Joining me this week is Ashley Wise, a Registered Clinical Mental Health Intern with Family Enrichment Services, and a counselor with the Chosen Families team. Ashley works with our families formed through adoption and uses play and education to help create the connections and attachments that are vital to a child’s development. She shares a technique called a “mindfulness moment” where she leads children through a calming activity such as yoga, breathing exercises, or blowing bubbles, to get them to calm down and become present for her sessions, but can also be helpful for parents to use during chaotic transition times such as after school. When families engage in games and activities together, it can have many positive effects such as learning about following rules, learning about respect, and a chance to make a connection. When a child feels a connection to a parent, it encourages them to communicate with that parent, and this can lead to a healthy relationship. Stay tuned to the end where Ashley shares a mission moment about a family whose children learned about following rules through the game “Mother May I.” If you'd like to get in touch with us about the show or any issues that arise from the topics we discuss, please email us at info@parentingmatterfl.org.