Back to School Preparation...

In our series on back to school preparation, today we will discuss Separation Anxiety. Starting school for the first time or going back to school after being home all summer can be rough on our little ones, especially those that have a tendency to cling to mom. I found this article again on Education.com and felt that it was very helpful in minimizing separation anxiety. I hope this helps to make your first day back a little less stressful. Much Love, Bridget!

Separation Anxiety: How to Handle First Day Fears

By Lisa Medoff

Many children will be heading off to the first day of kindergarten this month, and most of them are pretty excited about finally being a "big kid" who gets to go to "big school". At the same time, their parents are preoccupied by picturing the worst-case scenario: screaming, terrified children who will be traumatized forever by the forced separation. Note that in this case, as in many parenting situations, it is the child who is originally looking forward to the new experience, and the parent who suffers the anxiety, which is then transferred to the child.

The good news is that kindergarten does not have to be a bad experience for anyone. Children pick up cues about how to act from you. If you are positive, calm, and optimistic about your child going to kindergarten, then your child will be just fine. To minimize separation anxiety, keep some of the following ideas in mind:

• Carefully check out the school before you decide to send your child there. Make sure that it is an environment where you know your child will feel comfortable. If you feel good about the school, then your confidence will be apparent to your child.
• Make kindergarten something to really look forward to. Prepare for the big day a few weeks ahead of time. Post a calendar, and mark off the days as if you are excited about an upcoming holiday or birthday. Pick out a new lunch or backpack together and save it for the big day. Plan a special, celebratory breakfast for the first morning.
• Find out who will be in your child’s class, and arrange to play with some of the children a few times before school starts. After school begins, plan get-togethers with children from the class after school and on the weekends.
• We are all much less likely to be anxious if we know what to expect. Take your child to visit the school a few times before the first day. Arrange to meet the teacher. Look around the classroom and the school so that your child knows where the bathroom is, where their belongings will go, what the playground looks like, etc. Spend some time together playing on the playground and walking around the school. Keep telling your child how exciting and wonderful this experience will be.
• Ask your child if she has any questions about school. Answer them honestly, and if you don’t know, find out the answer. If your child is worried about making friends or talking to the teacher, practice some easy phrases, such as, “Can I play with you?” and “Can I go to the bathroom?”
• Give your child many chances to talk about how he is feeling about going to school. Do not assume he is scared, or plant the idea in his head by asking, “Are you worried about going to school?” However, if you are sensing that he is apprehensive, but can’t communicate that feeling, say, “Are you a little unsure about what kindergarten is going to be like?” Try to figure out specifically what the concern is. Let him know that whatever he is feeling is okay and normal. Share a time when you went into a new situation, how you felt at the beginning, and how it ended up okay in the end.
• If your child says that he doesn’t want to go because he will miss you, respond by saying, “I will miss you, too, but I’m really excited about everything you will get to do in school. I can’t wait to hear all about it when you come home.”
• When you get to school, keep it short, and stay calm. Hug your child, and say, “I love you. I know you’ll have a great day. I’ll pick you up at 1:00. Good-bye.” Smile and walk away. It is helpful to tell your child ahead of time what you will do and say that morning, so she is prepared.
• Do not hesitate when you leave. Be prepared for the fact that your child might cry and be upset, but have confidence that the teachers know how to handle the situation. The more you drag out the good-bye, the more painful it will be, and the longer it will take your child to get adjusted to leaving you. If you run back the minute your child starts to cry, you are teaching him that crying will prevent you from leaving, and he will do it every morning.
• Children will pick up on your slightest bit of anxiety and will wonder why you are concerned. It is incredibly important to prepare yourself, in addition to preparing your child. Practice what you will say to your child and how you will stay calm. If you feel like you are going to cry, do your best to hold it together until you are out of your child’s sight.
• Make it your absolute first priority to pick up your child at exactly the time that you said that you would. It will be easier to get her to school the next day if she trusts that you will be there on time to pick her up. Ask her questions about her day, focusing on the positive. Tell her how proud you are of her and how she must be excited to go back tomorrow.
• Prepare yourself for a few days, or even weeks, of difficult mornings and separations. Remind yourself to be consistent, be calm, and be optimistic. If you can solider through a few rough days, you child will get used to the routine and future separations will be much easier.

Back to School Preparation...

With the summer quickly coming to an end and a new school year just around the corner... I thought I would spend this week discussing back to school preparation. This first article comes from Education.com and gives tips on school transitions. I hope you find it helpful and it there are any back to school related topics you would like me to cover, please let me know. Much Love, Bridget! 

Tips for Easy Back-to-School Transitions

The summer is just about over. No more going to bed late, sleeping in every morning, or playing outside until dark. Now the routine has to change. Beginning kindergarten, going back to primary school, or to a child care program usually means two things to a young child: 1) a stricter time schedule; and 2) adapting to a different caregiver, classroom, teacher, school, friends, or academic challenges. These new experiences can bring on stress or cause children to resist necessary adjustments. Even as adults, we sometimes feel uncomfortable or anxious when facing a new situation. Think how overwhelming it must be for young children who have far less experience in dealing with the unknown! Smooth transitions can be accomplished if the adults who care for children try to view the situation from the child's perspective. Here are some tips on what you can do to make going back to school a pleasurable experience.

Prepare in advance

Young children always feel more comfortable if they know what to expect. Before the new school year begins, family members can explain to children how their daily routines will change. Precisely describe what the morning routines will be in age-appropriate terms. Some children may enjoy creating a pictorial chart to include each step of the morning schedule.

Try getting up earlier a couple of days before the new school year begins and explain why you're doing it. This may prevent your child from being confused, groggy, cranky, or refusing to get out of bed on the first day of the new program.

Discuss how the school or child care environment will be different from the previous year. Many schools and child care professionals invite families to visit the classroom and new teacher before the school year begins. If possible, take advantage of these opportunities to allow the child to meet the teacher or caregiver, find his classroom, the bathroom, and the playground. These one-hour visits can be valuable to children because they'll be exposed to their new surroundings and still find comfort in going home with a familiar adult or loved one. Make the visit extra special by going out for ice cream or to the park afterwards.

Reading books with children is a great way to introduce any experience. They can see how other children beginning school or a new program have the same feelings of uncertainty and how they overcome them.

Involve children in preparing for school. For example, they can lay out their clothes, pack a back pack, or select a favorite toy or photo to take with them to the program.

Talk about feelings

Encourage children to describe how they feel about the "new year" and try to ease any fears they may have.

Parents may also feel sad or fearful about their children going off to kindergarten or being transferred to a learning environment for older children. If your emotions are too obvious, you may spoil your child's enthusiasm for the first day. Exude confidence and good feelings when saying good-bye.

Avoid yelling if your child resists getting up from bed, brushing his teeth, or getting dressed, and expect an occasional meltdown. Beginning something new can be stressful and adjustment takes a lot of concentration and effort. Child care professionals, teachers, and families should expect--and be prepared to handle--a few tears and other emotional displays from young children.

Be there

If possible, arrive at the new school or program early on the first few days to help the child settle in. The teacher or caregiver may also be available to talk one-on-one with your child before the day's learning begins.

It is also important to arrange for predictable pick-up schedules. Children need to feel confident from the beginning that they can count on a loved one to come back and to come when they said they would. Use the commute to ease the transition between school and home.

How adults handle transitional situations can set the stage for how well a child adjusts to other challenges in life. Those who love and care for children can help them adapt by making preparations in advance, clearly explaining the changes about to take place, and listening if doubts or fears develop.

Why so much Salt...

Salt (sodium chloride) serves a number of purposes. It helps prevent spoiling by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, yeast and mold. Salt also brings out the flavors in food. For example, salt accentuates the sweetness in cakes and cookies. Salt also helps disguise metallic or chemical aftertastes in products such as soft drinks. In addition, salt reduces the perception of dryness in foods such as crackers and pretzels. But must processed foods contain so much salt? Many food and nutrition experts think not. 

Many people eat far more sodium than they need — with processed foods contributing as much as 75 percent of the sodium in the typical American diet. The following article comes from Bistromd.com and discusses ways to lower your salt intake and how to read packaging labels. I hope this helps. Much Love, Bridget!

Why Do We Eat So Much Salt?

According to the American Heart Association, Americans are only supposed to consume an average of 2,300mg of sodium per day. Instead, we consume a whopping 3,436mg on average.

Why, then, are we so far above our recommended limit? Sometimes, we just can't seem to get enough.

The Satisfaction of Seasoning

“As a society, we have it in our minds that food simply doesn’t taste as good without covering it in salt,” says Christy Shatlock, MS/RD and one of the lead dietitians for BistroMD. “Table salt is one of the biggest culprits of why we consume so much sodium. Just one teaspoon has about 2,325mg, of sodium alone.”

Our desire to season everything with salt is one of the reasons why cases of high blood pressure are at an all-time high. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults are living with this condition.

With so many people addicted to table salt and other unhealthy seasonings, how do we break the habit?

“One of the main things people can do to tame their salt habit is to pay more attention to the foods they eat,” says Christy. “Processed foods such as bread, pizza, cold cuts, and bacon and cheese contain a ton of sodium. In order to avoid taking in too much sodium, pay more attention to labels. Generally, try to avoid food products that contain 200mg or more sodium per serving. This intake is fine as long as you watch that your total daily intake falls under the American Heart Association’s recommended 2,300mg of sodium per day."

Packaging and Labels are Tricky

Just because something is low in sodium, doesn’t mean it’s also low in salt. In fact, one of the reasons why a majority of our population has high blood pressure is our failure to understand how to properly read labels.

“Many people can be fooled by what’s on the label,” says Christy. “Even if something says ‘reduced sodium’ or ‘light in sodium’ that doesn’t mean it’s a good option.”

Here is what the labels really mean:

Sodium-free or salt-free. This product contains less than 5mg of sodium per serving.

Very low sodium. This product contains 35mg of sodium or less.

Reduced or less sodium. This product contains 25% less sodium than the regular version. It’s important that you still check the label to see how much sodium is in each serving.

Lite or light in sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by 50% compared to the regular version. Again, it’s important to check the label to see how much sodium is in each serving.

Unsalted or no salt added. No salt is added during the processing of this product. This doesn’t mean, however, that this product doesn’t contain any sodium. It’s important that you check the ingredients, because some of these may still be high in sodium.

Change Common Habits

If you are fearful that your salt consumption is taking over your diet, it’s important that you change some of your “dining” habits.

“There are simple things you can do that will help curb your appetite for salt,” says Christy. “Simple adjustments can make a big difference.”

For starters, don’t bring the salt shaker to the table. If you are going to season your foods, use healthier alternatives, such as garlic, pepper, chives, ground bay leaves, or basil.

If you like to eat out, limit this to once every week, and pay close attention to the foods on the menu. Not only will you be helping your health, but you’ll save money in the process.

A Grateful Life...

How grateful are you? Are you only grateful when things are going right? Can we pick and choose the times we should be grateful and when we shouldn't? These are valid questions, especially in the times we are having, when so much is going wrong in our world. 

But actually now is the time we should be most grateful... are you working, are you healthy, are you loved, do you have someone to love. Being grateful for all the things that we have can actually increase your happiness and bring more into your life. This article comes from LifeHack.org and I think that it speaks perfectly to what many people may be lacking. Much Love, Bridget!

The Top 10 Habits of Grateful People…Even In Tough Times

June 28 by Judy Belmont for LifeHack.org

“‘Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

It is no secret that gratefulness is correlated with life satisfaction and happiness. Countless research findings, particularly in the rapidly emerging field of Positive Psychology, have shown that gratefulness and life satisfaction go hand in hand.  Those who tend to be more grateful rather than bitter are generally more positive, more satisfied with their lives, and will be able to see the silver lining even on cloudy days.

Despite this intuitive understanding of the importance of gratefulness, all too often when life throws us curve balls, this grateful mindset all but disappears. It certainly is easier to be grateful when you are on a winning team and things go in your favor. However, the true test of resiliency and gratefulness is when life does not go your way. If you find yourself losing more than you are winning, and can’t seem to get over past regrets, disappointments and life’s injustices, gratefulness is overturned by a sense of injustice. Experiencing loss, frustration and even trauma, especially if we feel blindsided, certainly can make it difficult not to indulge in negative feelings.  After all, we might wonder, when things go wrong what really do we have to be grateful about? 

No matter what happens to us, if we “dig deep” we often can find that there is really plenty to be thankful for in our lives. The following are the 10 top habits of people who remain steadfast in their ability to be grateful, and can temper the blows life gives them with an unwavering “attitude of gratitude” mindset:

.                 Grateful people don’t expect that life is going to give them everything they deserve.  They realize that good things do not always happen to good people, and they have given up the notion that life “owes them” anything more than it can offer.  Cancer, afflictions, and even the death of innocent people are unfortunately part of life. Tsunamis and natural disasters can wipe out even a community of unsuspecting people, and the unfairness of life is regrettable and tragic for sure. The question is not if life is unfair, but can we move on in spite of it.

.                 They do not have preconditions to their happiness. They do not think  “If this happens” only then “I will be happy.” They understand happiness is not coming from the outside, but from within. They focus more on their adjustment to what happens rather than try to change what cannot be changed. They do not attempt to micromanage people and things in their lives that are not really in their control.

.                 People who are grateful have realized that you can not have the rainbow without the rain. Furthermore, they know that you don’t have honey without the bee, and you can’t have the rose without the thorns. They see rainy days as a normal part of life rather than an aberration, and learn from the rain rather than just wait for it to go away. They admire the beauty of the rose even though it has its thorny side, and savor the sweet taste of honey even though the bee can sting. Realizing you cannot have one without the other, they are grateful for both.

.                 Grateful people have hope. No matter what happens, hope is not lost. They realize the future is uncertain, and while they plan for it, they do not try to micromanage outcomes that are beyond their sphere of influence. They take comfort in the fact that once the sun sets, it rises the next day. They have faith that there is more to life. They hack life rather than feel hacked by life.

.                 Those who are steeped in bitterness and grudges have no space in their heart to be grateful. Forgiving your spouse for not being as understanding as you would have been, forgiving your children for making choices that would not have been your own, and giving up the grudge of a slight or injustice from a friend, are all parts of the gratitude equation. Forgive others for not acting or being like you had hoped. Maybe you need to set limits on your interaction with them, or distance yourself altogether as in the case of abuse, but carrying the torch of bitterness is going to hurt you more than them. As Buddha said, “Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

.                 People who are grateful know that a grateful attitude takes work. Gratefulness does not always come naturally, especially in the most challenging times.  In such times, grateful people work on keeping a good perspective.  They might read affirmations, seek support form others, get help for their sadness or anxiety. Some will seek counseling and do not shy away from the effort it takes.

.                 Grateful people have healthy thinking habits. They go by the motto, “Think Straight – Feel Great!”  They can separate their perceptions from the facts and separate rational from victim-like irrational ways of thinking. For example, they will replace victim self- talk such as “They make me so mad” to victor self-talk such as “I was mad when they did that.”  All-or-nothing irrational thinking such as “It’s awful” and “I can’t stand it” is reserved for the most life threatening circumstance, rather than everyday petty annoyances and slights.

.                 Grateful people are flexible in their thinking. People who think flexibly are at an advantage in life, as flexibility is the key to growth and wisdom. They don’t cling stubbornly with ways of thinking that do not work, and do not need to see a shift in attitude as meaning a personal defeat and referendum of how wrong they used to be. They realize they can choose their perceptions and have a right to change their minds. With this mentality, the doors that close yield others that now become open.

.                 People who love to learn tend to be grateful. Each setback or unforeseen life event offers us lessons, and grateful people focus more on the lessons they can get out of each situation rather than the disappointments. After all, life is a great teacher and teaches us things that no one ever could. Even mistakes and failures are seen as learning opportunities.

.                 Grateful people define their self worth by their determination and their dreams, not their regrets and disappointments. A grateful mindset has no room for excessive self-recrimination and low self-esteem. People who are stuck in past regrets and see themselves as losers in life or as having failed badly in even certain areas of their lives will not be able to be truly grateful. Positive self-esteem sets the foundation for gratefulness. So if you are down on yourself, this is a time to get a mental health tune up!

How about starting a Gratefulness campaign in your own life?  Start now by writing down at least 10 things you are thankful for. How about sharing some of them by commenting below?

(By the way…thanks for reading. I am very grateful!)

Envisioning Disney Characters...

I was looking around the web and came across a site called Behance and started searching their art. My daughter has been discussing Disney characters lately... she is on a Little Mermaid kick. She has been practicing in the tub at night for when she becomes a mermaid herself.

So anyway, this graphic of Ariel caught my attention and I stayed to view all of the depictions of what "real life" Disney characters would be... Please enjoy, I know I did! Much Love, Bridget!

Please click on the link below to see the amazing artwork of Jirka Vaatainen
Envisioning Disney Characters in "Real Life"

How to be Happy...

Happiness doesn't always come easy for some people... sometimes you have to work on it. Somedays it is force smiles and fake laughs, other days it comes natural. This article comes from the Mayoclinic.com and discusses steps to bring happiness into your life... yes, you can learn to be happy or at least happier. I hope this can be a silver lining in your day. Know that you don't have go through life being unhappy, we all have choices, we all have options and we all have help if we just ask for it. Much Love, Bridget!

How to be happy: 

Tips for Cultivating Contentment

Are you tired of waiting around for happiness to find you? Stop waiting and start getting happy with these tips.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you? Despite what the fairy tales depict, happiness doesn't appear by magic. It's not even something that happens to you. It's something you can cultivate. So, what are you waiting for? Start discovering how to be happy.

How to be happy: What science tells us

Only 10 percent or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and — more modifiable — your thoughts and behaviors. So, yes, you can learn how to be happy — or at least happier.

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that those things don't confer lasting happiness. Indeed, how to be happy can't be boiled down to one thing. Happiness is the sum of your life choices. People who are happy seem to intuitively know this, and their lives are built on the following pillars:

         Devoting time to family and friends

         Appreciating what they have

         Maintaining an optimistic outlook

         Feeling a sense of purpose

         Living in the moment

How to be happy: Practice, practice, practice

The good news is that your choices, thoughts and actions can influence your level of happiness. It's not as easy as flipping a switch, but you can turn up your happiness level. Here's how to get started on the path to creating a happier you.

Invest in relationships

Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you.

Friends and family help you celebrate life's successes and support you in difficult times. Although it's easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need nurturing. Build up your emotional account with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Let people know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you're glad they're part of your life.

Express gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying thank you. It's a sense of wonder, appreciation and, yes, thankfulness for life. It's easy to go through life without recognizing your good fortune. Often, it takes a serious illness or other tragic event to jolt people into appreciating the good things in their lives. Don't wait for something like that to happen to you.

Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your life. When you find yourself thinking an ungrateful thought, try substituting a grateful one. For example, replace "my sister forgot my birthday" with "my sister has always been there for me in tough times." Let gratitude be the last thought before you go off to sleep. Let gratitude also be your first thought when you wake up in the morning.

Cultivate optimism

Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. You needn't become a Pollyanna — after all, bad things do happen, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. But you don't have to let the negatives color your whole outlook on life. Remember that what is right about you almost always trumps what is wrong about you.

If you're not an optimistic person by nature, it may take time for you to change your pessimistic thinking. Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you have them. Then take a step back and ask yourself these key questions:

         Is the situation really as bad as I think?

         Is there another way to look at the situation?

         What can I learn from this experience that I can use in the future?

Find your purpose

People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission — whether it's growing a garden, caring for children or finding one's spirituality — are happier than those who don't have such aspirations. Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, bolsters self-esteem and brings people together. What your goal is doesn't matter as much as whether the process of working toward it is meaningful to you. Try to align your daily activities with the long-term meaning and purpose of your life. Research studies suggest that relationships provide the strongest meaning and purpose to your life. So cultivate meaningful relationships.

Are you engaged in something you love? If not, ask yourself these questions to discover how you can find your purpose:

         What excites and energizes me?

         What are my proudest achievements?

         How do I want others to remember me?

Live in the moment

Don't postpone joy waiting for a day when your life is less busy or less stressful. That day may never come. Instead, look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on the positives in the present moment. Don't spend your time rehashing the past or worrying about the future. Take time to stop and smell the flowers.

Friday the 13th...

So are you freaked out about Friday the 13th, do you thrive on superstitions, does bad luck plague you?!? If so, then maybe this story is for you. This article comes from LiveScience.com and lists 13 freaky facts about Friday the 13th.  I hope no black cats cross your path, there are no ladders for you to go under and heaven forbid you break a mirror... hahaha! Enjoy your freaky Friday! Much Love, Bridget!

13 Freaky Facts about

 Friday the 13^th

LiveScience.com

Does Friday the 13th freak you out? If so, hold on to your rabbit's foot extra tight, because there are three of these supposedly unlucky dates in 2012, though perhaps luckily, this Friday (July 13) is the last of them. Though, there's always some fear to be had next year, 2013.

1. This year is a special one for Friday the 13ths: There are three of them: Jan. 13, April 13 and July 13. The freaky thing? The dates fall exactly 13 weeks apart. That hasn't happened since 1984.

2. If that scares you, you may have paraskavedekatriaphobia (also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia). Those are the scientific terms for fear of Friday the 13th. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

3. It's not clear when or why Friday the 13th became associated with bad luck. The association may be biblical, given that the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus. His crucifixion was the next day, apparently a Friday. Or maybe 13 suffers from coming after the more-pleasing number 12, which gets to number the months, the days of Christmas and even the eggs in a dozen. (There are also 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles of Jesus.)

4. Whatever the reason, fear of 13 has spread far and wide: Hotels and hospitals often skip the 13th floor, and even airports quietly omit gate 13 sometimes.

5. The next year in which we'll have three Friday the 13ths is 2015. They'll fall in February, March and November.

6. If you think your Friday the 13th is likely to be bad, be glad you aren't a 14th-century Knight Templar. On Oct. 13, 1307, officers of King Philip IV of France raided the homes of thousands of these Crusades warriors, imprisoning them on charges of illegal activities. Though the charges weren't proven, more than a hundred died of terrible torture, according to "Tales of the Knights Templar" (Warner Books, 1995).

7. Fittingly, director of psychological thrillers Alfred Hitchcock was born on the 13th — Friday, Aug. 13, 1999, would have been his 100th birthday. Perhaps aptly titled "Number 13," a film that was supposed to be Hitchcock's directorial debut never made it past the first few scenes and was shut down due to financial problems. He allegedly said the film wasn't very interesting. (Meanwhile, Fidel Castro was born on Friday the 13th, in August 1926.)

8. Why does the Friday the 13th superstition stick so firmly in our minds? According to Thomas Gilovich, who chairs the department of psychology at Cornell University, our brains are almost too good at making associations.

"If anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13th, the two will be forever associated in your mind, and all those uneventful days in which the 13th fell on a Friday will be ignored," Gilovich said in a statement. [13 Superstitions & Traditions Explained]

9. For pagans, 13 is actually a lucky number. It corresponds with the number of full moons in a year.

10. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is said to have avoided travel on the 13th day of any month, and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

11. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest. [13 Odd Occurrences on Friday the 13th]

12. Stock broker and author Thomas W. Lawson, in his 1907 novel "Friday the Thirteenth," wrote of a stockbroker's attempts to take down Wall Street on the unluckiest day of the month. Reportedly, stock brokers after this were as unlikely to buy or sell stocks on this unlucky day as they were to walk under a ladder, according to accounts of a 1925 New York Times article.

13. This fear of Friday the 13th can be serious business, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C., which, among other things, offers therapy to help people overcome their fear of the freaky friday. Their estimates suggest hundreds of millions of dollars, up to $900 million are lost due to people's fear of flying or doing the business as usual that day, though that number isn't backed up with other estimates

Fearless...

I sit daily in awe of my 4 year old daughter Rowyn... she amazes me, inspires me, terrifies me and intrigues me. This little girl is so FEARLESS, that she is truly the definition of fearless.

 Everyday she finds a new adventure and then conquers it.

We spent the weekend at the camp and this little girl left me on the edge of my seat all weekend long.

She was the youngest child at the camp this weekend (all the rest were 7+years old) and my sweet 4 year hung and did everything they did. We took the boat out tubing and all the kids were so excited and Rowyn stepped up and said I want to go too and jumped on the tube in the river and never gave it a second thought... I don't think that she knew what tubing was when she climbed on and I don't think she cared. I watched as the tube bounced, slid and hopped down the river and all the while Rowyn had the biggest smile on her face yelling "faster, faster!"

Not only did she tube with the big kids she also dove in and swam in the river with the big kids... and by dive, I mean stand on the deck and cut flips into the unknown waters of the river.

I have never been so proud as I was this weekend. Everyone sat in amazement as my sweet little 4 year showed them how fearless and (excuse my language) Badass she is!!!

 Here is my advise to all moms, "never put fear in your child... Let them be fearless, let them test their strengths, let them be the child they want to be. Yes, it is scary and yes it is hard... but let them be." Much Love, Bridget!

Housework Makes Men Happy...?

I came across this article while catching up on my daily news.... I was intrigued by the title and just had to read the story. The article comes for Today.com and talks about how doing housework actually makes men happy?!? I know men doing housework makes women happy but never thought about the joy it could bring to men. The article makes some very valid points, so tell me what you think. Much Love, Bridget!

Guys, be happy! Do the housework. Really.

By Linda Carroll , TODAY.com contributor

An intriguing new study suggests that men are happier and less stressed when they do more of the housework.

Published as part of a new book, the study looks at how household chores are divvied up in families and at how that division of labor affects the well-being and stress of moms and dads. The study scrutinized data collected by the European Social Survey.

Cambridge University researchers Jacqueline Scott and Anke Plagnol suspected that men would be less happy when they took on more of the housework, which they defined as cooking, shopping and cleaning. “Engaging in housework may be more demeaning for men,” they wrote.

So it was a big surprise to them when it turned out that men were actually happier and less stressed when household chores were equally shared by men and women. “Our findings indicate that our expectation is completely wrong,” the researchers wrote in the book, “Gendered Lives: Gender Inequalities in Production and Reproduction."

The researchers were also surprised by the number of dual-income families that shared household chores equally: almost one in five. And another 9 percent reported that most of the housework was being done by men. Nevertheless, Scott and her coauthor found that more than 68 percent of families were still reporting most of the housework being done by women.

When the woman was the breadwinner, more men were stepping up to the plate. A full 22 percent of those households reported that men were doing most of the housework, with 15 percent reporting an equal division, vs. 57 percent where the woman did most of the household chores.

Men, as it turns out, reported more work-family conflict when women did most of the household chores. And their scores for well-being were also lower. Interestingly, the researchers reported, “the well-being of men is significantly reduced when housework is done mainly by women, but this is not the case for women.”

Though there were no data to explain why men were happier and less stressed when doing more housework, the researchers have their theories. “Men who leave the chores to women may be subject to more complaints than men who do their share of home chores,” the researchers suggested. “It is also plausible that some men want a more equitable role in the home and their well-being is reduced when the pressure of their jobs gets in the way.”

Scott and Plagnol suspect that men might be more willing to share housework equally if they knew there were benefits to the arrangement.

“Our study points to wider benefits for men who do their fair share of the housework,” they wrote. “Men today play a far greater role in home and child care than their fathers or grandfathers. It might help change move faster if the benefits of a more equitable divide became more widely known.”

Linda Carroll is coauthor of "The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic."