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Relationship Skills Building

This is the Valentine Month, so we'll do a little bit to think about our partners because good partners make good parents.  A healthy relationship reduces stress in the home.  According the article from the other week, the top three parenting skill (first, love and affection, second, stress management , and third, relationship skills), working on your partnership relationship develops all three of these.  It also models positive skills for your children.  John Gottman, world renowned researcher on marriage stability and lasting relationships expert, has helpful tools to enhance love in partnerships.

Seven Ways To Improve Your Marriage

This Week's Relationship Skills Challenge
One: Practice the Six Second Kiss.
Two: Continuing our gratitude practice, show your gratitude to your partner by expressing what you appreciate about them.  Communicate this creatively by a fun and surprising note, email or text, or something else.  Here's some help.
Three: Plan a Valentine activity.  It can be both simple and romantic. Be creative.

So your Valentine plans don't fail, try working on one and two first.

I understand not all parents have partners. If you are a single parent, I apologize. Please bear with me for a couple weeks with this topic.

BOOK DISCUSSION
This week of February 10, we will discuss Part 1: Regulating Yourself.the  of Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids by Laura Markham. We will be using this discussion guide (first link on top) to guide our discussion.  Please use this as a worksheet as you read.  In two weeks, the week of February 24, we will discuss Part 2: Fostering Connection.

I saw this article this morning, I'd Like To Melt Down When My Kids Do, and thought it paired perfectly with Part 1 of the book.

CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT
There will be no class on Monday, February 17, for President's Day Holiday.

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