Choices I was recently thinking about some of my go-to parenting tools, you know the ones you use when the kids are struggling. One of the first tools I got to is giving my kids choices. Giving my kids choices allows us to get where we need to go while recognizing that we might need [...]
Author: Kayla North
Kayla North is co-founder of One Big Happy Home and is considered an expert on childhood trauma. Along with her husband, she has developed training materials and programs for parents, churches, and schools educating them on trauma and its impacts. Kayla is also an affiliate trainer with Trauma Free World, an ETC Parent Trainer, TBRI practitioner, and the Executive Directory of Tapestry. She speaks at churches, schools, conferences, and retreats nationwide.
Proactive vs. Reactive Parenting
Proactive vs. Reactive Parenting One of the first changes we had to make in our parenting was moving from reactive to proactive parenting. It takes more work at first, reacting is easier and comes naturally to most of us, but it doesn't help change behavior in the long run.Watch as Kayla talks about Proactive vs. [...]
Reframing Behavior
Parenting is not an easy job. We are responsible for training and shaping the next generation. That task weighs heavy on me some days. Other days I find myself managing behaviors and not sure that I am doing anything of significance. Am I shaping the next generation or simply becoming a drill sergeant of a […]
My Memories of 2020…I Hope
Crisis schooling has looked very different than homeschooling. I have a shortlist of school work, that rarely gets completed. I have kids who can’t sleep at night because they are afraid. I have kids who are eating way more often because they remember a time when food was scarce. I have kids who are talking […]
Rupture and Repair
We all say and do things we shouldn’t. Relationships are ruptured and in need of repair. Whether this is with our spouse, our coworkers, friends, or our kids, a repair is needed and our kids look to us as the example of how to do this. They see us make mistakes and are sometimes hurt […]
Progress Over Perfection
In August we started a new diet. I actually hate to call it that. It’s really been more of a lifestyle change. Diet implies something you do for a time to lose weight. To fix a problem. Then you go back to your old ways, leading to another diet down the road. This program is […]
From Pep Rally to Reality
I love going to conferences. Adoption and foster care, home school, women of God, marriage, you name it, I’m there. I love spending time learning from people who are experts in their fields. I love hearing stories from those who have tried and failed and kept trying until they found a solution. I always walk […]
Big Family Dynamics: Connection, Chores, and Creative Learning
Big families are hard. Big families are wonderful. So many moving parts and so many messes. So many tears, and so many laughs. How do we keep it together? How do we schedule our time, yet leave time for spontaneous fun? Start with a routine It doesn’t have to be a minute by minute schedule, […]
Stuck
I don’t like feeling stuck. Not physically stuck, although I don’t particularly care for that either, but emotionally stuck. A place where my emotions seem to take over at a moments notice. I seem to be sailing through my day and wham, out of nowhere I get an email that rattles me. Someone makes a […]
From Pep Rally to Reality
I love going to conferences! Adoption and foster care, home school, women of God, marriage, to name a few. I love spending time learning from experts in the field. I love hearing stories from those who have failed and those who have found solutions. I always walk away from conferences feeling like I can do […]