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Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom: Simple Tools for the New School Year

by Suzanne Tucker

Social emotional learning starts in everyday classroom moments. Explore simple SEL strategies teachers can use to build emotional literacy, support regulation, strengthen relationships, and create a classroom where children feel safe, understood, and ready to learn.

Woman kneeling to comfort a young boy, with illustrated hands exchanging a gray cloud for a red heart in the background

Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement: A Guide for Parents

by Alex Petrou

Learn how positive vs. negative reinforcement influence your parenting style and the ways positive reinforcers can support your child’s development.

Mother comforting her highly sensitive teenage son during an emotional moment, illustrating parental support, empathy, and teen mental health.

Helping Your Highly Sensitive Child Gain Confidence

by Rebecca Eanes

When our children are highly sensitive, rejection and criticism hurt more deeply. They get embarrassed easily and have strong emotional reactions, which can make them the target for bullying. Here are 5 tools to boost your child's confidence.

Woman looking at an old childhood photo of herself, surrounded by illustrated hearts and clouds

Healing From A Childhood You Don't Remember

by Ashley Patek

While we may not remember our childhood with our mind and verbal words, our body keeps the score and stores the information it receives from our formative years, namely which parts of us to grow and which to shrink. These downloads show up as patterns in adulthood and in our parenting. Read more.

Woman with eyes closed and hand on her chest, staying calm, with a flower graphic beside her

9 Mantras I Use When Low On Patience With My Kids

by Ashley Patek

Mantras can change the wiring of our brain and create a new lens to see ourselves, our kids, and the world at large. Here are 9 parenting mantras I use when low on patience with my kids.

of two young girls/ siblings fighting, one pulling hair

End Sibling Rivalry And Bring Peace Into Your Home

by Ashley Patek

Siblings are natural competitors for attachment, bidding for our love and attention. Here's 3 Parenting Do's and Don'ts when it comes to sibling relationships.

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To My Strong-Willed And Sensitive Boy

by Ashley Patek

A poem to her son. One mom watches her strong-willed boy drift to sleep and she sees the child under the big emotions and power struggles, and it restores her for whatever tomorrow brings.

female nurse with aesthetic moder art style

National Nurses Day: Celebrating A Work Of Heart

by Ashley Patek

National Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 6th, providing an opportunity to thank nurses for the contributions they offer daily to serve the health and well-being of others, and to educate the public about the important role nurses play in our lives.

Social Distancing Impact on Children

by Ashley Patek

We share parents' top concerns and frustrations about their children’s behaviors during this time of staying home, and tools for navigating regression and other stress responses.

Ask Andrew: Facing The "I Don't Knows"

by Andrew Patterson

Andrew answers today's question: I ask my daughter something and she replies “I don’t know” even if it is a matter of clear opinion. Like … “Shall we get ice cream? … Why is that?” After I reframe the questions she suddenly knows.

A child writing for Santa this Christmas

I Didn't Make My Kids Sit On Santa's Lap And They Are Better For It

by Ashley Patek

Children are wired to seek approval from their caregivers because it is how they are designed to survive. How we respond as parents to our children’s intuition and their bids to voice their consent greatly impacts their ability to speak their truth, set boundaries, and trust who they are. Read more.

To My Children

by Ashley Patek

To my children, without you ... Our house would be clean and organized yet there would be no handprints on the glass to remind me of your littleness.

A mother kneels and holds her young child’s hands against a colorful abstract background.

How To Make A DIY Calming Corner

by Alex Petrou

After a failed DIY Pinterest-inspired Calming Corner, this mama turned to Generation Mindful's Time-In-Toolkit to save her time, money, and sanity while creating a space for her tantruming three-year-old to explore her feelings.

To the Single Mamas and Papas During the Coronavirus

by Ashley Patek

Parenthood is hard, especially during these unique times of social distancing, quarantine, forced homeschooling, wiping down our groceries, etc. To our single parent friends, we see you, we celebrate you, and we have got your back!

7 Easy Ways To Have Hard Conversations With Your Child

by Ashley Patek

In having hard conversations with our kids - whether it be their untamed anger as a toddler, their heartbreak as a teen, or their transition from one gender to another - we strengthen our parent-child bond and equip them with resources for how to handle future situations. Here's how to do it.

Parent Children, Not Labels

by Viki de Lieme

It happens subconsciously, but it happens. Our brain judges and labels every input we receive. And since parenting offers us a constant and endless stream of input, at some point, we stop parenting young human beings and start parenting labels instead. Here's how to break the cycle.

Talking To Our Kids About Death

by Ashley Patek

Death is part of life, yet it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, especially with our children. Here are 5 tips for parents when talking to their child about death to support their emotional experience and understanding.

Breaking Multi-Generational Shame Cycles

by Ashley Patek

No one is born ashamed. It is a learned, self-conscious emotion. And, often, it is multi-generational. If we aren't aware of our own tendencies to shame, we won't notice when they get triggered. We'll just act them out onto our children, passing shame down to the next generation. This is how we break the cycle.

Celebrating The Birth Of A Mother

by Guest Author

Motherhood seemed to come so easy to everyone around me, yet here I was, barely keeping it together. One mom shares how she was re-born after having children.

Montessori Parenting Techniques for Teaching Emotional Intelligence

by Guest Author

What is so special about the montessori parenting style? Learn how Montessori parenting can instill emotional intelligence in your children.

Don’t Take Your Child's Behavior Personally

by Guest Author

Have you ever been on the receiving end of your child’s angry outburst? It’s hard not to take it personally. But as it turns out, it’s not a result of poor parenting or a sign that your child is on the wrong track. It’s all due to your child’s developing brain.

6 Meaningful Holiday Gifts for Kids That Build Connection

by Ashley Patek

Rather than storing unnoticed toys in the closet this year, give the children on your list meaningful memories instead. Here are six connection-based gift ideas for ages two and up that we love for the holidays and all year long.

A mixed-media digital collage showing a grayscale photo of two siblings communicating, layered over flat teal and yellow abstract shapes representing conflict resolution.

Why Sibling Rivalry is Good For Kids, And How Parents Can Make It Through

by Ashley Patek

Experts say that sibling rivalry can nurture emotional intelligence, boost social skills, and that children can learn complex lessons about communication, problem-solving, impulse control, and conflict resolution. Here is why siblings argue and what parents can do to help.

When Play Feels Like A Chore

by Ashley Patek

The language of a child is play, but play isn't always easy for adults. Learn why and how parents can overcome these play roadblocks.

5 False Toddler Myths

by Rebecca Eanes

Toddlerhood is a precious time. We do our kids and ourselves a great injustice by assigning negative intent to their developmentally normal behaviors. Instead of going to war, let’s spend these quickly-passing years seeking to understand our little ones and rewrite the narrative on common myths.