Practical Mommy’s Impractical Art Project

Step 4: Lead & Follow

Recently Tal, one of my tango instructors reminded me that I had come to tango for answers and that not surprisingly, answers were willingly supplied. Funny. I’m not even sure what my questions were.

In Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert was also looking for BALANCE. She picked her post-divorce destinations on her quest to find the balance between physical experiences (Italy) and spiritual experiences (India). Early in the book, she asks a Balinese medicine man the question of how this balance can be achieved. He answers by way of a picture: a man with his head in his heart, and two feet planted on the ground.

What does this have to do with tango? If you’re a tango dancer, you can wipe the grin off your face now.

In that very first class, this is what I learned: the leader leads with energy from his chest. As the follower, I focus all my attention there. This is where all the information and energy is transmitted from lead to follow. Quite literally, I put my head in his heart. Read more

Positive Parenting: Manners

Our Yogi Parenting audio tips are presented every Friday by Michaela Turner, BS Ed, CYKT, YKT, Co-creator of the Yogi Parenting course.

Listen to this :15 AUDIO TIP:

If you are ready for parenting to be easier, more fun and less stressful, sign up for a free Yogi Parenting lesson.

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Michaela is a 30-year veteran educator and a Certified YogaKids® Teacher and Trainer. In addition to Yogi Parenting, she teaches yoga baby and yoga kids classes for children throughout St. Louis, Missouri.

How to Manage Relationships, Online and Offline

Like it or not, your kids are getting online. And they are likely to be more versed on making “friends” than we are. At some point, they’ll get a weird message or get unfriended. *gasp* So how are we going to guide them in the world of Club Penguin and Pixie Hollow?

Youthologist, Vanessa Van Petten shares her thoughts. What are yours?
Read more

How to Diffuse Anger

Expert Mommy and Play Therapist, Pam Dyson shares some constructive tips on how to respond to our kids (or our own) anger! The next time our kids “lose it,” remember that they learn a lot from modeling. *wink* What do you think?

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Practical Mommy is Ria Sharon, co-creator of the Yogi Parenting course. If you are ready for parenting to be easier, more fun and less stressful, sign up for a free Yogi Parenting lesson.

How to Let Go

Fans of the the book, Blessings of a Skinned Knee will like this segment with licensed Parent Coach, Mary Jo Corcoran. She points out that our “job” as parents is to establish a pattern of allowing our kids to be responsible. And this means, allowing them to fail! Mary Jo gives us some pointers on how to guide them in the tween years. Read more

Practical Mommy’s Impractical Art Project

Step 3: Just Step

Back in the 90s, when I would visit my family in Manila, we would all go out to dance clubs. For those of you who’ve been there, you’ll know that ballroom dancing was all the rage at one point. Maybe it still is.  You would go with a bunch of friends, hire a few D.I.’s (dance instructors) for the evening, and have them twirl you around the dance floor.

So when people asked me, “But why did you pick tango?” I would say, “Tango is the easiest one.” WTF? Yuh huh… that’s what anyone in the St. Louis tango community said to me, at least with their eyes.

Don’t you love not knowing what you don’t know?!

To be fair, until 2009 my limited exposure to tango had been with D.I.s who instructed me in broken English to, “Just step!” Perfect. I know how to step. I don’t have to learn any fancy change-ball-change crap.

Yup. Tango. No fancy steps here.

Read more

Positive Parenting Tip: Peace

Our Yogi Parenting audio tips are presented every Friday by Michaela Turner, BS Ed, CYKT, YKT, Co-creator of the Yogi Parenting course.

Listen to this :15 AUDIO TIP:

If you are ready for parenting to be easier, more fun and less stressful, sign up for a free Yogi Parenting lesson.

—

Michaela is a 30-year veteran educator and a Certified YogaKids® Teacher and Trainer. In addition to Yogi Parenting, she teaches yoga baby and yoga kids classes for children throughout St. Louis, Missouri.

How to Care for Your Preemie in the NICU

Mom of preemie, Nicole Bohorad shares some tips on how you can participate in the care of your infant in the NICU. Nicole attests that support and being empowered with knowledge goes a long way. So although no one plans or hopes to go into labor prematurely, take a few moments to listen in the event that you do!

Nicole has also shared this tip sheet with additional information and resources on caring for your premie: Parentville Preemie Resources

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Practical Mommy is Ria Sharon. Co-creator of My Mommy Manual and the online parenting course, Yogi Parenting. Click the links for Practical Mommy’s recommendations for travel car seats, affordable and fun diaper bags (skip hop bag), and the best-selling crib brand, Da Vinci Crib.

How to Get Our Tax Papers in Order

I got another great tip from our Expert Mommy, Claire Keeling last week… just in time for tax season too. Claire would be very unimpressed with my current (non)system. Read more

Practical Mommy’s Impractical Art Project

Step 2: But Why Tango?

At this point, I began living my life by the signs. Sometimes, I didn’t exactly know what they meant but at least I was paying attention. This was a new thing for me since up until then, I was a take charge kinda girl. I was convinced that the only way to get anywhere in life or get anything done, meant I had to do it myself. Period.

My DIY Method is what had allowed me to transplant myself at age 13 to halfway around the world. This philosophy is how I graduated at the top of my class, how I landed one of two prized positions at a prestigious ad agency, how I created a stellar career as a designer, how I got to be 36 years old, 2.5 kids, in the top 5% of household incomes in the world, and feeling… profoundly empty. Read more

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