Terry Warburton Counselling and Parent Consulting
15 1st Avenue SW R0G 0J0 Carman, MB, Canada

Those with hardened hearts seem impervious to pain and suffering, can withstand emotional wounding, exhibit invulnerability, and are short on empathy or caring ...for others. People with hardy hearts feel and express their vulnerable emotions such as sadness, caring, fear, shame, disappointment, or dependence, and continue to thrive despite facing adversity. Our human potential is one of deep caring with these emotions and instincts hardwired into us at birth. What is alarming is how our children are losing their caring feelings, close to a 50% loss in empathy in today’s youth in comparison to 15 years ago (*see Konrath 2011). Statements such as I don’t care, or It doesn’t matter, or whatever pervade youth culture and have become too common. As guardians of our children’s hearts, we need to take a step back and ask why? Where are their vulnerable feelings going and how can we keep their hearts soft? While the brain is able to erect emotional defences to preserve the heart, there is a stronger force that can keep it safe. It is human relationships that have the power to heal and preserve the heart. The challenge is we cannot take care of a child’s heart if they have not given it to us. The path to a child’s heart is through extending an invitation for connection that is generous, warm, and unwavering despite conduct and performance. While we may need to be firm on a child’s behaviour, we are soft on the relationship and seek to preserve this most of all. Our relationship is a shield against emotional wounding from peers and allows us to lead them into vulnerable territory when needed. One of the biggest tasks we have is keeping their hearts soft and making room for their tears when they must fall. We must keep our hearts hardy so we can lead our children to theirs. #restplaygrow #drdeborahmacnamara #neufeldinstitute #drgordonneufeld #emotions #resilience #preschool #tears #vulnerabilityisstrength #vulnerability

New Series of infographics - Why Do Kids Do That? Young kids are allergic to separation which routinely shows up at bedtime. There are many reasons for this ...which makes it one of the toughest times of the day for a young child (and their parents!). Young kids can cling to us out of protest and alarm, refuse to sleep thus leading to bedtime battles and tears. There is a way through and it starts by making sense of why this time is so hard. From insight we lead into practice, working at the roots of the distress rather than just tackling behaviour at the surface level. There are so many ways we can help them settle into sleep and to hold onto us when apart. For more ways to bridge the nighttime separation see my other infographic - When Saying Goodnight is Hard You can download the new series here - http://macnamara.ca/why-do-kids-do-that/ #restplaygrow #drdeborahmacnamara #whydokidsdothat #neufeldinstitute #drgordonneufeld #whydokidsdothat #preschooler #bedtime #sleepkidssleep

For 3 Thursdays Feb.11,18,25@6:30-8pmCST join me in a playful art community ever learning how to express ourselves. To register etransfer $30 to [email protected]. Email me if you need another form of payment