My name is Terri Lynn..
and I have a flock of chickens, a couple of dogs, several transient cats, a lizard, and 3 or 4 children. The children. The hardest of them all. The ones who require so so much of me and who threaten to take away my sense of self. But the ones who can thrive above those chickens with the right framework at home.
I’ve struggled through trying to raise well adjusted, happy children, while wondering why I continue to slip up and yell. Or hide in the bathroom again. Or let them watch “one more” Paw Patrol. 6 times in a row. The harder I try, the harder it gets.
So I stopped trying to induce the “right” behaviours from my kids and started coming at it from the back end. How can I give them the tools they need to handle their big emotions, learn to have empathy, and develop themselves into stable adult
Emotional Intelligence. EQ.
Here you will find videos, blogs, posts and interviews all about my experiences, the research and findings of experts, and the resources available all connected to helping our children develop emotional intelligence.
And the most exciting part?
What I have found and am learning is that in order to help our kids in this important area of development, we need to first take care of ourselves. Our own emotional health. Basically – we need to take care of US, not get lost in only helping them. It’s the old airplane reminder to “put your own mask on first.” And if you’re anything like me, you could use some taking care of yourself.
Let’s learn together how to create the fulfilling lives we want for ourselves and our kids. Come witness and join me in figuring out myself in the context of also raising emotionally healthy kids. How does one affect the other and how can I, as a tired parent, take care of myself and them, wait for it…at the same time?
Here we go!
Meet Nicki
Nicki is inspired by creativity and connecting to one’s inner child. She is motivated by Mr. Rogers’ description of emotions as “mentionable and manageable” and integrates that into her work as a certified play therapist. She is currently writing her dissertation exploring how children can feel the quality of our presence. Nicki utilizes her improv comedy and drama background with play therapy theory to create engaging programs and play workshops for adults, families and children’s support groups. In a different clown role, Nicki walked the halls of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto as Soleil the therapeutic clown. As Soleil, she interacted with families and patients building meaningful relationships and provided daily live educational and therapeutic content to children in their hospital rooms. Nicki lives in a log cabin in a fairy forest with her husband and puppy.