Lessons of Unschooling

I recently gave a talk at a wonderful and stimulating event in the White Mountains of New Hampshire called Life Rocks, which was a week-long gathering of families who are on the cutting edge of freedom in parenting and education. Founded by Dayna Martin with her husband and kids, the event brings together hundreds of families to share and explore their experiences, wisdom, and vision for a family-centered child-rearing experience, to encourage their children to become creative, capable, confident, and happy adults.

  

Author of Radical Unschooling, Dayna also directs the Rethinking Everything conference in Texas in August. She was my guest on my radio show "Family First," and I encourage you to listen to the show at

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/65485/radical-unschooling.

  

Not all families will want to educate their children at home, though more and more are choosing to do so. Those who have done it have learned much that can be of value to those who have chosen to take advantage of our many kinds of school systems. The contrast between letting kids learn what they need through living rather than formal schooling and sending kids to school for twelve to twenty years is often dramatic. Most notably, the children do not come to assume that someone else is in charge of their schedule, their learning, their work contribution, and their income. They take responsibility early for their own future.

  

In my book The Seven Secrets of Successful Parents, I included an Appendix describing why my husband and I decided to educate our son and daughter at home. In brief, it was primarily to give them more freedom to explore what they were most interested in at any given time and to give us all more family time so that they could learn more from us, their parents, as well as to have more fun enjoying each other as a family. You will find much more detail in the book, but my point is that all parents can focus on these things without going all the way to home education.

  

What we find in family-focused child-rearing is that children are naturally curious, naturally want to learn, and don't need to be prodded, "taught" responsibility, caring, or contribution. They want to help, want to do important things, want to imitate the adults they respect.

  

Making time together is the most important thing you can do for your children. Choose things you like to do and share these with your child. Then pick things they like to do and facilitate their activities and your own participation. Create an example of inquisitiveness in your own life. Create lots of opportunities for seeing, hearing, exploring, traveling, reading, playing, dancing, drawing, singing, building. If your child is in school, it's harder to find these times, but maximize the opportunities during vacations and on weekends. Don't let school and sports and extracurricular activities prevent your time together.

 

Child-led learning is the natural pattern among traditional peoples and it works just as well for us now. The best teachers in our school systems try to tap in to what turns a child on and show them their own competence around that subject to bolster their performance in other areas. Who is in a better position than a parent to know their child's passions, needs and wants? And who else can figure out better what each child needs for guidance, healthy limits, and healthy freedoms at different ages and stages? Too often today parents are asked to abdicate this all important role. Hold on to it and your children will thrive. You will be happier too!

  

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: You Can Postpone Anything But Love.TM Making time to be with your children is the best thing you can do as a parent. Children learn by example and you are it! See that your lifestyle and relationship habits model what you want from your child, and be there to help them interpret what they see and hear from the all-pervasive media. Make time to do fun things together and to listen to their stories. Take time to find out what they would like to do to have fun. Go hiking, watch a game, play a video game with you, go to a fancy restaurant, visit a dairy or a TV studio? Whatever it is, make it happen together.

Stress - The Missing Link

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

If you ask someone if they have any stress, they either roll their eyes saying, “Doesn’t everybody?” or they laugh saying, “Who me?” We all have stressors in our lives, at home, at work, even on our dinner plate. Many assume it’s just that way and if we feel worn out there is nothing to do but fill up on energy drinks or medications. But online radio host Randy Rolfe’s guest this week on Family First says this is a formula for ruin. Peter M. McCarthy is author of the new book Adrenaline Nation, in which he describes how the chronic stress of modern life is not only making us sick but is also bankrupting our economy. He will share the changes that we can make to turn this process around and regain our ability to protect our health from stress. He holds a Doctorate in Traditional Naturopathy from Trinity College of Natural Health and is President of the Texas Complementary and Alternative Medicine Association and Chair of the Texas Health Freedom Coalition, the largest state level grass roots natural health advocacy network.

 

To hear the program, simply click on this link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 pm PT, 2 pm MT, 3 pm CT, 4 pm ET, or any time afterwards online, or on podcast or apps.

 

Peter M. McCarthy, TN, is a board certified traditional naturopath and a sought after professional in the field of complementary and alternative medicine, CAM. He is CEO of AHI Productions, a media company which is creator of NHN-TV, the planet’s first TV network devoted to natural health and green living news, education, and entertainment. He is a past member of the Advisory Committee of the American Naturopathic Certification Board. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1972 with a BS in Engineering Mechanics and an Air Force commission as a second lieutenant. A 20 year military veteran, he earned his MA in Management and Supervision from Central Michigan University while on active duty. He then became a Captain/First Officer for Southwest Airlines and later retired in 2009. His interest in naturopathy developed in the 80s and 90s as he saw the impact of stressors on the health of those around him. He and his wife Nancy live in Austin TX and have three grown children.

To hear the program, simply click on this link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 pm PT, 2 pm MT, 3 pm CT, 4 pm ET, or any time afterwards online, or on podcast or apps.

 

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: A recent study showed that kids who got an extra hour sleep than they usually do were a whole lot more agreeable! We should hardly need a study to prove this to be true. But at least such reports come as a useful reminder! We all benefit from getting enough sleep. A good night's sleep is a powerful tool to help us renew our healthy stress response! Listen in to find out more. And assert your parental authority to get your kids to bed and to sleep (lights and screens off) on time.

A Special Appeal! 4 Days Left!

This is a special appeal for your support for my weekly online radio show Family First, now reaching 47,000 families every month and still growing! I invite you to become a Friend of Family First and to help me reach more people who would like to support the program.   Please hurry! There are just 4 days left until the close of my Campaign! Capign closes October 5 at 12:59pm PT.   Please click on this link www.indiegogo.com/friendsoffamilyfirst where you can see a video about the show and about my campaign to raise funds to continue the program well into its second year. If you own a business, please contact me to find out about how to become an advertiser or a sponsor for Family First within a budget which fits your marketing needs. If you know someone who might like to advertise or to sponsor the show, please also let me know.   Meanwhile, please go to www.indiegogo.com/friendsoffamilyfirst  and see all the great thank you perks available for any contribution, from $6 on up. Thank you for any help you can give.

Each weekly program costs several thousand dollars to produce and I have already invested over $25,000 of personal funds towards making the program the success it has become. The Voice America Network too has given great professional and financial support for my program.   Many shows today ask that guests contribute to the costs of production. So far I have avoided doing so because I want to feel free to feature any expert I believe deserves the attention of my audience, even if they are just getting started in their marketing and do not have a lot to invest. Instead, I am seeking sponsors and advertisers large and small.   Currently I am running a fun campaign to enroll "Friends of Family First" through the popular crowd-sourcing website www.indiegogo.com. Indiegogo has proven to be an effective way to attract support from a large crowd of people, who each can give a little toward a great cause that appeals to them. In effect I am seeking hundreds of sponsors, who each contribute what they can and receive fun and valuable thank you gifts in return.   Family First reaches over 47,000 families every month, after just 16 months on the air, and the audience is still growing each month! As a way to get information out to families which they don't hear on conventional media, Family First is unsurpassed. I am proud of the superb guests it has attracted and of the thousands of families who have discovered its value and told their friends to tune in.   Here are some ways you can help me to continue to bring families around the world experts who have unique, highly qualified, and powerful insights to help families survive and thrive today and in turn do their part in making this a happier, healthier world. I am most grateful for any support you can offer.   (1)   You can become a "Friend of Family First" by going to http://www.indiegogo.com/friendsoffamilyfirst. It just takes a moment to choose which perk level you want and your thank you gifts will be on their way with my deep appreciation! Levels start at $6 and go up to $1,000, so every one can help! The Campaign close date is October 5 so please hurry! (2)   You can recommend to your contacts that they can become a "Friend of Family First." Urge them to go to http://www.indiegogo.com/friendsoffamilyfirst, where they can show their support for an important service for families and in return receive some wonderful thank you gifts! No contribution is too small, or too large! The Campaign close date is October 5 so please hurry! (3)   You can become a sponsor or advertiser on Family First! Please contact Senior Executive Producer Nathan Jett of the Voice America Network at 480-553-5768, or give me a call. Nathan will customize a package big or small for you, to fit your marketing goals and your marketing budget. (4)   You can refer me to an organization you believe in which might be interested in becoming a sponsor or advertiser on Family First. Please call or email me with their information and I will connect them with my Senior Executive Producer. (5)   You can tune in and also urge your contacts to tune in Friday afternoons or any time on demand to Family First, at http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first, to hear an engaging, informative conversation about a different topic each week on how to help their families to become happier and healthier right now.

Please hurry! There are just 4 days left for the Campaign at Indiegogo for you or your contacts to become a Friend of Family First! Go to www.indiegogo.com/friendsoffamilyfirst.   Please contact me with your questions or comments, at randyrolfe@randyrolfe.com. I appreciate any support for Family First which you can give and look forward to reaching more families with the message that prepared, holistic, responsive, and spiritual parenting can change the world! Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: Prepared, holistic, responsive, and spiritual parenting can change the world! Think before you speak, give extra hugs and smiles, and relax in confidence knowing your child wants to have your attention and approval and will respond positively to them (sooner or later!).

Can Separation or Divorce Be a Less Costly, Healthier Process?

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Making Divorce a Healthier Process

At least half of our nation’s families have been touched by divorce. The high costs and stress on family members of completing the divorce process is legendary, especially if the process involves litigation. Is there another way? My guest this week on Family First is Crispino M. Pastore, Esq., whose mission is to help his clients avoid costly and destructive litigation.

 

Pastore founded the Main Line Family Law Center in 2011, together with his wife Sharon Pastore, after his years of conventional family law practice left him feeling that his hands were constantly tied as he witnessed the destructive nature of the litigation process. He now employs a uniquely integrated approach to assisting clients in resolving their separation and divorce matters. Using expert divorce and parenting mediators, life coaches, therapists, and financial planners, he can assure his clients that their settlements will be fair and reasonable while ensuring that all of their rights and interests are protected.

To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to this link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1pm PT, 2pm MT, 3pm CT, 4pm ET, or any time afterwards online, or on podcast or apps.

Cris Pastore brings to his practice over 18 years of legal experience and perspective. A graduate of Villanova Law School, he has previously represented private family law clients in all phases of domestic law litigation, from child and spousal support to alimony, custody matters, equitable distribution, protection from abuse, and adoption matters.

When Mr. Pastore discovered a better way to help his separating and divorcing clients, he dedicated his career exclusively to mediation. He served as managing attorney for a prominent regional divorce mediation firm where he personally handled hundreds of mediation cases while being responsible for hiring, training, managing, and inspiring a team of attorney-mediators. Now as Main Line Family Law Center’s attorney-mediator, the goal of his practice is not only to assist his clients with these same principles in mind, but to revolutionize this area of practice by generating widespread community awareness of the great value of mediation.

To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to this link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1pm PT, 2pm MT, 3pm CT, 4pm ET, or any time afterwards online, or on podcast or apps.

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: As a former practicing litigation attorney as well as a family therapist, I know there are ways to ease the transition from married to separated and divorced.  Always choose an attorney who puts the total welfare of the family and children ahead of mere dollar amounts. My work is focused on preventing family trauma, but if separation is inevitable, there are still many ways to prevent additional pain and stress around the process. Counseling, mediation, and other ancillary services are well worth the investment.

What Peace Day Means for Family

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Our children are exposed daily to news of violence, war, fleeing refugees, children orphaned by conflict. How do we help empower them to believe they can be part of making the world a safer, fairer, more peaceful place? This is one of the goals of the September 21 celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace, a day of ceasefire and non-violence celebrated world wide. My guest on Family First this week is Lisa Parker, who helped to found Peace Day Philly in 2011, believing that Peace Day holds a great opportunity for cities across the world, including Philadelphia. She serves as coordinator of the initiative for 2012, and is Co-Chair of the CITIES Peace Team, an international sub-committee of the International Day of Peace NGO Committee at the United Nations. The CITIES Peace Team shares models, practices, and resources related to Peace Day observances and helps increase connectivity of cities across the world that promote and/or organize observances for Peace Day.

To hear the program , simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first this Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Lisa Parker is a Philadelphia native and a social worker by training. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in 1986 and a Masters Degree in social service program planning and development in 1993. Lisa has worked in various social services, educational, mental health, and public health programs in Philadelphia and especially with children, youth, and families, and with refugee populations. Lisa also has experience in the areas of non-profit consulting and anti-bullying activities in schools, as well as with visual and expressive arts. .In addition to her work with the Peace Day Initiative, Lisa is also a Representative for Global Education Motivators (GEM) to the United Nations Department of Pubic Information (DPI). GEM is a Philadelphia based non-profit that uses video conferencing to encourage a greater global perspective, especially among high school and college youth, through a wide range of intercultural dialogues and exposure to the work of the United Nations.  

To hear the program , simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first this Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

 

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: Our children learn primarily by imitation. How do we resolve conflicts within our own home? It's a good idea to think about your patterns of interaction because these are the models our children take with them when they go to school, to work, create a home, or operate in the larger arenas of public and global affairs. Do we take time to hear the points of view on all sides? Do we avoid passing judgment or demeaning the party we disagree with? Do we stay patient until a mutually agreeable solution appears? Do we have cooling off periods if the emotions are running rampant? Do we use respectful language and tones? Our example goes a long way to creating a more peaceful home and world.

What Happens When a Loved One Is Very Sick?

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Most of us know someone who is hospitalized with medical treatment for a serious condition. Each patient and each family has their own unique needs for comfort and care. My guest this week on Family First has 30 years experience giving personalized nursing care. Listen to her stories this Friday at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM Mt, 1 PM PT, or any time afterwards by going to this link! 

Episode Title:  What Can The Dying Teach Us About Living?

As our population ages, an ever bigger proportion of our population will be dealing with end of life issues. What can we learn from the experience of those dying? What can they teach us about life as well as about death, and how can we help to make their transition more peaceful and love-filled? My guest this week on “Family First” is Becki Hawkins, author of the new book TRANSITIONS: A Nurse’s Education About Life and Death.

 

Becki Hawkins is a natural storyteller and a great listener and she brought those gifts with her as she sat by the bedside of seriously ill or terminally ill patients for more than 30 years, as an oncology and hospice nurse. It is her compassion and warmth that encouraged so many of her charges to share their heartfelt thoughts and experiences with her. On “Family First” she will share what she has learned from her experiences and also reveal a kind of blueprint for how to help our loved ones to go through their end of life transition in peace, grace, and love.

To hear the program, simply click on this link::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Becki Hawkins became a nurse’s aide at age 19, which inspired her to earn her degree in nursing. Unusual for someone so young, she chose to start her career in the Oncology Unit in a large city hospital. She progressed to Outpatient Oncology, Hospice, and eventually became a Hospice Chaplain. Upon retirement in the 1990s, she began to volunteer her services for hospice patients.

 

Becki was also instrumental in the care of various family members. She loved the opportunity to work with the patients and their families, but she didn’t quite know how to face the reality of not being able to “save” every patient. After seeing the stress it left upon her and hearing the stories, her husband suggested she begin journaling. She began to write about what she was hearing, witnessing, and feeling. By 1986, she started penning a column in a local newspaper called “Beyond Statistics,” which became syndicated and led to the creation of her book, Transitions: A Nurse’s Education About Life and Death.

To hear the program, simply click on this link::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: Authenticity is most important when dealing with a sick loved one. Those who are hospitalized know that something serious is happening. Be gentle and loving and authentic. In discussing the situation with younger family members, keep the language and ideas age-appropriate. Take time to choose your words carefully. Avoid frightening them or dumping your more complext feelings on them. Think your answers through before you get questions. Or if you already have a child asking a question, ask them to let you get back to them about it and then follow up within an hour or two. Children know when you are sad or preoccupied so be sure to let them know what it is about and that it is not about them.

What Buy USA-Made Can Mean to You

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Are social media a distraction and obsession or can they be a force for positive change? Will our children waste time and energy and become sleep deprived searching yet another site, or go into debt consuming whatever is advertised online, or will they find a way to use this new tool to make their world a better place? My guest this week on Family First is dedicated to making social media an instrument of change. Sarah Mazzone is a Registered Nurse, active blogger, new mother, and leader in the movement to live simply and buy what is needed from American manufacturers and from one’s local community.

Sarah Mazzone developed her growing blog, “made in usa challenge.com,” to build on her love for writing and her desire to explore American consumerism and associated issues. Sarah specializes in health and wellness, informatics and technology, and research and writing. Find out how to build your family’s health and our nation’s economy by being conscious consumers and communicators.

To hear the program, simply click on this link::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Sarah Mazzone, RN, BSN, is editor in chief of Made in USA Challenge, where she explores conscious consumerism from an economic, environmental and human rights perspective. Sarah highlights products made in USA that help strengthen our economy, protect our environment, safe-guard our families from toxins and minimize our exploitation of developing countries. She has developed her site into a resource for concerned consumers to find the best products made in America as well as to generate a dialogue about consumerism. She also collaborates with businesses to promote ethically made products manufactured locally, and creates social media marketing strategies to help connect Made in America businesses and consumers. As a Registered Nurse, she has worked both in the hospital and outpatient setting, specializing in patient education. She currently works in the healthcare informatics industry, obtaining critical data measures and reporting patient outcomes. 

To hear the program, simply click on this link::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or

 

Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: Voting at the voting booth is just one of the ways we affect the direction of our society. How we vote with our dollar matters too. If we read labels when we buy things for our family and try to favor those sources we are most comfortable wtih from a perspective of green living and supporting our local communities and country, we can have a profound effect all together. And we will be setting a good example for our kids of living according to our values and beliefs in our everyday life as well as in our larger efforts.

Our Adrenaline Nation

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Do you or someone close sometimes feel that you are never quite good enough or don’t quite measure up? Most Americans feel bombarded by constant messages that they must work harder, learn more, and be better to get what they want in life. This is just one form of the stress people experience every day. My guest this week on Family First says the pressure is killing us, literally. Author of the new book Adrenaline Nation, Peter M. McCarthy knows stress first hand as a former Air Force pilot and then a pilot for Southwest Airlines. But it was seeing all the health problems among his loved ones that led him to discover what stress was doing to us and to dedicate himself to revealing how stress is not only making us sick but also bankrupting our nation.

McCarthy earned his Doctorate in Traditional Naturopathy from Trinity College of Natural Health. He is President of the Texas Complementary and Alternative Medicine Association and Chair of the Texas Health Freedom Coalition, the nation’s largest state level grass roots natural health advocacy network,

To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Peter M. McCarthy, TN, board certified traditional naturopath, is a sought after professional in the field of complementary and alternative medicine, CAM. He is CEO of AHI Productions, a media company which is creator of NHN-TV, the planet’s first television network devoted to natural health and green living news, education, and entertainment. He is a past member of the Advisory Committee of the American Naturopathic Certification Board.

McCarthy graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1972 with a BS in Engineering Mechanics and an Air Force commission as a second lieutenant. A 20 year military veteran, he earned his MA in Management and Supervision from Central Michigan University while on active duty. He then became a Captain/First Officer for Southwest Airlines and later retired in 2009. During the 80s and 90s his interest in naturopathy developed as he saw the impact of stressors on the health of those around him. He and his wife Nancy live in Austin TX and have three grown children.

To hear the program, simply click on the link above, or go to::http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

 

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: There is much parents can do to minimize their children's stress but saving them from all challenge, risk, or pain is not helpful. Neither a neglectful nor a hovering parent be. Our job is to minimize stressors which have dangerous long term effects, like toxins in the home, emotionally burdensome comments, or constant pressure to achieve at the expense of play, sleep, and free activity. So make a regular review of your child's overall stress burden and make frequent adjustments, both in reducing unnecessary stress and improving lifestyle so that the child can respond to appropriate stresses with strong immune and hormone systems.

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Many of our cities are struggling with misdirected youth and increasing violence, whether over drugs, gangs, or simply explosive frustration. And smaller communities, suburbs, and rural areas are not immune. Many communities try to increase enforcement, keep kids in school, and find healthy activities for youth. My guest this week on Family First has found a whole new way of getting to youth which has proven amazingly effective and has been getting a lot of attention.

Orrin Checkmate Hudson says that the game of chess taught him that he was responsible for his own success or failure. His innovative programs help youth improve their focus and develop the analytical-thinking skills needed to make the winning move. A dynamic teacher, motivational speaker, and author, he has taught thousands better focus and decision-making skills through the game of chess. Hudson’s book “One Move at a Time” eloquently weaves chess strategy with 20 important life lessons into a great read for all ages.

 To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Orrin Checkmate Hudson is founder of Be Someone, two-time World Open Speed Chess Champion, and author of “One Move at a Time.” The seventh of 13 children, Hudson grew up in public housing in Birmingham, Alabama, and found himself in and out of foster care. As a teenager, he was stealing tires and struggling in school, until James Edge, his high school English teacher, taught him the game of chess.

Says Hudson, "With his help, I began to understand life through a chessboard. He showed me that every move you make has consequences and in order to improve my game and my life, I had to make better choices.” Hudson won the Birmingham City Chess Championship in 1999 and 2000, despite being the lowest-ranking player in the tournament both times. Then in May 2000, news of a senseless and tragic robbery which killed five people inspired him to quit his job and use his life savings to found Be Someone. Hudson is married with seven children and is a member of Atlanta First Baptist Church.

Don't miss this dynamic interview!

To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tip: Spending time with a youngster is the best way to have a positive influence on them. Make it light and fun and consistent with your own values and philosophy. Kids learn by observation and imitation, especially of the adults closest to them. So give them good stuff to imitate and observe!

Lisa Oz on Transforming Your Relationships

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Lisa Oz, relationships expert, to join radio host Randy Rolfe this Friday August 3 at 4 PM ET, 1 PM PT.   

Have you ever tried to change someone else to make them easier to deal with or more to your liking? Have you sometimes assumed that your own spontaneous reactions to the people around you were the most real and best to communicate or act upon? How have these worked for you? What are the most important relationships in you life? How can we be the best “me” for our spouse, our children, our parents, and all those we care about? My guest this week on Family First is Lisa Oz, an esteemed and respected worldwide authority on the subject of wellbeing and relationships. Lisa Oz inspires audiences at a multitude of speaking engagements and events. She is a moving speaker, producer, writer, actress, and coauthor of six New York Times best selling books, She will be sharing with our Family First listeners some important ideas and key strategies for transforming our relationships and ourselves. Be sure to listen in for Lisa’s wise and witty candor about what really makes our lives work.

Listen in! Click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Lisa Oz has been heard on The Lisa Oz Show on Oprah Winfrey Radio. She is also a frequent relationship expert on Good Day New York, Fox 5. Lisa has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for six books, including “YOU: The Owner’s Manual” series and her most recent book, “US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most.” She is President of Ozworks, LLC, a media and investment consulting company which she founded. She directs Pine Room Pictures, a production company specializing in family friendly media. Her latest best-selling book, “US – Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most” is inspiring thousands to have more rewarding relationships. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Lisa received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College. She attended Columbia University’s Union Theological Seminary. She lives in Cliffside Park, NJ with her husband Mehmet Oz of 26 years and their 4 children, Daphne (25), Arabella (21), Zoe (17), and Oliver (12).

Don't miss it! Click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: Our relationships to those around us are really what determine our satisfaction with our lives. Whether it's with our family members, our coworkers, our friends, our community, our higher power, or ourselves, all are important relationships which we must nurture in ways that are creative, respectful, and loving. We must look for the common ground in each relationship, in the belief that we are both meant to prosper from our bond.  Listen to Lisa Oz on relationships!

Depression, anxiety, mood swings - Prescriptions?

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

How many times have you or someone in your family gone to the doctor and been unsatisfied with the results? The typical tests ordered may be inconclusive, so that you may look good on paper. Perhaps you are told, “It’s all in your head,” but still you may feel tired or anxious, or you can’t focus, have joint pain, can’t sleep, or just don’t feel well. You may wish your doctor would listen to you and get to the root cause of your problem. But your doctor may fail to see you as a whole person, more like a collection of body parts needing a different chemical for each symptom.

 My guest this week on Family First is Dr. Sharon Norling, M.D., a recognized leader in the practice, teaching, and advocacy of integrative, preventive, and holistic health practice, applying natural, safe, whole person strategies whenever possible. She specializes in advanced testing to find the root cause of a person’s health challenges. Listen in to hear how you can manage your family’s health more effectively. 

To hear the program, simply click on the link above, or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday July 27 at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Dr. Norling is the only physician in the United States known to be nationally broad-certified in 

OB/GYN and Integrative Medicine and Medical Acupuncture. She is certified in Functional Medicine and FirstLine Therapy, the study of nutrition, supplements, and specialty testing. Dr. Norling is also a Certified Biofeedback Specialist. She served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Medical School where her passion for using effective evidence based natural approaches inspired her students.

Dr. Norling later founded the Mind Body Spirit Center, a comprehensive integrative medicine center, 

in Westlake Village, California. Dr. Norling is a highly sought after national speaker and consultant. Her audiences range from doctors to spas and cruise ships. She has been interviewed on radio and TV, including CNN. Recognized for her expertise, she has testified before the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Her upcoming book is titled, “Your Doctor Is Wrong.”

To hear Dr. Norling’s valuable insights, simply click on the link above, or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday July 27 at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Randy Rolfe Take Home Tips: My physician father always said that nature knows best. As kids we received rare medications. Ear aches, colds, childhood contagions, and so on were handled simply with extra vitamin C, bed rest, hugs, and time to watch funny TV shows. Our immune systems grew strong and remain so, and we learned to have confidence in our natural healing processes.  When you give the body what it needs, including good water, good air, good sleep, good light, natural energies, good nutrition, and good attitude - it does a really good job taking care of itself most of the time.

Positive Touch - How to reduce bullying, violence, abuse, discontent

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Today’s news is filled with atrocious cases of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Some parents are so worried that any touch might be misinterpreted that they avoid it. And many schools are becoming so sensitive, because of incidents of corporal punishment or sexual contact, that they are not allowing any touch at all. My guest this week on Family First is Eva Scherer. Eva has been the leader of a movement in New Zealand to teach children to massage each other.

Eva believes we are becoming a touch-deprived society, which may contribute to many of the problems kids have today. Her programs have helped kids gain self-esteem, be less aggressive, be better learners, and understand positive versus negative touch. She will share the reasons for her programs, the results they have had, and how facilitating positive touch between parent and child and between child and child can have many benefits for children of all ages and prepare them for a healthier adult life.

To hear the program, simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first Friday July 20 at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Eva Scherer is a professional body worker and the owner of several sports and therapeutic massage clinics in Auckland, New Zealand. As a result of her knowledge of massage and of how massage has helped children in Europe, she studied at the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute to develop her own program to introduce positive touch for children. She is the founder of the Kids Love Massage Programme, the Children Massaging Children Programme, and the Child Connection Trust. Established in 2000, the Trust aims to introduce massage into the mainstream education system as a low-cost prevention for child abuse and family violence.

Her Children Massaging Children (CMC) Programme has won the North Shore Mayoral Community 

Award and has benefited children at community centers and schools in New Zealand as well as overseas. Her program also has a strong branch in Poland which extends the Children Massaging Children Programme from Kindergarten into homes. Eva Scherer is a member of Massage Australia, Infant Mental Health Association NZ, and Attachment Parenting International. She is also a mother and grandmother.

To hear Eva Scherer’s insights, simply click on the link above or go to:http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first this Friday July 20 at 1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, 4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on podcast or apps.

Take Home Tips from Randy Rolfe: Human experience has shown that close physical contact between children and their parents from birth helps to build confidence and trust which can last a lifetime. It can actually help prevent confusion between aggressive touch and respectful touch as the child grows older. Give your children lots of hugs and encouraging shoulder pats or hand holds and they will be less likely to crave attention in less safe situations.  

The Natural Approach to Total Wellness

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

If you watch a lot of TV you would think that we were programmed to fall apart and that only unnatural chemicals with all kinds of unpleasant and dangerous side effects can keep our bodies and minds running properly. But healers throughout history have insisted that Nature knows best and that if we work with our natural innate power to live in harmony with Nature, we can significantly reduce our likelihood of contracting disease and we can in all likelihood live healthy, happy, and long lives.

My guest this week is Gina Loree Marks, who has been living and teaching this approach for over 15 years. She first discovered what has been labeled the Continuum Concept when raising her own children and has evolved this approach into a holistic practice which focuses on the healing art of shiatsu to help bring harmony and alignment into her clients’ busy lives. She will share how her philosophy and techniques can help with almost any stressful situation a family member may face.

To hear my interview with Gina Marks, listen in Friday at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on demand or podcast. Simply go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first and click on this episode to the right of the program home page. 

Gina Loree Marks is a shiatsu practitioner and co-director of the Lionville Holistic Health Center in Lionville PA. She has been in practice since 2005 and she draws on her past experience as a bodyworker and teacher of Qigong, as well as her experience as a Quaker and an unschooling and homebirthing mom. This broad background helps her to assist her clients in releasing restrictions in their bodies and minds so they can live their lives more fully and in alignment. 

Among Gina’s diverse clients are mothers and other caretakers who feel overwhelmed and lack time for self-care, athletes who seek to prevent injury from high performance tensions, people facing surgery or recovering from surgery, therapists involved in energy healing work who seek to reground themselves, women seeking stress relief and hormonal balance to facilitate pregnancy, individuals suffering from ongoing foot, knee, hip, or back pain, and people trying to heal from residual effects of trauma, injury, or accidents. 

For Gina’s valuable insights, listen in Friday at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on demand or podcast. Simply go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first and click on this episode to the right of the program home page.

Take Home Tips from Randy Rolfe: Though each of us is different in many ways, our basic physiology is the same. We are energy beings and when we align our energy with nature and our natural surroundings, our bodies and minds work together and have amazing healing powers and the ability to maintain health throughout life. Share this philosophy with your children and they will have stronger resistance to disorders of the mind and body.

Want lasting, healthy, fulfilling, and easier relationships?

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

In today’s society we’re surrounded by the search for love – in books, in songs, in the movies, on TV, and now on the web – but how many of us know how to find it or even what we are looking for? As children we’re taught to go out there and find love without any cues or instruction on how to make it happen. It’s no wonder that so many adults can make messes of their relationships and end up questioning if being loved or finding love is even possible or meant for them.  

My guest this week on Family First is Cyndi Dale, a renowned author on intuitive and spiritual matters who has developed a guide that serves to open the heart, show you how to nurture your relationships, and give you new optimism and confidence about loving and being loved. She will share how our past experiences can keep us fearful or stuck and how to better understand our feelings and ways to keep them from spoiling our relationships. Listen in to find out great ways to find love or to keep your love fresh and growing. 

Listen in Friday at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on demand or podcast. Click on the link above or go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first and click on this episode to the right of the program home page. 

Cyndi Dale is an internationally respected author and spiritual scholar whose book The Subtle Body earned The Gold Nautilus Award. Her book The Complete Book of Chakra Healing is currently in its 14^th printing. She is also author of The Intuition Guidebook: How to Safely and Wisely Use Your Sixth Sense. She is president of Life Systems Services, through which she has conducted over 35,000 client sessions and trainings across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.  

Cyndi has studied cross-cultural healing and energy systems and has led instructional classes in many countries, including Peru, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Japan, and many others, as well as among the Lakota people and the Hawaiian kahunas. Her newest book, Togetherness: Creating and Deepening Sustainable Love, is coauthored with psychotherapist Andrew Wald and serves to explain and demystify relationships without taking the soul out of them. Cyndi currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her two sons and various pets.

To hear Cyndi’s insights, listen in Friday at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM ET, or any time afterwards on demand or podcast. Click on the link above or go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first and click on this episode to the right of the program home page.

Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: Relationships are all about attention. Pay attention to the other person, what they are saying, what they want, what they are hoping to receive from you. Often it is just your attention! Take time to be with them and engage them in their own dreams and hopes. Then be clear and thoughtful about what are your dreams and wants. Make requests but be secure enough to not mind if they say no for now.

The Resilent Family!

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

There’s an awful lot of doom and gloom out there for families to contemplate. With persistent national and personal debt, shrinking resources, climate change, malnutrition along side of obesity, and adjustments in the very concept of family, families are feeling the stress of constant change. Fortunately, there is hope in the form of contemporary grassroots movements, according to my guest this week on Family First, James H. Lee. In his new book Resilience and the Future of Everyday Life,

 Lee shows how these movements can restore self-reliance and community engagement. He will discuss how families can take control of their own destiny and help to create the future they want for their children and grandchildren. Lee will be sharing such concepts as discreet consumption, transition towns, repurposing, the elder boom, moving beyond the adolescent culture, do-it-yourself banking, barter and digital commerce, and edible landscaping. His ideas will definitely expand your current options.

 Click on the link above or go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM MT, 1 PM PT this Friday, or any time afterwards for on demand or podcast.

 James H. Lee is a Delaware-based financial advisor who engages in extensive research and analysis of emerging technologies and social trends. During his 20 year career, his system has identified numerous investment opportunities for his clients. Lee is the author Resilience and the Future of Everyday Life. James has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Financial Planning, and Medical Economics.

 Lee has also written for The Futurist, the Journal of Futures Studies, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Lee is a popular blogger for the World Future Society and has presented at their annual conference. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Futurists. Lee graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Economics and received a Master’s degree in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and a Chartered Market Technician (CMT).

To hear James Lee’s exciting insights, click on the link above or go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM MT, 1 PM PT this Friday, or any time afterwards for on demand or podcast.

Take Home Tips from Randy Rolfe: Our children must be equipped for a future we cannot easily predict. So our job as parents is to give them confidence, thinking and problem solving skills, and a sense of curiosity, compassion, and hope about their future and the world's future. We know things will change and we can give them the tools we have learned to use to respond to change and to create the world we want to live in..

Adventure Travel with Family?

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

What do you do when you want a complete change in your life? Many people today are talking about a midlife crisis, or even a quarter life crisis. Our current economic recession has many people thinking twice about where they are and where they would like to be. It can take courage to explore unconventional options. But one of the important ways to stay healthy is to not give up on your dreams. When you are busy with job and spouse and kids you may think that other adventures you dream about will never come. But opportunities can come in good time if you don’t give up on your dreams.

My guest this week on Family First made a courageous change in her life when she sold her house and decided to trek from Rome to Istanbul with her grown son. Stephanie Dale is an Australian journalist and is the author My Pilgrim’s Heart: A Woman’s Journey Through Marriage and Other Foreign Lands, which is a travel memoir of their walk through the Balkans and the Middle East.

To listen in this Friday at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM MT, 1 PM PT, or any time afterwards on demand or podcast, go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first.  Or click on the link above.

 In 2007, at the age of 48, award-winning Australian journalist Stephanie Dale woke up one day and sold everything she owned – including her house – so that she was free to travel and write. Stephanie joined her son Ben for a walkabout journey, all on foot for Ben, mostly on foot for Dale, walking through ancient and war-torn countries. My Pilgrim’s Heart is an intimate account of the myriad landscapes, people, and cultures they encountered.

 Meanwhile her physical journey reflects her inner one of finding her place as a middle-aged woman baffled by the demands of her new marriage. Stephanie Dale earned her BA degree in journalism from South Australian College of Advanced Education. She has been awarded the Australian Journalist Association Prodi award for best feature in 1990, the Sir Harry Budd Memorial Award in 1992, and a gold medal IPPY award for Hymn for the Wounded Man for best fiction in 2011. She currently resides in Mullumbimby, Australia.

To hear Stephanie’s fascinating story, tune in this Friday at 4 PM ET, 3 PM CT, 2 PM Mt, 1 PM PT, or any time afterwards, by going to:  http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first. Or click on the link above.

Take home Tips from Randy Rolfe: Once when traveling with our three year old son and one year old daughter, our son seemed to be getting more and more anxious. We couldn't figure it out until I thought perhaps he was losing patience with all the different places we were going. So I explained to him that we would be back at our house in 8 days and counted them out for him to make sure he understood the concept. He immediately became his happy relaxed self. Keep your kids in the loop about your plans. They will go along with just about anything as long as they know you know what you are doing and you help them frame the experience with experiences they are familiar with.

How to comfort a dying loved one

Family First | VoiceAmerica™

Click on the link above to learn a powerful way to comfort someone who is leaving this life. My new book Mothers Losing Moithers: Comfort and Reassurance in Your Time of Loss has just come out in eBook format. I am honored to have as my guest an expert on how to comfort the person who is dying. Read on please.

The largest generation ever is now in middle age and many of them are caring for elderly parents who are in their final transition. When your loved one asks, “What’s going to happen to me when I die?” How do you answer? And how do you deal with your own feelings as your loved one leaves this life? Often families are so caught up in making arrangements, giving care, and trying to comfort a dying loved one that they don’t know where to turn to get the support and answers they need.

My guest this week is Penelope Mont, who has extensive experience helping families weather this difficult time. Mont has worked for decades in the assisted living and hospice care fields, also caring for Alzheimer’s patients and training others to help families at this time. Mont has created useful tools to help. To celebrate the publication this week of my new book Mothers Losing Mothers: Comfort and Reassurance in Your Time of Loss, I am happy to welcome Penelope Mont, expert in end of life transition.  

To listen to Family First, click on this link and choose June 1. The show is live June 1 at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM PT. You can also hear it on demand and as a podcast any time afterwards. Just go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first. Share it with a friend who is losing a loved one.

Penelope Mont's work experience over the past forty years includes special education teaching; geriatric recreation therapy in a large nursing home; Director of an Alzheimer's day center program; and Director of Sales and Marketing in an assisted living community. Now in retirement, she pursues her passion for writing and speaking.  

Mont authored a booklet called “When Your Loved One Asks...What's Going To Happen  To Me When I Die?” from Premium Book Company; which  is used as hospice educational material, information for caregivers, families and clients, handouts at health fairs, and an addition to the office libraries of hospice satellites and supportive agencies across the USA. Her other publications include “Tips To Finding Alzheimer's Gift Ideas” from e-Books; and a novel called “Then What Happens?” from Infinity Publishing. Mont lives by the water in Beaufort, SC with her big dog, Bart. She likes kayaking, shrimping and especially visits from her two daughters and grandchildren. 

To hear Penelope Mont’s important insights, listen to Family First. The program airs live June 1 at 1 PM PT/2 PM MT/3 PM CT/4 PM PT. You can also hear it on demand and as a podcast any time afterwards. Just go to http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1916/family-first.

Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: When you are speaking to loved ones about difficult sujbects it helps a lot if you have articulated your thoughts for yourself ahead of time. Don't shy away from difficult questions which you children or your parents may ask. If you are not ready to talk about it, ask them to give you some time to think. But then be sure to get back to them, whether it is minutes or days later.