life Lessons from the Playground - When You Hurt Someone, Say You're Sorry
When you hurt someone, say you’re sorry and give them a hug This lesson usually came after the sharing or biting incidents. We would sit both parties down, admonish who ever needed to be admonished, and then encourage this interaction. I was constantly surprised at how willing the kids were to offer forgiveness when asked. It was instantaneous most times. There are a number of terms for this – keeping short accounts, being accountable, whatever. The long and short of it is take responsibility for your actions and do something about it. You may gain a best friend for life.
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Life Lessons from the Playground - After Lunch, Change Your Pants and Take A Nap
After lunch, change your pants and take a nap The ritual after lunch was changing diapers and getting everyone went down for a nap. My fellow teachers and I had perfected a routine from Ben, who fell asleep in his food, to Chloe, who you had to practically lay on for her to fall asleep. There was an oasis of calm, and the kids were raring to go when they woke up. If they missed their nap, well, I believed I used the term “terror” a time or two? We need a break. When we keep pushing and keep pushing, our productivity actually decreases. We need to take the time to recharge and refresh, because let’s face it, most everyone around you can tell you need a break when you get cranky. Take Mr. Grumpygills for a short swim, and everything will look different when you get back.
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Beautifully Broken
Lately, I’ve been collecting fascinating and intriguing Japanese terms. When my husband and I were dating, we talked about our tsundoku habit (buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up unread on shelves or floors or nightstands). One of my colleagues is really jiving the ikagai philosophy (the concept that combines the terms “iki”, meaning alive or life, and “gai” meaning benefit or worth. What gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose). Today I’m reflecting on a term that has captured my heart and attention for the last several years.
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Life Lessons from the Playground - Look Forward When You're Walking Forward
Look forward if you’re walking forward I always laughed at this one. We’d be walking down the hall and Isaac would inevitably have his head turned behind him with his body moving forward and bump into the other kids. Enter the domino effect. I talked to Mia’s mom about this tendency, and she said she has a freezer full of ice packs. Life is full of distractions, and we may want to dwell on some sad, or even happy, event in the past. But if you have a goal and want to move forward, then that’s where your eyes should go.
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