Emily Rittenberg, Mental Health Counselor

The Hardest Soft Skills for Parents

Parents need so much more than love to be effective. They need some hard skills that are directly related to the “work” of parenting like how to change a diaper, how to organize a kids bedroom (anyone want to help me with this?!!), and how to meal prep and plan. But maybe even moreContinue reading “The Hardest Soft Skills for Parents”

Mantras for Mamas

I was talking to a friend the other day about a difficult situation with my kiddos and realized I could use some mantras in my life to help me stay calm and centered admits the chaos. Here’s what I came up with (& do you have a mantra???): “I don’t need to attend to everyContinue reading “Mantras for Mamas”

Helping Your Child Through Shoe-Tying…and Life

Q: Looking for experience and advice helping my daughter, Maya (5.5), through her frustration in learning new skills. We usually wait for her to ask to learn to do something, especially physical skills (ride a scooter, do a somersault, etc.) and shoe tying wasn’t really on our radar because her two favorite pairs of shoesContinue reading “Helping Your Child Through Shoe-Tying…and Life”

The Real Lesson in the Tantrum

Mindful parenting through children’s big emotional outbursts.

Reflections on Silence

Reflections after a 5 day retreat away from the family–including 2 days of SILENCE.

Two Days of Silence, Two Months of Silence

Leaving the family for 5 days next week and going on a mindfulness retreat with two days of SILENCE. Am I nuts?

10 Thoughts on Bringing Mindfulness Into Your Home

Sharing mindfulness with your children and watch the ripple effects in both of your lives.

Archaeology of Parenting: Unearthing Yourself

Your essence is the most authentic, honest, real version of you. Over years of development it often gets built over with other’s stories of who you are (or who they want/need you to be)–good or bad–but not essential truths of who you are on the most elemental level. Eroding those stories we were told were your identity is a difficult but essential part of raising one’s own conscious awareness.

Surviving the Abyss of Motherhood

Being a new mom will deplete your senses, make you feel like a failure, and even miss your ‘old’ life…but there is perfection in your distress.

Confronting Independence

Everyone grows up with some level of attachment to our parents. In order to be able to have a healthy attachment to your child-which has multitudes of short term and long term health benefits to you both, one must be able to honestly assess their own emotional bond to their parents. One must ask, how did my parents do at keeping me safe, seen, secure and soothed?