Celebrations and Transitions

Learn what research tells us kids really want that money can’t buy. Consider what will really create happy and meaningful holidays during a time filled with health concerns and loss. Reflect on your own behavior over the holiday season and consider family rituals that enrich holiday connections.

Ask any parent around the holidays if they are stressed and you will likely hear them answer, “Yes!” When parents are feeling stressed, their children are feeling it too. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s important to help children feel safe and secure by preparing them for routine changes and keeping your expectations in check.

Both parents and young adults face unique challenges and adjustments as you all seek to create a harmonious holiday experience together. Join us for a deeper understanding of your college student’s experience. You’ll gain practical tips and important insights on what to expect so you can welcome them home with care and understanding and create a sweet holiday season for the whole family.

Navigating fertility issues during the holiday season can be especially challenging. We will explore how to recognize feelings of grief and loss during this season and how to create healthy boundaries. We’ll consider strategies for managing the stress of fertility care and treatment during this season, as well as managing expectations and finding healthy coping strategies.

Even the most positive parents lose their way from time to time. The most amazing and challenging part of being a parent is that as soon as you think you have it figured out, your child goes and changes! This session will be a time to reflect on the big picture and assess what you want to keep about your parenting approaches and where you want to make some specific, positive changes.

You may be envisioning a relaxed time, more family connections, and more fun. In reality, as summer unfolds, parents say there are lots of conflicts about screen time, hassling kids to read more, maybe play outside more, and in the end, feeling like you somehow missed out on what seemed in June to be a wonderful opportunity. Ironically all that “freedom” can be confusing and even stressful. Working parents feel there isn’t enough time and at home, parents feel overwhelmed with possibilities. Let’s consider a new approach – make a big, positive PLAN with your family.

Financial literacy is an essential life skill, but it can be hard to know how to talk to children about money in a way they will understand. Join us to learn about age appropriate ways to talk about money and how to help your kids set themselves up for financial success in the long run. From using allowance as a teaching tool to learning about retirement, there’s a wide range of financial topics that are important for your child to learn.

Adjusting to a new school, new friends, new childcare, new family structure through divorce or other family changes can be both positive and daunting at the same time. Join us to discuss supporting kids to cope with changes like these and others.

The transition back to school is good news for some families and a challenge for others. The more relaxed routines of summer will be behind us and the demands of school days arrive. Do you get stressed anticipating how your child(ren) will make the transition? Worried about school performance? Dreading that homework police job you fall into? Let’s talk. Bring all your questions, worries and stressors. Learn about strategies that will help you find your calm center and support your kids to start the year with optimism and curiosity.

Morning routines drive you a little crazy. Does trash only get taken out after a zillion reminders? Parents who spend time nagging, complaining, and punishing tend to have less time to meaningfully connect with their children. Consider the use of Family Meetings and other practical strategies to create smoother family routines and support children to be more responsible. You will find yourself connecting and celebrating more on a daily basis.

Finding your own nurturing style as a dad can be tricky. But learning how to meet your child’s emotional needs doesn’t have to be too complicated. We can help. We all carry our own ideas about what fatherhood means, and these ideas are often influenced by our own experiences. Becoming aware of those beliefs and behaviors helps us to decide what we want to pass on and what to leave behind. Join a Peace At Home expert and other dads in learning how to create rules, routines, rhythms and rituals within your family that support a peaceful home.

Most agree that finding ways to fairly share responsibilities at home is very important to feeling satisfied for couples who are married or living together. However, in 2020, 55% of men said they are very satisfied with this aspect of their relationship, while only 38% of women see it the same way. And ongoing conflicts between parents isn’t great for kids. So let’s dig into these differing views and discover what really works for both partners. Everybody loses out when we don’t have equity and everybody needs to participate in recalibrating how we do things to reach equality. Join us for an enlightening conversation and discover a new, highly effective approach to solving the persistent challenge of gender equity in household tasks among heterosexual couples. You’ll gain tools to create a more balanced and harmonious partnership with less tension over daily life and more room for fun and fulfillment.