Oh LOOK!! A PARENTING post!! :D

Things have been a little, um, different around here lately. The news I was going to try and keep from you until it had all blown over is that Rex has lost his job. We thought he would walk straight into another one, but this little thing called "The Economy" apparently got in the way. We're doing fine and we're keeping on keeping on, but a steady job would be nice! Let me know if you have one going!!! ;D We consider ourselves very lucky compared to so many others in this sort of situation. So, there ya go. That's what's going on here! However, I promised a parenting post!

I was talking to my friend Diana on the phone today. She is such an awesome lady, really patient, calm and understanding. We talked about what to do when children are angry and she has a great idea!!! One day when her daughter was angry Diana told her she needed to close her eyes and picture her anger. Diana then handed her an invisible balloon. She told her daughter to blow all the anger into the balloon and it could be as big as she needed it to be. When she was done Diana pretended to tie off the balloon and told her daughter she could choose to either pop it, or let it blow away. She chose to let it blow away. Sometime later the family were all sitting on the couch and her daughter said, "Mom.....I'm going to need a couple more of those balloons...." !!!!!

Isn't this an awesome idea!!! I'm going to try and remember it myself. I've also heard that it's impossible to blow bubbles when you are angry as you have to control your breathing which in itself makes you calm down. So, if you have an angry child give him an invisible balloon or a bottle of bubbles and watch the anger float away!! ;D



Now, how to get him to pick up his toys??