Ask Nicole: 30 Ways to Praise Written by Nicole M. Young, MSW In my line of work, I often hear people describe two communication patterns they’ve noticed in the workplace: 1) they have a hard time saying positive things about themselves, and 2) they tend to hear more “constructive criticism” than genuine praise and positive feedback from their colleagues. The two patterns are usually related and exist for many complicated reasons. The combined effect of these patterns is often insecurity, fear of failure, misunderstandings, and conflict in the workplace. It makes me wonder why it’s hard for some people to give and receive authentic praise. Hearing positive, encouraging words can…
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The Evolution of Competition
The Evolution of Competition Written by Mike Herzog & Bill Trimpi It was a cold cloudy rainy day in the dead of December 1994, at Natural Bridges After School Sports Program. The kids were restless. If we didn’t do something quickly the pent-up energy of twenty children ages five to eleven was going to erupt like a volcano. Suddenly an inspiration hit me, we needed to do the unthinkable, we needed to go outside in the rain and play a game. I called everyone in, who was interested, to play a two-hand touch mud football game. Naturally all the older boys came running over at the sound of mud. We…
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Building Your Own Weather Vane
Building Your Own Weather Vane Written by Jennifer K Mahal Look outside. Is it sunny? Is it cloudy? Is it rainy? Is it cold? Did you know before you looked what the weather would be like? If you did, you probably relied on meteorology, the science of weather prediction. The word “meteorology” actually means “the science of atmosphere and its phenomena,” according to Merriam-Webster. The earth has five layers of atmosphere: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the ionosphere and the exosphere. Most of the things we think of as weather happen in the troposphere, which is the layer of gases closest to the surface of the earth. It’s…
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Five Great Ways to Unplug and Get Your Kids Outdoors
Five Great Ways to Unplug and Get Your Kids Outdoors Written by Jan Pierce, M.Ed. Family life can be hectic. After a busy day of preparing meals, snacks and overseeing homework projects, breaking up squabbles and keeping up with dishes and laundry, parents are often more than happy to “pop in a video” as they say, and watch their brood settle into wide-eyed, quiet little people. But I’m also aware that many children rarely see the light of day except when in transit from school to home where they immediately turn something on—the television, a video player, a computer or a computer game. It’s become a huge problem for…
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What’s the Magic of Camp?
What’s the Magic of Camp? Written by Michael Thompson, Ph.D. Why are people so loyal to their sleep away camps? What exactly happens at camp that makes people rhapsodize about the experience thirty or forty years later? Whenever I tell people that I am curious about the camp experience, the stories start to pour out. “I loved my camp,” they say in a dreamy voice. What is it about the summer camp experience — just a few weeks away for perhaps two or three seasons — that goes so deep under their skin? As a psychologist, I am curious about the mystery of camp. What’s the magic ingredient? After a…
