Music: A Terrific Tool to Change Your Kids' Moods

By Caron Goode

In today's fast-paced world that bombards the senses with sounds and mechanical vibrations, your body can easily shift into an unnatural rhythm. You might say you're "out of synch" or "out of harmony" while science would call that feeling "stressed."

However, you don't need to reach into the medicine cabinet to change a stressed-out mood. Instead, you can restore harmony in your body by turning to music.

Read on...

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Failing Forward

By Lloyd J. Thomas

What separates the high-achievers from those who "also ran" is
their ability to "fail forward." High achievers use their failures as
stepping stones toward ultimate success. They keep their focus on the
outcome they desire and are not distracted by failure. Rather, they
pay attention to their mistakes only long enough to learn from them.
Then they quickly experiment with something else they think will
propel them forward toward their success. That is failing forward. Read on...

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Great Stories: Thank You for Changing My Life

I met Frankie the day I walked into his sixth-grade classroom. He wasn't hard to miss.
He was sitting at the back of the
class, leaning back on his chair with his feet up on the desk.
A miniature Fonz, Frankie's clothes were spattered with dried mud
- not an easy feat in this frozen Canadian town of Winnipeg, where
none of us had seen mud for months, only four feet of ice and snow.
His hair hadn't seen a comb in a long time and his eyes glared,
"Just try and teach me!"

Read on...

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Book Review - Mother Stories: Adult Children with Special Needs

Review By Anna Stewart

When a three-year old says "momther," we say it's cute. When a thirty-
year old says, "I think I will eat with us," she is not cute. There is
something "wrong" with her. Two books released in 2001, Exiting Nirvana by Clara Claiborne Park and Momther I Love You written by Veronica Brunner are about their family journeys from the cute three-year olds to the adult children who have special needs.

Read on...

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Music and Your Child

By Patty Meringer

Does music make kids smarter? ... How do I find the right music teacher for my child? How do I separate my child from the wrong teacher? ,,, Private music lessons are not an option for my kids right now - are there other alternatives for them? ,,, Will my child regret quitting piano lessons when he's older? Is that enough reason to force him to continue? ... My son has a gift for music, but he hates to practice. I don't want to force him, but I don't want to waste the money for lessons, either. Can I help him get more out of this opportunity? ... My child is having trouble sleeping. Can music help her?

Read on...

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Mother Arts - Mother Haikus

By Anna Stewart

Every night there is a poem waiting for me. It's a new one each night although they all have the same rhythm. Sometimes I fall asleep before I write it but that's all right because I know there is another one for tomorrow. And often, I have two or three poems waiting for me, reminding me that I am a writer. Read on...

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Inspired Grandparenting: Seeking Imperfection

By Elaine K. Williams

My three granddaughters came to my home this past weekend for some "undivided attention time" with Gram. We went swimming at the neighborhood pool, rode our bikes to the park, and just simply hung out! At one point, early in the weekend, I asked my oldest granddaughter, Shelby, a question that I knew would be provocative for her. I asked her what she thought the world might be like if we all sought to be "imperfect" instead of perfect. Read on...