Mindful Moments Blog

A child and parent playing together, building growth mindset through emotional learning activities

Mindful Moments Blog

Growing a Growth Mindset in Children With Child-Led Emotional Learning

by Suzanne Tucker
A simple shift in how you respond to “I can’t” can help your child build confidence, resilience, and a true growth mindset. Discover how everyday moments and one powerful word “yet” can change the way they approach learning and challenges.
Parent sitting on the floor comforting a crying child, helping kids cope with disappointment through calm, connected presence

Mindful Moments Blog

How to Help Kids Deal with Disappointment

by Suzanne Tucker
Disappointment is one of the hardest emotions for kids to sit with, and one of the hardest for parents to witness. In this guide, you will find 5 practical, science-backed ways to help your child cope with disappointment, build resilience, and develop lifelong emotional skills. Because emotional strength doesn't come from avoiding hard feelings. It comes from learning to move through them, with someone steady by your side.
a calm parent kneeling to connect with a strong-willed toddler,

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Simple Ways To Diffuse Power Struggles With Your Toddler

by Ashley Patek
We cannot raise independent, assertive, and strong-willed adults if we force them to be passive, pliable, and obedient children. Here are 6 connection-based ways to diffuse and decrease power struggles in your home! 
Self-care

Mindful Moments Blog

Please Stop Telling Me How To Do Self-Care

by Ashley Patek
Read as this mama shares how to become empowered by self-care rather than viewing it as a "to-do" in an already hectic world. 
6 Reasons You May Be Failing Time-Ins

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Reasons You May Be Failing Time-Ins

by Ashley Patek
If you are having trouble implementing Time-Ins in your home, or you are wondering if this is right for your family, we have some tips to help bring the science and connection into everyday life. 
Woman Finds Self-Love After Childhood Accident Through Emotional Education

Mindful Moments Blog

Emotional Education Helps Woman Finds Self-Love After Childhood Accident

by Guest Author
After being in a traumatic accident, I viewed the world differently than every other eleven-year-old. My brain didn’t adapt as well as my body, and I wondered, "What's wrong with me?" Then, I found the one thing that was lacking in my childhood: emotional education. Here's my journey. 
Time-Ins Are Not A Punishment Nor A Reward

Mindful Moments Blog

Time-Ins Are Not A Punishment Nor A Reward

by Ashley Patek
Do time-in's "reward" children for being bad? We wanted to strip this question down to the bare bones and address every facet of this misconception. Read more. 
When Partners Disagree: Tools For Parenting On The Same Page

Mindful Moments Blog

When Partners Disagree: Tools For Parenting On The Same Page

by Ashley Patek
Parenting disagreements are not uncommon, especially with so many different parenting ideologies out there. So, how can parents get on the same page?
Is attachment parenting a feminist crutch?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is Attachment Parenting a Feminist Crutch?

by Suzanne Tucker
How we parent ... It’s a hot topic, full of judgment as evident in the recent TIME Magazine cover article “Are You Mom Enough.” It would seem the media likes this thing called the mommy wars. The controversy sells magazines and books, I suppose. But what does it do for us moms?
Halloween 2020

Mindful Moments Blog

Halloween 2020: A New Way To Celebrate

by Ashley Patek
While Halloween may look different this year, there are many ways that families can keep the spooky spirit and fun alive.
Toddlers And Meltdowns And Brain Development, Oh My!

Mindful Moments Blog

Meltdowns Develop Your Child's Brain When Met With Connection; Punishment Doesn't Work

by Ashley Patek
Toddlers are one of the most authentic creatures on the planet, and also, arguably, the most misunderstood. On the surface, we see meltdowns, defiance, and limit testing. But there’s so much more than what meets the eye.
5 Connection-Based Ways To Support Your Child Through Shyness

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Connection-Based Ways To Support Your Child Through Shyness

by Guest Author
Does your child seem slow to warm up or hesitant to jump into social situations? Here are 5 connection-based ways to support them through shyness (without muting their intuition or muddling their self-concept). 
A Parent's Guide: Meditate With Toddlers And Teens To Improve Emotional Intelligence And Resilience

Mindful Moments Blog

A Parent's Guide: Meditate With Toddlers And Teens To Improve Emotional Intelligence And Resilience

by Ashley Patek
Even though today’s kids exhibit elevated levels of restlessness, stress, and anxiety, only 1.6% of children in the U.S. meditate. Here are the benefits of meditation on the developing brain and how parents can practice meditation with kids at every age. 
Practicing Transitions To Reduce Meltdowns

Mindful Moments Blog

Practicing Transitions To Reduce Meltdowns

by Ashley Patek
Children are concrete learners and often thrive off of predictability, so it can be hard for them to pivot, especially when the request is to move from a preferred activity to a less preferred task. Here are 5 tools to help children with transitions. 
6 Ways To Successfully Co-Parent With Your Ex

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Ways To Successfully Co-Parent With Your Ex

by Ashley Patek
How do we co-parent with our ex when we have differing views and parenting philosophies, and how do we keep our kids from being in the middle?
Teacher using PeaceMakers cards during circle time

Mindful Moments Blog

Teaching Academics and Social-Emotional Skills in the Montessori Classroom

by Ashley Patek
Emily Canibano, a Montessori teacher with a classroom of 16 students ranging in age from 1.2 to 5.5 years, was looking for a way to teach social-emotional skills in her classroom, both in feeling emotions and in the safe expression of them.
Is My Child Too Old To Use A Calming Space?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is My Child Too Old To Use A Calming Space?

by Ashley Patek
How do you use a Calming Space with kids beyond the toddler stage? Here are 5 tips.
Mom and daughter in Calming Corner

Mindful Moments Blog

Reducing Toddler Tantrums

by Alex Petrou
One family’s journey using time-ins to manage their toddler's big feelings, going from 33 to 3 tantrums a day in just one week.
Fidget and Fries

Mindful Moments Blog

Autistic Mama and Sons Request: See Us for Us, Not our Labels

by Ashley Patek
Tiffany Hammond is an autistic mama to two autistic sons. She shares that their diagnosis is not a one-size-fits-all expression. Rather, Tiffany sees this as part of her family’s unique human experience.
Reclaiming Authenticity Through Self-Love

Mindful Moments Blog

Reclaiming Authenticity Through Self-Love

by Guest Author
A mama shares a poem about shedding old narratives and expectations so that she can be her authentic self, and in doing so, her six-year-old son is empowered to do the same.