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The Ice Rink and Empathy


Summertime and the living is easy, and IT IS HOT. Well, for parents, summertime is not always about easy living. My youngest daughter is a competitive ice skater. Boy, does it get cold in those skating rinks! Sometimes it feels good, after being out in the hot sun all morning, but other times it is, indeed, just another challenge.

Last weekend I was at one of her competitions sitting in the stands. A couple of rows in front of me, I spotted a toddler climbing up on some steps. These steps led up to the glass that surrounds the rink. All of a sudden, the child started to hang off the glass. I was carefully watching the child waiting to see what the parents would do. Immediately, her mother came up behind her, yanked her off the glass, and started grilling her. This frustrated mama was literally hissing at her child, quietly “screaming” at her through gritted teeth.

We Have All Been There

I wanted to just hug that child. However, I wanted to hug the mom even more. Before Peaceful Parenting, I most definitely had been in this sort of situation. Frustrated, annoyed, and even embarrassed at the behavior of my child. In my mind, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was not what this mama wanted. From my own experience and the experiences I have had with all of my clients, this is not what the mother or the child wanted.

Now listen - absolutely no judgment here!! Seriously, I have been there. And I wanted to go to this mama and tell her that. Every parent in the ice rink has been there, every parent in general has been there. No blame, no shame. Just being honest about something many parents experience or witness in public but never talk about.

Focus on Empathy

There are tools we all can learn. We can give ourselves a choice. A choice to help you and your kids. Relationships are the foundation of life. Connection and love are how you get there. How do you get to connection? With empathy. It really is that simple. Yes, it can also be very challenging. It takes a conscious, mindful shift in perspective - a choice - in a heated, emotional moment to remember empathy.

Parenting doesn’t have to be a struggle. Do you feel stuck? Stuck in a pattern? Do you recognize the way you were parented in your own parenting, especially in these heated moments? Are you satisfied with that? Do you want to change and shift your parenting to a more peaceful way? If you are like most parents I know, really every parent I've ever talked to, you want a strong, loving, lasting relationship with your child. You want to connect. You want to understand how they feel. But in the heat of the moment our emotions can really get the best of us.

Peaceful Parenting will teach you empathy and many other tools to help you connect with your child, strengthen your relationship with them, and effect behavioral changes and natural cooperation in a peaceful, organic way. These tools even help strengthen your relationships with everyone in your life! I am here to help you get there. Schedule your free 45 minute discovery session here. Let's get you where you want to be. My goal is to help as many parents and families as possible!

The Goal

Not even ten minutes later, I saw the young child crawl into her mother’s lap. They held each other, both of them crying. This is what they both wanted. Let me help you get there in a more peaceful way.


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