Featured Image for Week 1: Smoothing Transitions Back to School using the Nurtured Heart Approach

Week 1: Smoothing Transitions Back to School using the Nurtured Heart Approach

Wednesday, August 28, 2019


Check our weekly tip for parents through September!

What is the Nurtured Heart Approach?

What began as a way of creating relationships with children typically described as “intense” (and that intensity perceived as a “bad thing”) has evolved into a method of creating healthy relationship with anyone in your life.

When using the Nurtured Heart Approach ® (NHA), a child is able to utilize their Inner Wealth TM to handle stressful situations and make appropriate choices.

This approach consists of three main components:

  • 1.Refuse to energize or accidentally reward negativity
  • 2.Create and super-energize experiences of success
  • 3.Provide clear limit-setting and consequences.

As we move into another school year can you think of back-to-school situations with your child that have/could end in frustration or tears? How about when the “back to school excitement” has faded and now your child doesn’t get up for school on time? Does this end up with you raising your voice, yelling or threatening to take away technology? If so, then this is an example of “energizing or rewarding negativity” because we are giving our attention to what is going wrong.

Give it a try! Start using the Nurtured Heart Approach in your home so you can perhaps change the path of the dreaded morning by:

    1. Setting clear expectations about ‘wake up time’ on the night before.
    2. The MOMENT you see your child even move in their bed that morning – ACKNOWLEDGE this! Praise them for what you see is their effort to rise and get ready! Example: “I see you’ve opened your eyes and you have one leg on the floor!” (this is an example of Active Recognition)
    3. Stop yourself from the desire to lecture on the importance of being on time, this inadvertently gives too much energy to what is going wrong.
    4. DO follow through on the consequences that were clearly set up the following night for not following the rule of being ready for school on time.
    Do not be discouraged if this does not immediately change your child’s behavior – time and consistency with this shift of energy is key.

Watch for a new Nurtured Heart Approach tip to try with your family each week through the end of September!