Posts by Lynne Watts
Top 3 Mistakes School Counselors Make
And how to correct them No matter whether you are in small school or a large one, a public school or a private one, school counselors often make the same mistakes. How do I know? I was a school counselor for 20 years and I’ve made them all myself. The problem is that these mistakes…
Read MoreConnection with Kids
Connection with Kids In her book, The Good News about Bad Behavior, the author, Kathryn Lewis, identifies three steps that are taught in the Parent Encouragement Program. It will come as no surprise to counselors of all types that the first step is connection. Establishing rapport with a student is always the first necessary step…
Read MoreAre Kids Less Disciplined than Ever?
Kids and Discipline If you have any connection to the educational system as I do, it’s not unusual to hear teachers complain that children today are much harder to teach than in years past. In fact, the job of the teacher has become so difficult that the average length of time that new teachers stay…
Read MoreFive Steps to Teach Kids to be Kind
We all want and expect others to be kind but exactly what is kindness, how is it developed, and why does it matter? There are 5 steps to teaching kindness: Define what kindness: Teach that kindness is being friendly, generous and considerate. Next teach that based on our environment, our family of origin, and our…
Read MoreEvery Child Needs a Champion
Don’t we all need a little encouragement like that from time to time? Someone to remind us of that all things are possible? Someone who accepts us just as we are without judgement, then helps us to be the better version of ourselves? Someone who isn’t just task focused (get the work done!) but…
Read MoreHelping Kids Develop Self-Compassion Through Self-Talk
Growing Self Compassion The term monkey brain refers to the mind’s constant chatter. According to some brain scientists, the mind creates 50,000 thoughts a day. That chatter keeps us not only unfocused but out of touch. Much of that chatter unfortunately is negative self-talk. We are all at its mercy and children are no exception, which is why…
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