The Brick Magazine - Page 2 of 56 - Ann Arbor inspiration for life, work, and home

A NEW STYLE OF PARENTING

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:03:50-05:00

Photo by Ranier Ridao on Unsplash By Jan Pringle I just returned from a morning of pure joy as a nanny for a two-year-old — a job that included the tricky transition of dropping her off at the daycare. Many of you might be surprised that I classified a morning of this nature, with a toddler, as enjoyable given the “terrible twos.” If I rewind 20 years ago, when my own children were young, that would NOT have been the case! Today, however, with the experience I have as a retired kindergarten teacher and practicing parenting consultant, nearly every interaction I [...]

A NEW STYLE OF PARENTINGJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:03:50-05:00

NO SILVER BOWL FOR ME

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:03:56-05:00

Photo from Unsplash By Marilyn Pellini A number of years ago, due to my husband’s recent job transfer, our little family had to move to Westchester County in New York state. Shortly after our arrival, I began to work as a substitute teacher for a school district that was renowned for its fine educational structure and methods. My previous teaching position had been in a large city, and it was obvious that the children in this new, small town had many more advantages than any inner-city child would ever experience. Over the years, not much has changed in this school system. [...]

NO SILVER BOWL FOR MEJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:03:56-05:00

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:03-05:00

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash By Monica Brancheau I loved Sundays as a child, because it meant we were going to our Grandma’s house for dinner. Grandma was no great cook (soggy broccoli and liver — gross!), but damn, could she bake! Often, she would make us one of her pies with crusts made from scratch. If that wasn’t the dessert, we could always count on chocolate pudding in red robin egg bowls. One of the first things I did when I arrived at her home was open her refrigerator and peek inside to find those red bowls filled [...]

IT’S NEVER TOO LATEJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:03-05:00

BALANCING SANDPAPER GOALS & FLUFFY VISION-BOARDS

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:08-05:00

Photo from Unsplash By Morella Devost Many of us get caught between sandpaper goals and fluffy vision-boards. We live chest-deep in a very yang (as in yin/yang,) very masculine, very goal-oriented culture. At the same time, a more yin, more feminine, more “go-with-the-flow” New Age attitude has been emerging. Neither extreme is healthy. On the masculine/yang end, we risk burnout. On the feminine/yin end, we risk never fulfilling our potential. So how do we find the right balance between goal-pursuit and allowing things to unfold? Between doing and being? This is a quest that has challenged me. In October 2017, while [...]

BALANCING SANDPAPER GOALS & FLUFFY VISION-BOARDSJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:08-05:00

LISTEN, LET GO, AND LEARN IN RELATIONSHIPS

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:25-05:00

Photo from Unsplash By Fredi Baker It’s been said that we teach people how to treat us. However, the advanced work comes from learning how to navigate what others are teaching us about how to treat them. Granted, it’s not always easy, especially when that person is someone we care deeply about; but the results can be amazing. This is especially true when it comes to parent/child relationships. I’ve seen countless variations of these in my 20 years of being a professional coach. Sometimes it occurs as the child grows into their teen years, or as they prepare to leave for college, [...]

LISTEN, LET GO, AND LEARN IN RELATIONSHIPSJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:25-05:00

GOAL-SETTING THAT RESONATES WITH YOU

Julie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:31-05:00

Photo from Unsplash By Gail Barker, B.A., C.P.C.C. Folks often limit learning to a particular stage of life, or to the time leading up to a particular outcome. The truth, however, is that learning happens all the time, whether we are conscious of it or not. Life is a process of ongoing learning. The most powerful enlightenment happens when we choose to approach life with a learning lens. This is especially true when it comes to the setting and achieving of goals. Goals are those objectives that help us move forward and grow by virtue of being in pursuit of something. Often, [...]

GOAL-SETTING THAT RESONATES WITH YOUJulie Palmer2020-02-01T16:04:31-05:00