Author Archives: Dr. Peter
School Violence? Just S.T.O.P. It!
STOP IT! Just stop it. For the love of God, and the love of our children, please – S.T.O.P. it. (I’ll explain the acronym a little later, after my rant.) Stop arguing, finger-pointing, and blaming. Stop looking for simple, single-minded solutions to a complex problem. Stop getting caught in the tragic mind-traps of “Either-Or” thinking. […]
Savoring the Good
“I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we are doing what God does. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we are participating in something truly sacred.” – Fred Rogers What happens when we choose to […]
Moving Beyond Blame and Shame
I work with so many children, so many parents, who struggle to feel competent and confident in themselves. We rarely get to the end of our day with our “To Do” lists done. Insidiously, this builds up an internal sense that we’ll never catch up, that we’re never enough. On top of that, despite our […]
Moving from Illness to Wellness
Whew! We’re getting through our national election process with relative peace and calm (knock on wood). In many places, in many people’s hearts, there is great relief and joy. For nearly as many people, there remains fear and anger, if not frustration and resentment. We must be careful. That is, continuing to be full of […]
We Reap What We Sow
I’ve lived 60 years on this planet. For over 30 of those years, I’ve been a husband and father of four, doing the best I could to raise our children with sound morals, critical thinking skills, and compassionate care for themselves and others. A humbling experience. Never perfect. We serve as a secure base, a […]
The Importance of Empathy AND Accountability
Your child is acting out. They’re yelling and crying. They’re stomping and stammering. They’re arguing and negotiating for the one-millionth time. Maybe they’re avoiding, ignoring, or just plain shutting down. They’re resisting your directions to STOP what they’re doing and either (a) refocus on the current task at hand, (b) transition to a new activity, […]
Seek First to Understand
When we find ourselves in conflicts with others – our kids, our students, our parents, our partners – we often find ourselves experiencing strong emotions. We may feel shocked at their behavior. We may feel extremely frustrated with how wrong / inappropriate / unjust they seem. We may feel uncomfortably anxious – unsure of ourselves […]
Mindfulness-Based Stress Relief for Parents and Teachers
Stressful Problems You may find yourself struggling with emotional exhaustion, like many of the parents, teachers, and kids I work with these days. We are all trying to pace ourselves through the ultra-marathon of 2020. This endurance race is filled with obstacles including the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustices, street violence, extreme weather, and political polarization. […]
What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?
Nothing. I was seriously tempted to end this post with just that one-word reply. Nothing. Something to simply reflect on. To really take in. It’s worth doing, I think. So, let’s do that for the next minute. Pause. Breathe. Proceed. See what you come up with, in your heart of hearts, when you ask yourself […]
Living with Uncertainty
The ironic paradox of our lives right now is that we live in the Information Age – with more knowledge and wisdom available to us than ever. And yet, simultaneously, we are facing more uncertainty than ever. We are confused and overwhelmed by competing viewpoints and even competing facts. We know so much more about […]