ASK YOUR OPRA QUESTIONS NOW

Hello to all the Ohio Parks and Recreation professionals attending this year's OPRA conference in Cleveland. I'm pleased to be invited back for my third year! This year, I'll be presenting three sessions:

Responding to Adversity
Coaching Skills for Managers
Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

What questions or situations do you want me to address? Post your comments now and I'll be sure to answer them in my sessions. I'm looking forward to seeing you February 8-9!

SELF-ESTEEM WORKSHOP FOLLOW UP

Thanks to all who braved the cold weather last night to attend my parenting workshop, "Self-Esteem: The Key to Your Child's Success." I appreciated your dedication, questions, and discussion. I've included some pictures from the program courtesy of Mindy Jencson (thanks Mindy!)

Parents, as you work through the material and practice it with your kids, questions will arise. Feel free to post them here and I will respond within 24 hours. For those of you who inquired about the Circle of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. program, the next session begins Saturday February 3, 2007. Please sign up now by calling Lakeshore Educational & Counseling Services at (440) 963-0402 or 800-600-5327.

Remember, your kids need more than unconditional love. They need skills; invest in your child's well-being!

"I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!"

Parents,

Do your kids ever say that? I was on Cleveland's Channel 3 this morning talking about how to boost your kid's self-esteem. Host Andrea Vecchio and I talked about the role of competition, responding to bullies, and what to do when your child, "can't do anything right!" Watch the video by clicking on the link below.

Susan's appearance on WKYC TV's Good Company. (click on "Kids and Self-Esteem")

UPCOMING TV APPEARANCE

Hi,

For those of you in NE Ohio, I'll be on WKYC TV's "Good Company" program Thursday January 18th at 10:00 am talking about kids and self-esteem. If you have questions you'd like me to adddress, please post them here. If you can't see the program live, I'll post the interview link here Thursday afternoon.

Also, there's still time to register for my free program "Self-Esteem: The Key to Your Child's Success" Wednesday January 24th 7:00-8:30 PM at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. Register by calling (440) 746-8115.

Hope to see you there!

WOULD YOU MARRY YOUR SPOUSE AGAIN?

The latest Woman's Day magazine and AOL.com poll finds over a third (36%) of married women would not marry their husbands if they had to do it all over again, with another 20% saying they weren't sure if they would or not. The complete poll findings are highlighted in the February issue of Woman's Day magazine and online at
http://www.womansday.com/community. What do you think?

As a counselor who sees couples, I find not only the results disturbing, but the very questions themselves. Any question based on, "If I had to do it all over again.." misses the point. We cannot redo our past, but it sure is easy to romantize how much better it might've been, only if...
There's the assumption that a different partner would have changed our lives dramatically, forgetting the part that we ourselves play in our outcome.

If you are struggling in a stagnant relationship, here are more productive questions to ask: When was my relationship at its strongest and most vibrant? What's different today? What do I need to start (or stop) doing today to recreate that same connection? How can I become more responsible for the health of my current relationship? What do I need to say to my partner that would affirm him/or her and our relationship?

Relationships are hard work, no doubt. Part of the satisfaction is knowing that when times are tough you focused on solutions versus regrets.

GIVE HELP. GIVE HOPE. GIVE AN HOUR

I've signed up as a volunteer for this worthy cause and would like to spread the word to all other mental health professionals. Here's information on Give An Hour:

"We are a nonprofit organization developing a national network of mental health professionals to give an hour of their time each week to provide free mental health services to military personnel and their families. Please visit our Web site to sign up and share our information with your colleagues. www.giveanhour.org or call Barbara V. Romberg, PhD, Executive Director, (202) 244-5944."

YOUR "PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS"

Have you seen "The Pursuit of Happyness" yet? If not, go! It's inspiring on so many levels. To me, the best part is when Will Smith (as the lead character) sees a very successful man in a Ferrari and says, "I have two questions for you: What do you do for a living and how did you afford this car?" Asking those questions becomes the turning point for his life. He could have asked himself, why can't I be so lucky? And, he probably could have come up with the answer, yet that answer would have left him right where he was.

What questions are you asking? Are they the type of questions that will lead you to your desired outcome? If not, change the question. Start with "what" or "how" and see where the answers take you! For an example of the type of questions that will lead you forward, visit my website at www.susanfee.com and click on "Ready for Change?"

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND HOMESICKNESS

Some college students have a tougher time dealing with homesickness than others. I receive emails weekly from students who are struggling and asking for help. Here's a recent AP article that explains how debilitating it can be. If you're a student (or the parent of one) who is having a hard time adjusting, please read my tips for surviving homesickness by visiting www.myroommateisdrivingmecrazy.com.

QUESTIONS ABOUT KIDS AND SELF-ESTEEM

As the mother of an eight-year old daughter, I know parenting is a tough job! One of the most important things we can do for our kids is to help them develop a strong sense of self-esteem so they can manage themselves when we're not around.

When setting boundaries for your kids, remember the difference between punishment and discipline: punishment is about controlling your kids (spanking) and discipline is about teaching your kids how to control themselves (consequences). If you have questions on how to do that, please comment. I'm preparing material now for an upcoming seminar and your questions will be part of the discussion.

For those of you who live in the Cleveland-Akron area, I'll be presenting "Self-Esteem: The Key to Your Child's Success" on Wednesday January 24th, 2007 at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. Best of all, it's free!

MOMS, DON'T LET YOUR DAUGHTERS GROW UP TO BE MEAN GIRLS

Here's yet another story about mean girl behavior, this time from high school cheerleaders in McKinney, TX. Click here to see the ABC News story.

As I travel the country teaching parents, teachers, and young girls how to deal with these type of situations, I hear stories like this all the time. Still, they never cease to disappoint me. I do hope these girls will learn to use their power in more positive ways and the adults involved learn the value of setting boundaries.

If you're the parent of a young girl who has struggled with mean girls, check out my program, Circle Of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. A new session starts February 3, 2007.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Welcome to my first blog entry! I specialize in helping my clients improve their personal and professional communication skills. You can find lots of great information on my website, but sometimes relationship questions just can't wait.

Do you work with a jerk? Are you involved in a dead-end relationship? Are you ready to have a difficult conversation, but can't find the right words? Let me know. Let's make 2007 the year you find the courage to speak up with confidence!

Check out my website at www.susanfee.com and check my blog each day for tips for handling situations you may face personally or professionally.

I welcome your question and comments here.