Do you have a Spirited Child?

Mindful motherhood: being present, aware and intentional in your motherhood journey.

When my oldest son turned two, I began to realize he had MORE: more energy, more passion, more unpredictability, more enthusiasm, more extroversion.

Can you imagine that feeling you get right before you meet your celebrity crush? Sweating, heart racing, nerves/intense excitement… Should I scream or am I going to be sick? That is the reaction my son has when he sees our neighbors taking a leisure stroll down the sidewalk, multiple times a day. He is intense on so many levels. He was (and still is) a challenge that is a notch above his peers. Teaching spirited children in my classroom felt empowering and rewarding. Parenting a spirited child felt isolating, defeating and exhausting. And after years of research and implementing best practices, I am getting there one mindful day at a time. And some days, I just try my best to make it through one hour at a time. The one piece of gold I hope to share with you is to take each moment with your spirited child from a mindful motherhood perspective.

Being a parent to a spirited child is not for the faint of heart. The book, Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, was a launching point for me when I realized I needed constant learning opportunities to help my son thrive.

Here are some key points that I enjoyed from Raising Your Spirited Child:

• Shifting your view of your child’s personality traits (from negative to positive) is KEY to change how you respond to your child.
  • Ex: “Wow, he is so loud in this restaurant. Reminder to myself to let him exercise before we go out to eat. I sure hope he uses that voice to speak up for himself and others throughout life.”

• Are you an extrovert or introvert? What about your child?
  • How each family member pulls their energy plays a major roll in family dynamics and relationships. There is a great chapter that will give you tools for finding your energy sources.
  • TIP: Extroverted children can sometimes be labeled as “needy” because they want others to be around them and playing with them ALL THE TIME. These children pull energy off others…shift your view, change your response 😉

• Plan for success for your child, which is in turn, plans the success of your entire family.
  • Ex: “We are going on a vacation to Hawaii next month and Lexi screams whenever she is in water, let’s make a plan of action so we can help her enjoy the pool.”

If you feel like you are parenting with your hair on fire, or you want more calm and joy in your home, setup a consultation with me so I can help you be a confident leader to your spirited child.

You got this momma.