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Wikipedia
defines HYGGE (hoo-ga) as “A Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness
and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.”  Never heard the word? Google it and you’ll
find plenty of references to this somewhat trendy notion.

Wisconsin is
a perfect place to explore the concept of hygge. While hygge can be experienced
any time of the year, Wisconsin fall and winter seasons are custom made for it.
As we move into the darker and chillier times of the year, some of us find it
to be a little bit of a negative slide mentally. If that’s the case for your
family, consider making a commitment to adopt a more hygge-like lifestyle.

So what are
some of the simple pleasures that can help create this “comfortable
conviviality?” Following are some easy ideas – part of the charm of hygge is
its simplicity.

Get
out the candlesAdd
some pillows to your cozy placesWear
your slippers as much as possibleAdd
some soft area rugsPut
on the sweatpants and hoodies!Treat
yourself to fingerless glovesMake
hot chocolateRake
some leavesBuy
yourself a favorite “goodie”Light
a fire in the fireplace or firepitEnjoy
some relaxing musicCurl
up with a book or a favorite movieTake
a nature walkBake
some breadBuild
a snowmanSpend
time with a small group of family or friendsShare
a meal with someoneMake
soup or chiliDig
out the fondue potCozy
up with your dog or cat

Like the idea of hygge and want to know more? Check your library, bookstore, Facebook sites or Amazon for some easy and entertaining quick reads. Put on your sweatpants first.

-Regina

At some point in time, most parents will hear the words “I
don’t WANT to go to school!” come from their child. So what do you do when it
happens? First and foremost – stay calm. Before you over-react, take a deep
breath and look at the situation for some clues. Consider these points:

Is this a new development?Has your child missed school for illness and
could be anxious about being behind in their work?Does your child feel comfortable with their
teacher/s?Have any new children recently joined the
class?Can you narrow down the part of the day the
child is concerned about? Recess? A lunchroom issue? Gym class?If your child rides a bus or is in a carpool,
is that a concern to them?Are they struggling with any particular
subjects in school?Are they anxious about being away from you?Do they have incomplete homework or projects
that are due?Have they ever expressed fear about school
violence?Have they ever expressed concerns about being
targeted by bullies?Has the school contacted you about problems
they have seen?Does your child have other anxieties or
worries?

Establishing frequent and open communication with your
child early on will help them be more likely to confide in you when
difficulties arise. After you collect the information that you can, you will be
better able to plan a course of action. You may be able to resolve the issue
yourself or you may need to work with school personnel to learn more or to determine
the best way to address things. And finally – don’t rule out that they might
just be having “one of those days.”

-Regina

When we think about starting our own family, most of us dream about happy times, adorable children, and magical moments.What many of us don’t think about at that point is the heavy load of responsibility that comes with being a parent – and that responsibility never ends no matter how old our “baby” becomes.

While a pregnancy absolutely can bring its share of worries and “what-ifs”, many people find that when that baby comes home from the hospital, the true worrying begins. A very common concern among parents is what kind of person that child will be as an adult. Will they be successful? Will they get into college? Will they find a job? Will they get married? Will they move far away? Will they have friends?

Laying some basic groundwork for a child’s future IS important, but the key is to balance the future with the present, with a heavy emphasis on the present. If all our energy goes into what our child will be like as an adult, we’ll miss the joy of knowing them as a child. A popular buzzword these days is “mindfulness” – taking time to genuinely and fully experience what is happening at the moment. As parents we can get very caught up in all of the daily distractions of life – meals to fix, bills to pay, car repairs to schedule…..When we are practicing mindfulness we might be playing a game with our child, baking cookies together, watching a movie with them, going for a walk, or we might be stepping back and listening in when our children are playing with friends to hear how they are interpreting the world.

Worried about your child’s future? Spend […]