I don’t know about you, but my kids have always been picky about eating vegetables.  My older son didn’t start eating vegetables until middle school, and my younger son’s staple vegetable is salad made with romaine lettuce.  When AuPair.org approached me with this great article to make eating vegetables more fun for kids, I just couldn’t pass it up.  I hope this helps your children love eating more veggies.

If it’s green, it’s a vegetable, if it’s a vegetable chances are your kid has already called the family dog over to the kitchen table for back up. Your goal as a parent is to feed your kids the nutrients that they need, but they aren’t making it easy on you. Here are some fun ways that your kid won’t be feeding the dog under the table.

1. Ant logs- Cut celery and spoon some peanut butter into the curve of the vegetable. Add delicious raisins in line, and watch the kids shriek with joy over these.
2. Kid Cocktail – Vegetable juice over ice, in a fun colored cup, add a stick of celery, fun straw and umbrella and before you know it your kid will be asking for seconds. Looks like an adult’s Bloody Mary but it’s your kid’s vegetable in sipping fashion.
3. Salad Bar- Setting up a mini salad bar in your kitchen is quick and easy. If you give you child the control by letting them select the different options and let them build it, chances are they will eat it all. Don’t forget the different dressing options, croutons and cheese!
4. Red Pepper Wheelbarrow – This ornate recipe is adorable and fun, you can find the recipe here: http://www.sproutonline.com/crafts-and-recipes/recipes/red-pepper-wheelbarrow.
5. Veggie Face Plate- Cut up plenty of different shapes, colors and sizes vegetables. Think broccoli, tomatoes, olives, carrots and celery. Have a contest to see who can come up with the silliest face and then eat it!
6. Dinosaur Trees- This may require some imagination or props. Take uncooked broccoli and scatter them standing up around your child’s plate and tell them they are dinosaur trees. If need be and you must take it a step further grab some mini dinosaur figurines and use your imagination.  (or serve them with dino chicken nuggets by Tyson)
7. Veggie Soup-Prepare a big vegetable soup dinner and add fun shaped and/or fun colored noodles. Most likely the kids will be too concerned with spooning up the different noodle shapes to notice they are eating veggies.
8. Veggie Pizza Man- Thin crust dough, light sauce and prepare and assortment of veggies. Have the kids pull up a stool in the kitchen and let them create their own pizza man. Then pop in the oven for a bit and you eat!

Serving yummy dishes like this is a must for any parent. Remember to always keep veggie talk light and positive and not a big deal. The more you fuss over it the more they will fuss over it. Now go eat your veggies!

Oftentimes our children are angels at home, but their teachers lament to us that they could use some work at school. A birthday party is a chance to witness how they react to their classmates and to discourage rowdiness and lack of social etiquette. If you’re going to be throwing a birthday party for your little one in the near future, here are some tips to help you encourage good manners at the party:

1. Plan party games and activities that require teamwork. If the children start to bicker while playing on teams, you can use that as a teaching point to encourage cooperation.

2. Ask that the children say “please” and “thank you” to adults and other children at the party. Some of the kids may not be used to doing this, but they’ll quickly adjust.

3. Appropriately deal with all conflict. At any birthday party, one child is bound to become frustrated with another child. You should nip all tiffs in the bud and ask that the children talk it out and apologize to each other for any transgressions.

4. Remind the party guests to clean up after themselves. And make sure that you put the trashcan and/or recycling bin in a central location.

5. Stress the importance of sharing. If the kids are going to be playing with certain toys or playing video games, inevitably, some of the children will be reluctant to share with others. Carefully monitor play situations and make sure every child gets a turn.

Author’s Bio: Lisa is a guest writer on the subjects of parenting, children’s activities, and where to find the best Mario Brothers party supplies.

This video was in response to his teenager daughter posting very ugly and mean words about her parents on her Facebook wall so that all her friends could read it, and laugh about it. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The damage that has been done to this relationship now as this video has gone viral could be irrepairable.

Our words have the ability to tear down and destroy our loves ones. But when we communicate with love, we have the ability to bless, lift up and heal not only our loves ones, but anyone who comes in contact with us. Below are 10 positive ways we can use our words, or tongue types, as I’ve called them.

The Truthful Tongue

To build trust in relationships, we need to be truthful. Telling lies erodes trust. Lies consist of outright deceit, half-truths, exaggerating and sometimes ommission of the truth. However, the truthful tongue does not give us permission to be brutually honest. If the truth is spoken to tear another person down, rather than constructively encourage them, then it’s better left unsaid.

The Secret Keeping Tongue

Have you ever been a victim of gossip? If so, you know how hurtful it feels to know that people you thought cared about you are actually talking behind your back. The next time someone tries to engage you in gossip, politely smile, and disengage yourself from the conversation.

The Humble Tongue

Katie Brazelton and Shelley Leith, author of Character Makeover explain humility like this. “To picture this on a continuum, think of humility as being at the middle of a scale: False humility is at the extreme left side of the scale – thinking everyone is better than you. At the extreme right end of the scale is boastful, prideful thinking. Humility is balanced in the middle, with a right view of who you are and who you’re not, and who God is and that you just ain’t Him!”

The Cautious Tongue

The cautious tongue thinks before speaking, and is not impulsive with her words. When you’re feeling angry, feisty, or hyper, slow down and take some deep breaths. It is better not to speak right away than to regret words you can’t take back.

The Accepting Tongue

Have you ever found it difficult to live with or work with people that are different than you? Maybe there are individuals that have character traits that just get under your skin. The accepting tongue does not judge, criticize or focus on the faults of others. It can be helpful to remind ourselves that we all have our idiosyncrasies, and we strengthen our character by learning to love one another.

The Peacemaking Tongue

Robert Morris, author of “The Power of Your Words”, points out three ways to know if you have a contentious or argumentative spirit:

• Do you always have to be “right”?

• Do you always have to have the last word?

• Do you always have to say “I told you so”?

Tis better to keep the peace than stir up trouble.

The Optimistic Tongue

What do you want to attract into your life? Every negative thought, feeling or word you speak attracts more negativity into your life. Everything starts with your thoughts. So if you want to speak positively, you must think positively.

The Confident Tongue

We’ve learned that sometimes it’s good to be silent, but other times we need to learn to speak up. We should speak up when others have hurt us or stepped over our boundaries. If someone is wrongly attacking the character of another human being, it’s time to speak up. And you should never hold back your ideas or thoughts when what you say could contribute positively to a conversation.

The Selfless Tongue

One of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones and others is the gift of listening. When you listen, you should be 100% present and focused completely on the other person. More often than not, people are focused on what is being said and how that relates to them. Avoid being overly self-absorbed and loquacious, and just focus on listening from the heart.

The Wise Tongue

The wise tongue knows when to speak, when to be silent, and what tongue type to use in any given situation. The wise tongue is also aware that while our words are certainly a big part of our communication, our tone, body language, gestures and facial expressions are so much more.

What about you?  What tongue type do you need to develop?

Unfortunately, kids can have a tendency to want to show off in front of their friends, or become a little more out of control when they are in the company of friends.  This can sometimes mean they step over the boundaries of what is right and wrong, and need to be disciplined.  But the last thing we want to do is embarrass our children in front of their friends.

eNannySource offers Momnificent! readers some great tips on the right way and the wrong way to handle disciplining our kids in front of their friends.

There are times when parents are forced to discipline their children in the presence of others, which can be quite tricky. This delicate situation should be handled as such, in order to avoid damaging a child’s self esteem and leading to taunts from the observing classmates. These ten tips can strike a balance between effectiveness and overly harsh when your child is acting out in public.

1. Acknowledge the Behavior – Immediately acknowledging inappropriate or naughty behavior in a calm voice lets your child know that you are aware of the situation, and that their behavior isn’t acceptable.
2. Pull Them Aside – If at all possible, separate your child from his or her friends before doing anything more than acknowledgment; explaining to them in a one-on-one setting that there are repercussions for making poor behavioral choices is much more constructive than berating the child in the presence of their peers.
3. Inform Them of Impending Discussions – When it’s not possible to pull your child aside, simply inform them that you’re aware of what they’ve done, and will be discussing it and the resulting disciplinary action when you get home.
4. Keep Your Voice Down- Never shout at your child, especially in a group setting. In addition to creating the impression that you’re an angry parent, it also embarrasses your child by attracting more attention to the situation.
5. Avoid Humiliation – Belittling a child is never acceptable, but it’s certainly not the right track when they’re surrounded by others. It is possible to be respectful of your children while expressing disapproval for their actions, and it’s the best possible route in public.
6. Don’t Talk About Behavior While Driving – If you’re at an event or away from home when the behavioral problem occurs, avoid the temptation to discuss it on the way home. In addition to the risk of distraction-related accidents, the trip will give you time to sort your thoughts and cool off.
7. Don’t Make Threats – Threatening your child with a punishment in front of their friends definitely falls under the “Humiliation” header for them, but it can cause other parents to become suspicious.
8. Avoid Commenting on Their Friends’ Behavior – Even if you know that one of your child’s friends was the ringleader, it’s best not to engage that child or attempt to scold them. Emphasizing the importance of making the right choice when others aren’t is the key to instilling a sense of self in your child.
9. Don’t Be Critical – Making criticizing remarks about your child’s behavior or abilities is hurtful anytime, but that pain is compounded if the remarks are overheard. Choose your words carefully, and avoid “You always…” and “You never…” statements.
10. Keep It Short and Simple – Long lectures will leave your child’s mind wandering and can also create an opportunity for their peers to tease them later.

Regardless of your parenting style, disciplining a child in public is bound to be awkward for both parties. The most important thing to keep in mind is that humiliating your child will only lead to more behavioral problems; try to solve things as quickly and constructively as possible.

We can talk ourselves blue in the face about what we want our children to do, but the single most powerful way to teach our children right from wrong is through modeling.  Our children, whether we like it or not, are watching us for how to live their lives.  More often than not, all of this modeling is taking place at a very subconscious level.  And as tough as it is to swallow, many of our own behaviors are occurring at a subconscious level, and we aren’t particularly aware in the moment how we might be shaping our own child’s behavior.

NannyClassifieds shared with us 10 situations where parents often model bad behavior to their children:

As parents I know we like to think that we do no wrong, but have you ever thought about the fact that kids learn by example? How many times a day would you say that you get after your kids about something? Where are they learning those behaviors? I know we’d like to think that they get it from their friends, but I think if you really thought about it that you might find that they are getting their bad examples from you. Check out 10 situations where adults often model bad behaviors to kids.

1. Texting while driving: I know I’m guilty of this. I think that I only read a text while I’m driving, but I write back when I’m stopped at the stoplight. Do you think the kids know the difference? The slight nuance of only texting while you are stopped? Or do they just see your cell phone in your hand? If we want our kids to be safe when they become drivers we have to model responsible texting behaviors now.
2. Road rage: Unfortunately I am very guilty of this one. I’m always yelling at drivers when they do things that irritate me. I try not to use profanity when the kids are in the car with me, but I know they are listening because I’ve heard my then six year old telling the driver of the car in front of me to get out of our way because we’re in a hurry. At the time I think I told her that only the driver gets to do that. But I was thinking that I was not setting a very good example for my kids.
3. Playing a game: How many times have you gotten upset when you were playing a game as a family? This can range from calling each other punk when they play the third draw card in a row while playing Uno to refusing to play the game anymore because you lost. I’ve seen both of these and many more. It’s important to remember that it’s just a game and it doesn’t really matter. If your kids see you losing your cool over a simple card game then how can we get upset with them when they do the same thing at school or with their friends?
4. Kids Sporting Event: Parents can get so riled up over a what they perceive to be a bad call at a soccer game, football game, insert sport here game that it’s unreal. We were at a soccer tournament with my 10 year old son. The parents of the other team got so upset at the officials that the off-duty police officers had to come and escort them to their next game. They were yelling at our parents as well and it was all we could do to get all of our parents out of there before it came to blows. The kids saw this happen and we wonder why you see poor sportsmanship on the field.
5. Waiting in line: Some people are very time intolerant. They would rather do almost anything other than stand in a long line. It’s not my favorite way to spend my time either, but it doesn’t bother me. What kind of behavior are you modeling for your kids when you keep complaining that the line is too long and this is all a big waste of time etc.? You need to act like you would want them to act.
6. Eating out: I think we’d all like to think we are raising kids who treat everyone fairly and courteously. But what kind of example are you setting when you get upset with the waitress for messing up your order? I’ve seen people get really angry with wait staff if their food is taking too long or if their order is wrong. First of all, keep in mind that your children are watching you verbally abuse this stranger over food. Secondly, keep in mind that that person that you are yelling at did not make the food. They just brought it out to you. And even if they put the order in wrong, I don’t think any of us can say that we’ve never made a mistake.
7. Smoking: Every time an adult picks up a cigarette they are modeling bad behavior. Cigarettes are poison and very unhealthy. Again, kids learn by example so if you smoke what makes you think that they won’t start that bad habit too?
8. Drinking excessively: Many times adults will over indulge at home or at a party. Their kids see them acting in a weird way. Kids have no idea why mommy or daddy is acting this way. This can be very scary for kids and it doesn’t send a great message to the kids. It gives them the idea that to have a good time you need to drink large amounts of alcohol.
9. Yelling: We don’t want our children to yell at their teacher or us do we? I’m pretty sure we don’t even want them to yell at each other. When we yell at our children we are modeling bad behavior. Again, kids learn by example.
10. Hitting: It never ceases to amaze me that parents are surprised that their kids hit other kids at the park. “I just don’t know why Johnny just hit your daughter? He’s never been a hitter.” No, but I’m sure that Johnny has been swatted a time a two since the first thing this mom did was smack him on the butt for hitting my child. I wonder where he got the idea that hitting was the thing to do.

Raising magnificent children requires parents to be conscious of their behavior, and how it affects their child’s behavior.  We are human, and when we make mistakes, as we always will, we should always take that opportunity as a teaching moment for our children so everyone can learn.

Motherhood is probably one of the most wonderful, difficult, rewarding, thankless, exciting, terrifying, satisfying, amazing jobs on earth. It is full of ups and downs and all kinds of conflicting emotions and experiences. Can it be described using four letter words? I think so:

Open – Being a mom opens you up to a plethora of experiences. There will be times of great joy and great sorrow; proud moments and embarrassing ones; times of certainty and times of questioning. Moms must be open to allow in all that awaits them on the journey.

Fair – Motherhood helps develop one’s sense of fairness. You realize that even when you think you are being fair your children may not think so. You learn to accept and compromise and you learn resolve to stand firm. You also learn the timing for each.

Joys – It’s a roller coaster of emotions but the joys of being a mom make it worth the ride. There are so many wonderful moments that one holds onto in memories. It’s the joys of motherhood that can pull you through tough times. Listening to your baby laugh is a simple pleasure that when remembered can put a smile on your face in a most unexpected moment.

Full – On every level a mom is full: full of anticipation; full of questions; full of dreams and hopes; at times full of anxiety and at other times full of happiness.

Hope – Becoming a mom means putting hope in the world. You hope your child will have a bright future and many moms hope their child will make a positive impact on the world; or at least their little part of it.

Hard – Unfortunately children do not come with instruction manuals. However, there are all kinds of resources out there to help figure out how to get this tiny little baby up to adulthood. Unfortunately many of those resources are at odds with one another so moms have to figure out what’s going to work for their particular situation. Then again, no one ever said motherhood was going to be easy!

Long – Motherhood lasts a long time. Once you are a mom, there is a piece of you out in the world and no mater how old you get you always remain connected and therefore concerned about the welfare of your child.

Woes – The woes of motherhood can be short lived and temporary or last a lifetime. It would be nice to think of motherhood as always nice and rosy, but it doesn’t work that way. Our children grow up to make their own decisions and sometimes those decisions can have costly consequences. By the same token, sometimes as moms we make decisions that we later regret.

Life – Someone once said that to have children is to begin your own journey of immortality. Just as each of us are the result of our ancestors, when we become moms we expand our own lives into the future – providing our children outlive us and their memories of us are worth carrying forward.

Love – Meeting that baby for the first time opens up floodgates of love that you didn’t even know were possible. As your baby grows so does your love and sometimes even the hardest hearts become soft with love for a child.

Motherhood isn’t an easy thing and it’s not for the weak-willed. It’s been said that it’s the one thing we don’t need a license to do, but we should. It can be the most rewarding job you will ever have, especially if you are willing to put in the time and sacrifice that the job calls for.

What about you?  Do you have any four letter words that describe motherhood for you?

Our friends over at Full Time Nanny shared a great article with us about 10 different times it might be okay for us to test the waters of leaving our kids alone.

Parents often struggle with the concept of leaving their children home alone. When are they old enough to take care of themselves and possibly their siblings? Will they be vilified by their friends and relatives for leaving the kids home alone? What if there’s an emergency while they’re away? Sometimes a situation will arise to force the issue. Here are 10 times it might be okay to leave your kids alone for a short while.

1. Close neighbors – If you need to run to the store and don’t want to drag the kids along, it could be alright to leave them alone if there’s a neighbor close by. If you’re on good terms with your next door neighbors they may be willing to be available in an emergency. Make sure your neighbor knows that you’re going to be gone and the let kids know they’re there if needed.
2. Emergency – If there’s an emergency you may not have any choice but to leave kids alone. You may be faced with a situation where you need to leave suddenly and there will be a brief time before a sitter can get there.
3. For their safety – Another scenario is when it’s safer to leave the kids alone than for them to go with you. If someone has a gun to your head, you certainly don’t want to put them in harms way also.
4. When they’re sleeping – If the kids are sleeping and you need to run to the corner store that might be okay. If you’re only going to be gone for 5 minutes, it would be a shame to wake them up. Of course a nanny cam or baby monitor would be ideal for this situation.
5. Constant contact – Cell phones and two-way radios make it easy to stay in constant contact if you need to leave your children home alone. Although it’s not foolproof, being in close contact while you’re gone can give you some peace of mind.
6. If they ask – Some kids will let you know when they’re ready to be left alone. If they feel mature enough to take care of themselves instead of being forced to go on brief errands, they’ll say so.
7. Short errands – Of course the first time you leave kids alone you don’t want to stay away for hours. If you know a short errand will only take 5 to 10 minutes if you leave the kids home, but it will take twice as long to take them with, that may be the deciding factor.
8. Sitter has to leave suddenly – A situation may arise that your sitter has to leave unexpectedly and it will take a few minutes before you or someone else can get home. In this case, it might be okay for the kids to be on their own in the interim.
9. If they’re occupied – If the children are completely engrossed in a television show or video game, it may be alright to leave them to their own devices for a while. If they’re totally occupied while you’re gone, chances are they won’t be looking to get into trouble.
10. As a test – If you’re just not sure if your kids are ready to be left alone, you could set up a test. Tell the children you’re going to be gone for 10 minutes to run an errand, but just drive around the block instead. A nanny cam would also come in handy to observe their behavior while you’re away.

All children mature differently so there’s no set age to determine when they’re old enough to be left on their own. Hopefully it’s before they turn 18! The key is to let kids know what the rules are and make sure they follow them while you’re gone. Start with leaving for a few minutes at a time and work up to where you can trust them to be alone for an hour or two. Eventually they will be able to fend for themselves for longer periods of time.

Over Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to test my 20 year old son Kai to see how he would do with staying home alone for a few days while we were out of town.  As far as I’m concerned, that is the ultimate test of maturity.  I left explicit instructions on what was allowed, and what wasn’t.  We put the neighbors on watch of the house to make sure my son was following house rules.  

The six people he was allowed to have over turned into 15, and our dog that he was supposed to be taking care of was left in her cage while he went out Black Friday shopping all night long.  Needless to say, he lost his privileges of staying home alone while we are out of town, and he lost his house key.  A little too much freedom too soon!

What about you?  When did you start leaving your kids alone?  How did you know they were ready?

Communication and trust are the hallmarks of a strong relationship; and, with all due respect to Erich Segal, that means knowing when to say you’re sorry. Sometimes knowing how to say it is even more difficult, especially when it comes to our children. Let’s take a look at some alternatives for when you need to mend fences with your child. Here are ten ways to tell a child you are sorry:

1. Listen. – We can’t really comprehend the extent to which we may have upset someone, unless we let them express that hurt. This is often the first step toward knowing how to apologize.
2. Don’t Mince Words. – Admit fully what you are apologizing for, and skip the excuses. The bottom line is trust, and your child needs to know that you can be relied upon, even when it comes to admitting when you’re wrong.
3. Write a Letter. – There are occasions when expressing your remorse in writing is the best approach. It allows you to fully verbalize your apology, while also giving your child time to reflect without the obligation to accept an apology, before they are emotionally prepared to do so.
4. Make Amends. – It’s important that a child understands that the phrase “I’m sorry” is not an eraser that magically wipes out fault and accountability. So an apology should always include corrective action of some kind.
5. Ask How To Fix It. – Discuss with your child how to make those amends. When you have caused someone hurt, the lesson here is that how you make things right should be determined by the party who has been wronged.
6. Reinforce Your Love. – Let them know that anything you may have done or said out of anger or frustration in no way changes your feelings toward them.
7. Build Trust. – When faced with similar circumstances in the future, show your child that you are committed to acting differently. Children see the contrasts we sometimes display between our words and our deeds.
8. Show Trust. – Conversely, if you find yourself needing to apologize for a lack of trust in them, demonstrate a sincere willingness to trust your children by granting them greater freedoms or responsibilities.
9. Have a Plan. – Create an environment of mutual respect and personal responsibility toward one another in your home. Discuss how to deal with grievances between members, and stick to the agreement.
10. Make it Public. – When apologizing for something that occurred in the presence of others, it’s a good idea to say you’re sorry with them present as well.

The growing field of positive youth development seeks to find better ways to foster mental health rather than merely correcting, curing, or treating children for their developmental deficits. It aims to engage young people in activities and positive relationships that help them thrive in life.

My recent research study focused on young people who had developed a passion for social and environmental causes. They saw a world beyond themselves — and wanted to make a difference. They were infused with hope and understood that even small acts of kindness had the potential to help others. They also had three things in common: meaningful life experiences, supportive adults, and positive values. Let’s look briefly at these three powerful sources of positive youth development.

Meaningful Life Experiences

Whether kids grow up in high or low-income households, children need positive experiences outside of classrooms and homework that bring meaning to their lives. Whether this is community service, sports, music, art, or other activities, it is important that children choose these activities for themselves.

Children learn best when life experiences have a degree of challenge. That is, activities must present opportunities for kids to overcome obstacles in order to succeed. Teens admit the more they are challenged in the real world, learn to get along with others, and practice solving problems, the more skills they learn to succeed in life. Challenging activities develop initiative.

Reflecting on her community service experiences, Mariah, age 19, said, “Coming from a small, homogeneous and affluent community, having the opportunity to interact with others from different backgrounds and social histories has allowed me to see just how fortunate I am, and to never take what my life has offered me for granted.”

Supportive Adults

The well-known phase “it takes a village to raise a child” has been demonstrated over and over again through empirical research. Beyond good parenting, kids need other adults to support their development. In fact, grandparents, aunts, uncles, educators, clergy, coaches, and others who are involved in a child’s life play an extremely vital role. They help children believe in themselves. Particularly in adolescence, youth need supportive adults outside of their immediate families to help in the process of discovering their unique identities, separate from their parents.

When you find yourself in the presence of teenagers who are not your own, you have an opportunity to listen without judgment, encourage, and get to know them as individuals, separate from their academic achievements. Showing a genuine interest in who they are rather than what they have achieved is how adolescents gain confidence in themselves.

Speaking of how her high school mentor helped her succeed, Danielle, age 19, said it well: “He wouldn’t try to tell me what to do. He would instead just be thoughtful and quiet and then he would remind me who I was. He showed that he had faith in me and he knew that I would make a good choice.”

Positive Values

Children who grow to be engaged, successful adults are instilled with positive values from a young age. Most children learn values from their families. But they also learn them at school, church, sports, and other after-school programs through the efforts of many adults. Positive values, including curiosity, love of learning, integrity, kindness, fairness, teamwork, humility, and gratitude are not ingrained in children by chance.

Not only do we model these values to the children in our lives but it’s important to identify and discuss them with kids from childhood through adolescence. One way to develop these strengths is to praise kids when they act in kind, fair, or compassionate ways. By making praise more specific, we communicate appreciation for children’s internal strengths, not just for what they achieve in school.

Speaking of how parents influenced her values, Grace, age 21, said, “I followed my own path for civic duty, but I looked to the strong examples that my parents set throughout their daily lives in order to stay true to the spirit of service and to not operate solely through a personal agenda of advancement.”

Fostering Positive Youth Development

Everyone can foster positive youth development by keeping three simple ideas in mind.

• Bring meaning to kid’s lives by helping them reflect about who they are and what they care about.
• Help children believe in themselves through nonjudgmental encouragement.
• Model positive values to children, like caring, compassion, and empathy for others.

These three sources of positive youth development enrich children’s lives, contribute to their emotional and social intelligence, and foster hopeful futures.

References

Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(1), 13-24. doi: 10.1177/0002716203260092

Lerner, R. M. (2005). Promoting positive youth development: Theorectical and empirical bases. Paper presented at the Science of Adolescent Health and Development Workshop, Washington DC.

Price-Mitchell, M. (2010). Civic learning at the edge: Transformative stories of highly engaged youth. Doctoral Dissertation, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA.

Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell is a developmental psychologist, educator, researcher, and writer who studies how today’s youth grow into healthy, successful, and engaged adults. She synthesizes multidisciplinary research in psychology, education, sociology, child & adolescent development, social psychology, and neurobiology to bring trusted, evidence-based research to parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, and all those who support kids. Visit her blog at Roots of Action; Twitter; Facebook.

©2011 Marilyn Price-Mitchell. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

What you’ll take away from this powerful session:

• How to find balance in your business and personal life
• Connections with business women from 4 leading organizations
• How to leverage your valuable time wisely between family, business, community and still making YOU time!
• Great resources for women in business to be a part of the community

Lori Radun is an entrepreneur, empowerment coach, author and founder of Momnificent!.  Radun specializes in time management for busy women and helps them find peace and happiness in their hectic lives.  With her black belt in Taekwondo, empowerment and energy leadership certification and spirited love for helping others, she takes a unique approach to working with everyday women like you and me!  She works with women on many different things including business building, time management and organization, parenting, marriage and much more.  Lori is Momnificent! in her own business and life and helps other women reach their dreams and balance.

Date:  Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Time:  6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Doors open and informal networking begins at 5:00 PM)
Location:  The Belvedere, 1170 West Devon, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

For more information and to register