Miriam Manela

Jul 01 2015

On Stars and Wemmicks: Boosting Your Child’s Confidence

You Are Special

How many times have you tried to tell your children that they are special –but it just doesn’t stick?

Mark came home from school devastated. ‘Someone’ had said ‘something’ and he was inconsolable. No matter what I said, the power of peer review overwhelmed him. I felt helpless.

That is until my friend Nina called me a ‘Wemmick.’

She said this after I said I don’t want to do this because ‘No one else is doing it!’

“Wemmick?” [Read more…] about On Stars and Wemmicks: Boosting Your Child’s Confidence

Mar 04 2015

Repairing The Parent-Child Bond (For HUMAN Parents Only)

Have you ever felt momentarily overwhelmed, annoyed, or angry and raised your voice at your child?

If the answer is no, you are some kind of web-crawling bot, not a real-live human parent, and therefore you do not have to read any further.

For the rest of us: Every relationship, including parent-child relationships, has its ups and downs, ins and outs, and even ruptures and repairs.

One of the lessons every mom (and dad) has to learn is that it’s okay if there are occasionally times you can’t give your child what you think is best for him. Learning to accept that you are human and that you can’t give 100 percent 100 percent of the time will, in the long run, strengthen your parent-child bond.

My Patience Predicament

Last week I got a bit angry at [Read more…] about Repairing The Parent-Child Bond (For HUMAN Parents Only)

Feb 18 2015

Signs Of Stress In Children

Can you tell if your child is stressed? What does stress in children look like? Does it look different from stress in adults?

You are probably familiar with common signs of stress and anxiety in yourself: [Read more…] about Signs Of Stress In Children

Feb 11 2015

Video: Can Demanding Children Become More Flexible?

In this talk filmed at the Thrive OT sensory gym, occupational therapist Miriam Manela talks about helping children who have “fits” when things don’t go their way, learn to be more flexible. (Scroll down for video).

Feb 05 2015

Omi’s Attachment Theory: 6 Tips For Bonding With Your Child

Just last night I was talking to a friend who asked me how Omi is doing. Sadly, I had to tell her of my grandmother’s passing almost three weeks ago, just shy of 100 years old. She was a regal woman with tremendous warmth and grace and was a constant presence in my life. [Read more…] about Omi’s Attachment Theory: 6 Tips For Bonding With Your Child