Susan’s Sharings

If you have a moment, ask yourself this question: When was the last time you felt a silly, or laughed out of sheer enjoyment? When was the last time you did something completely unproductive...but light and joyful? If you can't remember the last time you had fun,...

I know this about myself: I love tidiness. I find it very comforting to be in spaces that are clean and organized. I also know this: I wasn't born a tidy person. Years ago, when I was a young mother with kids in and out of the house, I would often feel ashamed about...

My husband and I have been watching a show which follows the reign of Queen Victoria from the time she learns, at the age of 18, that her uncle has died, making her Queen of England. Victoria is a strong young woman, but she struggles to determine which of her...

I have worked with thousands of parents and children over my career, and one of the most heart-breaking things I hear from kids is when they share how invisible they feel. These kids confess that nearly all the conversations they have with their parents focus on what...

In her wonderful book, “The Highly Sensitive Child,” Elaine Aron talks about the fact that in every animal population,15 to 20 percent are on the impulsive end of the spectrum, and 15 to 20 percent on the sensitive side. In her great wisdom, Mother Nature has once...

We've all heard the old saying, "When Mom's happy, everyone's happy." Maybe it's overly simplistic--and of course dads also knock themselves out to provide for those they love. But I believe there's truth in the notion that when we take care of ourselves, life is not...

This is the story of my trip into the city last week: Here is what happened as I drove 50 miles per hour on a Los Angeles freeway, with cars whizzing by at 70 mph. Some of the drivers glared at me as they passed. Occasionally, someone honked. Now and then a driver...

With Mother’s Day this month, I’ve been reflecting on the experience of mothering and fathering: the uncertainties, the joys ... the love. It’s hard to describe how radically we're changed when a child arrives; it’s as though we're rearranged in that first moment, and...

"My son has intense rages. When things don't go the way he wants them to, he lashes out and often takes his anger out on his little sister. How can we help our daughter deal with his anger? He can be a great kid -- funny and smart -- but my little girl has become a...

Not long ago, I found myself in conversation with a young daddy. After asking what I did for a living, he volunteered that he and his wife had an 18 month old who had been having frequent tantrums. "We give him the silent treatment. It makes him really mad but if we...