Last week, I wrote about our volunteer-based product experience team working furiously on our MVP. Some of them are putting in as much as 20 hours a week! We are grateful for any donation of time, expertise, money and products. When I founded curaJOY and started ideating a digital program, friends questioned why I’d give…
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I took my daughters along the Southern California coastline over the weekend and had the good fortune of observing newborn seals and two mother seals in labor up close. In one beach alcove, around 50 seals swam, lounged about, and nursed their young comfortably in the safety of numbers and natural environmental barriers. Every year,…
Read more about Feel. Think. Reflect. Don’t “Seal” Your Fate
Research shows that strong empathy in children equates to less bullying, aggressive behavior, and emotional disorders, and to better relationships, communication skills, classroom engagement, and success in school. Another study finds that teenagers’ ability to experience and express empathy changes and can continue to develop during this important yet often turbulent life stage. Parents can…
These are the most common excuses people use when they procrastinate—delay doing what they need to do. How many of these have you personally used? According to the American Psychological Association, almost 80% of the people surveyed admit to lying to themselves about the reasons they put off doing things. So, who doesn’t procrastinate? The…
My autistic daughter has mentioned a Netflix show called “The Extraordinary Attorney Woo” a few times this year, and we finally got to watching the show today. I didn’t want to like it at first because it seemed to fall into the stereotypical savant portrayal of autistic individuals in the media. Hollywood’s infatuation with the…
Growing up requires us to learn how to tolerate disappointments in life, but many parents feel responsible for shielding their children from experiences they consider too upsetting. You may feel guilt, embarrassment, pain or discomfort, shame, or other negative emotions if you know that you are the reason your child is now whining, crying, yelling,…
Read more about How to say “no”, stick to it, and avoid power struggles
In school, when teachers ask questions, many kids might know the answer, but are too shy or nervous or unsure of themselves to raise their hands, get the correct answer and begin the positive feedback loop for confidence by receiving affirmation from themselves and their community. On curaJOY’s website, we discuss how children develop confidence.…
Much of our own unhappiness and the world’s problems disappear when we can put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Everyone has a different story, and understanding their perspectives not only makes you feel better about any situation (even upsetting ones) but also improves your overall happiness. Babies start out in life completely egocentric, only aware…
Read more about Thinking Outside of <strike>the Box</strike> Yourself for a Happier Life
I recently just finally got to watching the Galaxy of the Guardian series with my daughters. And one of them asks why the character Ego wants to destroy everything and make plans after himself. As parents, we often have to answer difficult questions on the spot. I said, “Haven’t we all gone through moments where…
Read more about Why can’t everybody just be more like me?