Just the thought of lunch preparation, after-school enrichment activities, homework supervision and report cards makes us parents get a sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs. We need to change our perception of school for our sake as well as our children’s. Here´s how.

Our lives our peppered with problem people. No one can erode who you are, what you wish for, the goals that you have defined or even what you look like if you appreciate the beauty of your own spirit. Here are some suggestions for transforming problem people into happy solutions.

The days are shorter, the weather colder and the holiday countdown begins. The malls are filled with beautiful decorations. Music and fragrances combine to set the holiday spirit. Outside, chestnuts are roasting over an open fire, so why do we feel anxious and a bit wistful?

Too often we are in a hurry to deal with grief. Ironically, when we grieve, we expand our heart instead of constrict it in a knot of unresolved despair. If you are patient with the grieving process, here are some of the good things grief can do for you:

The holidays are almost upon us and those dreaded family gatherings highlight how vulnerable we still are to criticism and the old prescribed roles we act out. If you plan on attending family gatherings, here are some suggestions to transform them from prison riots into joyous celebrations:

We choose our friends, or they choose us, but family is a hand-me-down. How do we handle family members who are negative, critical, unfeeling and domineering?

In order to be of sound mind and sound body, and in equilibrium, we must confront our anger instead of allowing it to distract us with bodily symptoms of aches and pains as we suppress our feelings. Here is how to C.O.P.E.

I just returned from a whirlwind TV news station tour out West, five cities in five days. When you travel for business or pleasure and your schedule is hectic, don’t let yourself get depleted. Here’s what worked for me:

Do you do it all- Work, run the house, raise the children, take care of the finances, volunteer at the PTA and attend a book club? It’s time to take back your power and turn stress into strength.

Many of us are fascinated with artists, actors, writers, architects and all sorts of creative people. We sigh and wish upon a star that we could be creative like them. The good news: We can develop our creativity as well as our children’s and learn to apply it.