Loving Ourselves

I have just a few thoughts this evening to share about loving ourselves. We get so busy with our work whether that is organizing, coaching, or whatever we do for a living that we forget what is most important to our lives and our businesses. That most important thing is LOVE. Loving ourselves, our work and those that we serve. So, I want to share some life and business reminders for all of us:

• Don't let anyone feel alone.

• When you are feeling negative - distract yourself!

•Listen to what is NOT being said.

• Recognize your value.

• Recognize the value of others.

• You learn the most from those you least expect to learn from.

•Give your clients what they want - not what they need.

• Tap into your inner child.

•Nothing works when it is out of integrity.

•Remember to love yourself each and every minute of the day.

•Spread that love around.

• Be sure to tell those most important to you how much they mean to you as often as possible.

Benefits of Our Morning Routine

Creating and establishing routines affect people's lives in positive ways. Routines help improve efficiency on one's life and aids in our daily functioning. They help us to know what to do and what to expect. Life is not just one big surprise after another. With a predictable schedule, we offer our kids structure that helps them feel safe and secure.

By building routines we are saying to our family "this is how we do things around here." Routines help to make our daily activities more controlled. This also allows us the time to focus on one task at a time, making activities more manageable.

The family experiences a decrease in stress when everyone knows what is expected of them. Let's take getting up each morning. The way to create an organized process for this is to write out a list of the step-by-step things that one must do to get ready for school or work. Your child can follow this list to understand what has to be done and in what order. Getting up to an alarm the same time each morning, which means going to bed the same time each night is a critical part of this healthy routine.

Post a "wash up" list on the bathroom mirror next to where they get ready. Some of the items on the list will be: Take shower, dry, comb and style hair, get dressed. Have clothes picked out the night before, to make dressing in the morning easier.

Have a set time for eating breakfast and offer healthy choices that you know your kids really like. After breakfast, brush teeth, get backpack that is by the door (with all necessary paperwork already placed inside the day before). To have a place by the door where packed backpacks are stored and coats and other necessary out-the-door items are kept, so that everyone can take what they need from this area and easily leave the house without forgetting important items.

What are some of the routines you've created for yourself and your family?

First Steps To Create Routines For Your Kids

Routines are important for us to have and to create for our kids. If kids have no structure and no routines that they can count on, then chaos will rein supreme in their lives and their homes. When kids with ADHD have no routines, then chaos will surely rein supreme at home and everywhere else.

Kids and adults need structure. They need something they can count on to provide stability in their lives. To create structure in your home, you first need to have the belief that you can commit to creating, supporting and sustaining routines for yourself and your family.

Let's first talk about a morning routine for getting out the door. The first step is to implement a daily family meeting. At this meeting family members discuss what steps need to be taken to gather all necessary items and get out the door each morning. Different tasks are discussed and each family member becomes responsible for their individual tasks. A family calendar/schedule will be created and implemented. Tasks will be written onto the calendar/schedule for each day, along with the name of the person responsible for carrying out the task.

These tasks can be written out step-by-step and the family calendar/schedule will be clearly visible in a central location, like a prominent kitchen wall. If kids are very young, you can add illustrations or photos of the tasks they are responsible for.

Tasks and their steps can be written on brightly colored Post-it® notes and placed on bathroom mirrors, next to light switches, on the inside of the front door, or anywhere you or your child can visibly see the note as a reminder before leaving the house. These notes will serve as visual cues as well as road maps to assist all of you in creating new habits.

Many well-intentioned parents start to establish the structure their kids need. Many may quit after a few weeks or even a few days because the routines are not working. They complain that their child just won't listen. He doesn't want to go along with the new routine. Each day may becomes a struggle. Everyone gets tired of fighting and the parents want to give up.

Usually, routines don't work because parents give up too soon. To make structure really work, routines need to be seen and implemented not just as simple behavioral strategies, but as a way of life.

What have your experiences been when trying to create routines and structure in your life?