We communicate all the time. Every minute of our waking day we are communicating something to someone somehow. How do we do that? Most people answer by saying “we talk and use words”, they are correct to a point. Communication, however, is so much more than just using words. At our September “Let’s get Talking” event at Sandi’s bistro participants uncovered what supports communication and why communication breaks down. Here now some comments from some of our participants. “My husband and I joined a welcoming and informal group to discuss how we communicate with each other, especially when times are tough. Andrea took some …
Category: Self development & growth
SOCIAL MEDIA: GOOD, BAD OR UGLY?
Young and old talking about Social Media The consensus seems to be that Social Media might be a wonderful tool however there is this underlying fear of what seemes to be vast unknown dangers. Participants between the ages of 16 and sixty joined us in our last, “Let’s Get Talking”, discussion. Despite the age range it became obvious that everyone had struggles with healthy integration of social media. Questions like … “What are the benefits of putting our life story online?” “How to manage teenage users?” “Social Media wastes a lot of time and at the same time can be …
Who Are You Disciplining?
-written by Leigh Johnson The word ‘Discipline’ is an interesting one. We all think we know what it means but when it comes down to defining it, it is actually far more elusive. An internet search too can prove just as inconclusive, with quite a variety of meanings and interpretations filling the screen. So what exactly is discipline? I’m not going to answer that question as such – partly because I suspect a large number of you have got heart palpitations right now, or glazed eyes; and partly because the official definition is not important. The word ‘discipline’ is such a heavily loaded word that its …
Mother/Son Relationships
What is unique about mother/son relationships is the general expected high regard they hold for each other. Typical issues like the “Mommy’s Boy” , the overprotective mom or interfering mother and even the mom that replaces existing or potential spouses are well known publicly. We see sitcoms and comedy using these classic scenarios as materials for entertainment. What however is really behind them. Mothering a child is a full time job and instinct takes on a path of protecting the offspring and equipping the young ones with necessary life skills. On a side note – research shows that it does …
Care for the Caregivers
This time of the year my heart goes out to all people working in caring professions. Doctors, social workers, nurses, NSRI staff, teachers, fieldworkers, police, emergency services, etc. Their plight is hard throughout the year but for some reason during the festive season I become painfully aware that, as everyone is celebrating and taking a load off, many cargivers are working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy.
A Question of Trust
By Leigh Johnson – Affiliate Parenting Coach at The Family Counselling Centre At a recent presentation I gave at The Friday Network to practitioners in the Learning and Development field, I was reminded of how fundamental self awareness and growth is in order for us to impact others. No matter what roles we perform in life, there is an essential need to start growth and change with ourselves first. We often look to the systems we are a part of – families, organisations, communities, nations – and bemoan the problems we see there, when the place we really need to …