Blog

Welcome to the blog! View recent posts here or explore the page using the blog links above! Questions and comments are welcome.

  • Blessings or Burdens?
    A Bible reflection on Colossians 1:10–12, endurance, patience, joy, and learning to carry God-given responsibilities with gratitude instead of heaviness.
  • Why Your Adult Children Are Not Talking to You
    A reflection on distance, corrosive behaviors, emotional safety, and the work of repair between parents and adult children.
  • When Calm Feels Impossible
    How to return to steadiness when you’re overwhelmed, triggered, or tired.
  • FREE PRINTABLE
    The Cycle of Steadiness Framework is a simple, holistic guide to understanding how spiritual, physical, and mental wellness work together. This free printable is designed to help you reflect on the areas of your life that may need more care, balance, and attention. Download it, color it, journal with it, or keep it somewhere visible as a reminder that wellness is not about perfection—it is the ongoing practice of returning to steadiness. Join the JB Simon email list for more free printables, wellness reflections,… Read more: FREE PRINTABLE
  • The Cycle of Steadiness Framework
    A Holistic Wellness Perspective on Faith, Body, and Mind There are many theories, models, and wellness frameworks available today. I encourage people to learn from research, evidence-based practices, and legitimate sources of knowledge. We should be thoughtful about what we believe, what we practice, and what we teach. With that being said, the Cycle of Steadiness Framework is my own personal perspective. It is shaped by my life experience, my faith, my education, and the knowledge I have gained over time. This framework is… Read more: The Cycle of Steadiness Framework
  • The Steady Self Model
    Finding Balance Between Emotion and Logic Life requires balance. We need emotion, but we cannot allow emotion to rule every decision. We need logic, but we cannot allow logic to become cold, rigid, or disconnected from the people around us. The goal is not to become emotionless. The goal is not to become purely rational. The goal is to become steady. The Steady Self Model is a way of understanding how we make decisions, respond to stress, and move through life with more wisdom… Read more: The Steady Self Model
  • Connection Before Correction:
    Building Cooperation Through Quality Time Establishing rapport does not apply only to psychology and therapy. Rapport is important in every relationship, especially when raising children. We must first build a connection if we hope to have a positive influence. It is difficult to deeply respect, listen to, and care about someone you do not truly know. That applies to children as well as adults. Ask yourself: How am I showing up for my child? In what parts of their life am I genuinely present?… Read more: Connection Before Correction:
  • The Parent Within the Parent
    Showing up when you were never shown how By JB Simon Some parents are not lazy. Some parents are not careless. Some parents are not cold, selfish, or uninterested. Some parents are barely functioning while wearing a very convincing mask. A mask of productivity. A mask of calm. A mask of generosity. A mask of “I’m fine.” A mask of “I’ve got it.” A mask of “Nothing bothers me.” But underneath that mask may be depression, exhaustion, low self-worth, old trauma, poor emotional regulation,… Read more: The Parent Within the Parent
  • Purposeful Parenting Basics:
    Ground Rules, Consequences, and Rewards Teach what is healthy. Reinforce what is good. Correct with purpose. There are a few basics in parenting that sound simple because they are simple. Ground rules.Consequences.Rewards.Praise.Consistency. Yes, some of this may seem obvious. Yes, maybe children “should already know better.” Yes, maybe it feels ridiculous to state things that seem like common sense. But we are going to state the obvious anyway. Why? Because parenting is teaching. Children need roles. They need boundaries. They need structure. They need… Read more: Purposeful Parenting Basics:
  • Get Off the Escalation Ladder
    A Purposeful Parenting Perspective King Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” That certainly applies to parenting. Family conflict, child compliance, power struggles, and finding balance in the home are not new problems. In fact, behavioral psychologist Gerald Patterson spent years researching what he called the coercive cycle in parenting. Today, I would like to talk about a common experience many parents know all too well. A child asks. Then asks again. Then asks again. Then nags. Then complains. Then begs.… Read more: Get Off the Escalation Ladder
  • Wash in 5! Why Doing Something Is Better Than Doing Nothing
    A very common struggle that many people experience—but rarely talk about—is hygiene.The lack of it does not automatically mean someone is lazy, nasty, or does not care. Often, it is a sign of something much deeper. Sometimes it is overwhelm. Sometimes it is apathy. Sometimes it is depression. Sometimes it is a battle with feelings of unworthiness. This article is a combination of advocacy and education.If this is something you struggle with, it needs to be addressed. It is not a small issue to… Read more: Wash in 5! Why Doing Something Is Better Than Doing Nothing
  • “How to Get Your Kids to Stop Arguing Back: Back and Forth No More!”
    Now that I have been providing parenting education, I have become much more aware of the parents around me—the strategies being used successfully… and the ones that are not quite so successful. Recently, I observed a mother and daughter arguing in a store. The mother was trying to make the point that if her daughter wanted extra purchases, she should contribute more around the house and offer help. She emphasized that this would be the last thing she was getting. Meanwhile, the daughter argued… Read more: “How to Get Your Kids to Stop Arguing Back: Back and Forth No More!”
  • Coerocive Behaviors to Avoid in Parenting
    Sources & Credits:Content adapted from:Latham, R. M., Mark, K. M., & Oliver, B. R. (2017). A harsh parenting team? Maternal reports of coparenting and coercive parenting interact in association with children’s disruptive behaviour. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(5), 603–611. Sanders, M. R. (2003). Triple P–Positive Parenting Program: A population approach to promoting competent parenting. Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 2(3), 127–143. Infographic content developed and simplified for psychoeducational purposes by JB Simon.Visual design concepts, layout assistance, and grammar editing… Read more: Coerocive Behaviors to Avoid in Parenting
  • 4 Keys to Purposeful Parenting
    By JB Simon Gentle parenting has become an unpopular term to some, often viewed as too soft or permissive. But I believe we may have misunderstood the heart behind it. It is possible to be both gentle and firm. Children need love, affection, patience, and emotional safety—but they also need structure, authority, accountability, and consistency. Many parents lean heavily on spankings and punishment while lacking consistency, communication, and connection. Others avoid discipline altogether in an effort to keep the peace. Neither extreme is healthy.… Read more: 4 Keys to Purposeful Parenting
  • 5 THINGS I DO FOR FUN
    I live in a small town in Southwest Louisiana. We have a few businesses in town, but all can be summed up as locally owned retail, the DG, and a meat market. The closest movie theater is 30 minutes away. The other “fun” activities are about an hour away. So if you are someone on a budget, without transportation, or just don’t prefer to drive far it leaves you with few typical options for “getting out of the house”. Therefore, creativity and motivation are… Read more: 5 THINGS I DO FOR FUN

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