Raines Realm

As a society, we are quick to assume an issue instead of accepting a difference. It seems that children are constantly being compared to each other and this can have devastating consequences. As the new school year begins, lets take a look at the details surrounding this issue. It's easy to become overwhelmed as a parent and when we see other parents who seemingly don't deal with any of the things that we do, it can be easy to wonder if what we are experiencing is normal. Add in that it seems everyone is determined to turn their child into a protege, so there's some serious competition in the mix as well. I see so many parents who have their very young children in multiple, structured activities. Then, when the child is overwhelmed and starts underperforming, words like disorder and deficent are thrown around. Its crucial that we allow our children to be children. A few activities can be wonderful, but the majority of the week filled with activity after activity ca...

There seems to be an unfortunate trend in today's society of individuals going about their day in sleepwear and yoga pants. Now before I discuss the issues with this, let me start by saying that this is not about judging people for what they wear. This is about how our individual choices affect us long-term as well as affecting those around us. There seems to be a focus on self-love and self-care lately and it is wonderful to see. What some don't seem to realize is that this is directly related to getting dressed in real clothes every day. When we wake up in pajamas, spend the day in pajamas, and then go to sleep in more pajamas; it can have a negative effect on our psyche. What is the message that we are telling ourselves? That we're not worth the effort? This can permeate other areas of our lives. If we can't muster the energy to get dressed, how can we find the energy to be social or have the motivation to reach for and attain our goals? Not to mention the fa...

I know that there are people who are genuinely not morning people. I used to be one myself. Then I started learning about subtle shifts that I could use to make all of the difference. How we start our day is crucial. When we first wake up, our bodies need time to reboot and generally speaking, most people don't get that time. If at all possible, when you first wake up, do some light stretching in bed or lay there for a minutes saying your positive affirmations. Above all else, wait to pick up your phone or device. The importance of mornings should be respected by being present. When you're present in the moment, you are ruling the day instead of the other way around. When your present in the moment, getting dressed, having your coffee or tea, helping your children, you get the opportunity to set a positive tone for the whole day. When your rushing around, stressing about the next thing that you have to do to be able to leave on time, it causes the day to be ruled by neg...