Contact Us
Visit The Character Effect website
The
Character
Effect
Visit The PCX website
PCX
App Coming Soon!

Beech Acres

Go to the home page
Facebook Linkedin Instagram
Donate
Careers

Beech Acres

Photo of a man and child holding hands and smiling
Beech Acres, Discipline, Natural Strength Parenting™

Discipline is Learning

/

Discipline is Learning This month we focused on discipline here on Beech Roots. We hope that one thing you’ve taken away from this important, and complex topic is that discipline is about learning. We want to use strengths-based techniques with our children in order to achieve the outcomes and behaviors you desire. In case you missed anything we’ve collected everything below. What other topics would you like us to cover? Discipline Changing the Outcome of Conversations with Your Children What is Discipline, Really? How To Go From Power Struggles to Powerful Solutions Power Struggles to Powerful Solutions for Parents Downloadable PDF Facebook Live on Discipline with Senior Parenting Specialist Dave Brewer Dave’s Deep Dive on Discipline Blog Dave’s Deep Dive on Discipline Video      

Photo of a child putting ornaments in a man's beard while the man is wrapped in Christmas lights
Beech Acres, Parenting Tips

Family Holiday Survival Guide

/

Your Family Can Survive the Holidays This Year. Here’s How. You can already feel the tensions rising at your house. Each day is colder, darker, and shorter than the last. The leaves have just finished falling from the trees, but your son is still wearing cargo shorts to school every day. Your neighbor’s perfect Christmas lights are already up and come on automatically at 6:05 every night while you’re still polishing off the Snickers left over from Halloween. The holidays are here and you need already need a break. The holidays are an incredibly stressful time for families. And everyone is affected. Additional holiday-related responsibilities pile on to your already hectic schedule of work, homework, dance classes, basketball games, therapy sessions, teacher conferences, and housework. Now, there’s shopping, baking, holiday parties, and even more to get through. Maybe it wasn’t such a great time to start that side-hustle driving for Lyft. Don’t worry. There’s plenty you can do to survive the holidays. Slooooooooww doooooowwn. As your responsibilities increase this time of the year you may find yourself rushing back and forth from party to party, busy shopping mall to even busier shopping mall, practices to games, and your day job to second (or third) job. When you are in a rush we become careless, forgetful, and irritable. You’re definitely not focused on self-care. Be intentional about spending time with your family and taking care of yourself. Schedule a favorite dinner, even if that means ordering pizza or your favorite Chinese food. Dust off the Monopoly board or the Wii and have a family game night. Even just take a walk after dinner. These intentional moments together away from the stress of the holidays will make a big difference. Notice your kid’s strengths. And let them know you see them. They may be hidden behind their messy rooms, and their constant texting, but your kids possess unique individual strengths. 24 of them in fact! Did your daughter say something so funny at dinner that milk came out of your nose? Point out her humor and zest. Has your son been working really hard to bring that C in Math up to a B? Recognize his love of learning! Has your youngest let you know at least 100 times how much they want the new iPhone? Perseverance! Taking time to point out these strengths lets your child know your listening, no matter how busy you are. Make time for mindfulness. Put down the yoga mat. You don’t have time for that! But you do have time to practice mindfulness every day. Focus on something new you see outside. That giant pile of leaves covering your yard. Your neighbor’s perfect decorations that have been up since November 1st. Your new view of the strip mall through the newly empty trees. What do they look like? What does it sound like? What colors do you see? Imagine your son raking the leaves and clearing the yard. Close your eyes and focus on how nice it will be at 10:05 when they neighbor’s lights go off. Imagine the smells of the new coffee shop in the strip mall. Focus on something new each day. Even if it’s just a few minutes you’ll gain a new perspective on the world around you. The holidays can be the most stressful time of the year, but with a little strength, mindfulness, and intentionality they can also be one of the most fun, loving, and wondrous times of the year.

Photo of a man smiling outdoors while wearing a black suit
Beech Acres, Jim Mason, Natural Strength Parenting™

Thank You Jim Mason For 40 Years of Service At Beech Acres Parenting Center!

/

Jim Mason has committed his professional life to a simple, but challenging purpose – strengthening families so children can achieve their unique potential. Jim has filled numerous roles on that journey including teacher, coach, probation officer, therapist, trainer, and leader. In his 40 years with Beech Acres Parenting Center, Jim has led the agency through several transformations, each with the effect of deepening and expanding its mission in the face of a rapidly changing environment. Jim and his wife, Debby, have been married for 41 years. They have three married, adult children and eight grandchildren. Jim greatly values time with his family, which has provided a rich “practice field” for Beech Acres’ Natural Strength Parenting™ approach! Check out Jim’s profile on our website or connect with him on Linked In to more learn about his leadership and career. Thank you, Jim, for 40 years of empowering parents and strengthening families in our community!

Photo of a young girl rolling her eyes at her mother who is holding a phone in her hand
Beech Acres, Discipline, Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting Tips

Changing The Outcomes Of Conversations With Your Children

/

Changing The Outcomes Of Conversations With Your Children This might sound all too familiar: You begin a conversation with your child about an expectation or a request and it’s met with an explosive response or a refusal to do what you’ve asked. If you are like many parents in this situation, you may react to your child’s defiance with a reactive response of ‘how dare you speak to me that way’ and then follow up with a consequence. Often, this is the start of a vicious cycle. Meltdowns, followed by more threats of taking things away ensue. Suddenly you realize that you have ended up miles away from where you’d intended. With Natural Strength Parenting™, you can change the outcome of a conversation with your child by being intentional, leaning into your strengths (and theirs), and being mindful about your expectations and their reactions.  This approach can work whether they are two or a teen. Ready for a few simple steps to help you change the outcomes of conversations you have with your children? When there is a reoccurrence of defiant dialogue, partner with your child in problem-solving. This approach offers them the opportunity to learn emotional self-regulation. Try saying something like this; “A lot of times we have a problem talking about chores that need to get done. What do think we can do to avoid the frustration and anger we both end up feeling?” This intentional approach reframes the dialogue and puts the solution, not the problem, in focus. Show appreciation and empathy. Being mindful of your child’s feelings can help defuse potentially volatile situations. Try saying; “I understand not wanting to clean up your room. I don’t like cleaning either”. This does not mean your child does not have to do their chores. Instead, you align with them and they get to hear that you understand their feelings. Power struggles happen when the conversation is centered around what needs to get done. Change the conversation from a threat to a more positive outcome. The shift can be from something that sounds like this; “If you don’t clean your room, you can’t go out and play” to something more like this; “When you get your room cleaned, you’ll get to do your favorite thing and play outside. What do you think you’ll do? Ride your bike?” Be playful. This eases the stress for both parent and child. Try making chores “fun” by saying something like this; “Make like the wind and let’s see who gets their dirty clothes to the laundry room first”. You can also try reminding them of things that they enjoy. “I know that listening to music while you work always makes chores go faster”. Pairing something they love with something they may not want to do can make the time go quicker and easier. Focus on their strengths. Just like you, your child possesses their own unique strengths. Lean into those strengths to help them accomplish little tasks and big challenges. Try this; “You are so creative. How can you use your creativity to help get through something you are not very excited about doing? I’d love to hear some of your ideas. I may even try some of them myself!” By taking a proactive approach to conversations, even unpleasant ones, you can get to the outcome you desire. You are still in charge, they learn to hold themselves accountable, and you can celebrate what’s going well instead of punishing what is not.

Colorful NSP Wheel graphic
Beech Acres, Discipline, Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting Tips

Discipline

/

Discipline means to ‘teach or train’, it is all about learning. Natural Strength Parenting™ can help you approach discipline in a manner that is intentional, strength-based, and mindful. By taking a proactive approach to discipline, or any other parenting challenge, you can get to the outcome you desire. This month we will be providing unique insights into discipline from our parenting experts. Topics we’ll be covering include, Changing the Outcomes of Conversations with Your Children, Powerful Struggles to Powerful Solutions, and What Is Discipline.  Be sure to bookmark our blog to follow along and sign up for our newsletter to have parenting information delivered right to your inbox.

Photo of a young lady smiling with her parents in the background
Beech Acres, Bullying, Parenting Tips

Bullying Is Serious. We’re Here To Help.

/

Bullying can be very serious and can affect your child’s mood, self-esteem, and academic performance. But there is hope… If your child is suffering, let them know they are not alone. Tell them that bullying is unfortunately not uncommon and that it is not their fault. Children can feel helpless when being bullied so it is important to point out their strengths and how they’ve used them successfully in other situations. To help keep their confidence from diminishing, brainstorm some ways that they can use one of their strengths effectively in this situation. If necessary seek help from their school, pediatrician or mental health professional. We’re here to help as well. To speak with a parenting coach please call 513-231-6630 today. How Can The Character Effect™ Have An Effect On Bullying? LGBTQ Youth and Bullying: How Might Life Be Different? Partner With Your Child’s Teacher To Address Bullying Listen To Your Child If They Tell You They Have Experienced Bullying Is My Child Being Bullied? Here’s How You Can Identify Potential Signs Of Bullying Help! My Child Might Be A CyberBully!

Photo of one kid smiling with their arms in the air and another kid upset with their head down
Beech Acres, Bullying, Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting Tips, Parents

How You Can Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Manage the Strong Personalities of Others

/

NEW! We offer a wide range of FREE text-based parenting courses. Get Natural Strength Parenting™ delivered straight to your phone. Get started today. Interacting with Children with Strong Personalities Playing on a team or interacting with a group of kids with strong personalities can be difficult and stressful for children of all ages. It can be particularly tricky for a highly sensitive child. Highly sensitive children may demonstrate some of these qualities: incredibly perceptive very inquisitive prefers quiet play over play with others often labeled ‘shy’ or ‘highly emotional’ quick to react feels their feelings deeply, especially rejection and criticism of others or of others being mistreated. becomes overwhelmed easily by new situations, crowds or noise has difficulty not thinking about others in need passionate about understanding the meaning of something Nearly one-quarter of children experience some or all of these symptoms. Highly Sensitive Children May Internalize Their Feelings A highly sensitive child internalizes and experiences feelings with more intensity, so what might bounce off of a less sensitive child can be very difficult for a highly sensitive child to let go or take less seriously. Their rich emotional lives can often create a challenge in that they can misinterpret the behaviors of others, especially those that have strong personalities, and display behaviors such as being loud, demonstrative, teasing, or wanting to be in charge. What Can Parents Do When a child reports to their parent that someone has mistreated them and he or she reports their reaction and feelings strongly, it is important to ask questions about the situation before jumping to the conclusion that bullying has taken place. While bullying always needs to be treated seriously by a parent or caregiver, understanding your child’s perspective of what happened is especially important for a child that takes everything to heart. You may start a conversation with: “You really felt bad that someone said things about your science project after you worked so hard on it. Laughing at your work really hurt”.  “It sounds like they were not acting in a way that you felt was kind. Can you share what happened?”  You might also inquire whether your child sees this same behavior with others and how they respond. Ask them, “How do your friends respond when others speak to them this way?” This can help them understand other children better. Parents find that acceptance, being nonjudgmental, and focusing on what their child does well and the gifts he or she brings as a result of being a highly sensitive child can create a stronger bond between parent-child and build confidence. It will also really help the child to manage difficult behaviors he or she encounters at school. You can use Natural Strength Parenting™ to help your child navigate these situations. STRENGTH SPOTTING Highly sensitive children need to see their sensitivity as a strength to feel empowered and recognize the positives of being sensitive such as being insightful, empathetic, and creative. Since many highly sensitive children are labeled negatively, this is especially important to their well-being. It is also an important reminder to parents as they manage their concerns and frustration with their ‘emotionally charged’ child. BE MINDFUL Learn their specific triggers and co-create solutions with them to manage those big emotions. Mindful techniques like breathing may help them to feel less overwhelmed and reactive. Tapping into their strength of creativity, you may visualize with them a different way of responding to stronger personalities and how different that can feel. Doing a mindful body scan to talk about where they are feeling their emotions or imagining their first reaction to floating away on a cloud can also be helpful. BE INTENTIONAL The more your child can visualize a different response to something that is being said that they do not, the greater the chance they will feel empowered and less at the whim of others. Work together to create a “slogan” or positive phrase for the week and say it together each morning before school. By gaining insight into your child’s experience of others, you are helping them navigate the strong personalities they will encounter throughout their lives. Consider the boisterous co-worker in every meeting or the vocal parent on the PTA. With Natural Strength Parenting™, highly sensitive children can develop powerful relationship skills and discover the good in how they perceive their world. Ready to go further? Sign up to get connected with a Parenting Specialist today! 

Photo of a man and child with listen written in a black shape
Beech Acres, Bullying

Listen To Your Child If They Tell You They Have Experienced Bullying.

/

Listen. 28% of U.S. students in grades 6-12 experience bullying. Listening to your child is an important step in addressing and possibly preventing bullying. Listen with empathy and give your child your undivided attention. Offer reassurance, acknowledge the situation, and assure them you are taking them seriously. Ask your child how they see you helping the situation. This gives them some control over something they feel they have no control over. Try saying something like this: “I cannot imagine how difficult it is to worry about what they might say or do next. I have an idea about how I will take action, but I’d like to hear from you about what you would like for me to do”. By taking this approach you are modeling how to stand up for yourself in a proactive and confident way. Dealing with a bully is a delicate and difficult situation for your daughter or son. Simply listening to them is a great way to begin to empower them to address the problem. Although 25% of teens report being bullied, there are more that will not disclose out of fear or shame. Younger children do not always recognize this dominating behavior as bullying and may not report it as such. If your child tells you they are being bullied, start by letting them know you are glad they came to you. Then assure them that you take it seriously. You can start by actively listening to their concerns. Ask lots of questions, but without judgment. It is important to make them feel safe talking to you. Finally, offer reassurance that you have heard their concerns and that you take it seriously. NSP™ Tip: Actively listen, take them seriously, ask lots of questions and offer reassurance. If you need assistance, we are here to help with this and other parenting challenges. Call 513.231.6630 to learn more.

Photo of a child's hand writing I Am Being Bullied on a notepad
Beech Acres, Bullying, Natural Strength Parenting™

Is My Child Being Bullied? Here’s How You Can Identify Potential Signs Of Bullying

/

Sometimes it may not be obvious that your child is being bullied and if they are, they may not be ready to tell you about it. That’s OK. Here are a few things you can look for that may indicate your child is being bullied along with some quick tips based on Natural Strength Parenting™. Torn or Ripped Clothing One sign that your child may be experiencing physical bullying is torn or ripped clothing. If your child comes home from school with a tear in their favorite hoodie or ripped jeans be sure to ask what happened. This is a good way to start the conversation and to let them know you care. NSP™ Tip: Being fully present and engaged in these conversations may help your child feel more comfortable and thus more likely to open up to you. Damaged Property If your daughter or son bring any of their personal items home from school damaged, it could be a sign they are being bullied. Broken tablets or laptops, damaged backpacks, ripped folders or paper and shattered or missing cell phones can all indicate something is wrong. Make sure you ask questions, especially if you notice multiple or repeated damage to personal items. You can allow them the opportunity to discuss what is happening and start to move forward by asking a few simple questions. “I notice your backpack is looking a little beat up. I know you love that backpack, is there anything you’d like to discuss before dinner?” NSP™ Tip: Providing the opportunity to clear something up can encourage your child to discuss the issue and start to move forward. Unexplained Cuts, Bruises, and Scratches It is important to be aware of any physical injuries your child comes home with. The occasional skinned knee or elbow is to be expected, but any physical symptoms should be addressed right away. When asking what happened, look for details and make sure to offer reassurance. If your child is being harmed physically it is a very serious manner and may be difficult for them to bring up with you. NSP™ Tip: If your child is hurt try a quiet, mindful moment with them to calm them down. Even just a few slow, deep breaths can help quiet their mind and have a calming effect. Changes in Attitude or Behavior Watch for changes in attitude towards school, sports, or other activities. Difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite or other noticeable changes in their behavior can all be signs that something is wrong. If your child is being bullied and they do not know how to deal with it, it can affect their mood. Be aware of any changes that you notice and take the opportunity to sit down and talk with them. Sometimes just taking time to ask the right questions can make a big difference. NSP™ Tip: Take a moment to recognize or celebrate a good grade on a test, a strong effort in a game, or a kind act you’ve seen them do recently. Offering affirmation to your daughter or son can help them focus on something positive.

Photo of a child sitting alone at lunch
Beech Acres, Bullying

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

/

Did you know more than one out of every five students report being bullied? October is National Bullying Prevention Month. All month long we will be sharing information from our parenting experts on how to navigate this difficult and unfortunate aspect of growing up. Topics we’ll explore include: How to identify potential signs that your child is being bullied How to listen to your child when they tell you they are being bullied Strategies to address bullying How to approach the subject with your child’s teachers Cyberbullying Bullying is a serious concern for children and parents everywhere. It can affect your child’s mood, self-confidence, and academic performance. Being proactive can help identify, prevent, or stop bullying. Make sure to bookmark our blog, sign up for our parenting newsletter, and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Scroll to Top