Mindful Moments Blog

How To Make A DIY Calming Corner

Mindful Moments Blog

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.
Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

by Ashley Patek
Students who are self-aware and able to understand their emotions have a greater ability to relate to others, make decisions, and excel academically. Here is how to help your child develop social-emotional skills at home. 
The ABCs and 123s of Emotional Intelligence

Mindful Moments Blog

The ABCs and 123s of Emotional Intelligence

by Suzanne Tucker
Today I'm sharing two social-emotional skill-building activities I wish EVERY child and every adult in the world knew.  These two skills make up the ABCs and 123s of emotional intelligence. They are free, simple, easy, and dare I say, even fun to practice.  In the following 18-minute video, I walk you through these skill-building activities for building emotional intelligence in your home or early childhood classroom. This video is for parents and educators, and it can be shared with tweens and teens as well! Tune in and learn: What are the three skill sets that lead to higher emotional intelligence in children and adults? What are two ways children can practice these skills on a daily basis? How do these practices help us manage things like depression and anxiety with toddlers, teens, and right on into adulthood? Thank you for learning more about Generation Mindful's mission to raise an emotionally healthy world. If you believe every child deserves to learn about their emotions, join our 1M+ online community of parents and educators from around the world who are making it safe for kids to feel.  And check out these additional articles: 5 Ways To Nurture Emotional Intelligence For Kids 10 Simple Mindfulness Activities For Kids To Build Emotional Intelligence Emotional Intelligence is More Than Naming Emotions Teach Children How to Regulate Emotions Using A Calming Space Classroom Time-In ToolKit® Bundle GENM's social-emotional learning (SEL) tools take a positive, relationship-based approach to nurturing emotional intelligence in the classroom. Our ... View Product Positive Parenting Mood Meter model to learn time-in-toolkit emotional regulation emotions social emotional skills Time-In ToolKit emotional intelligence
To the Single Mamas and Papas During the Coronavirus

Mindful Moments Blog

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! 
5 Steps to Set Intentions (Not Resolutions) That Stick, Plus Free Printables

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Steps to Set Intentions (Not Resolutions) That Stick, Plus Free Printables

by Guest Author
If you are in the habit of setting goal based resolutions for the new year that feel more like a “have to” than a “get to”, here are some things to consider: A goal is focused on the future with a specific outcome or external "achievement" in mind whereas intentions are set in the present.
Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

Mindful Moments Blog

Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

by Ashley Patek
Behavior is a symptom, not the problem. And when we focus solely on the symptom, the problems causing these behaviors remain unsolved, and they stack up. So, how do we transform challenging behaviors at home and in the classroom?
5 Powerful Phrases To Say To Children That Boosts Brain Development

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Powerful Phrases To Say To Children That Boost Brain Development

by Ashley Patek
Our words have the power to build up our children, nurture and guide them. They also have the power to cripple, shrink, and wound. It is these 5 phrases, spoken by well-intended parents, that tend to miss the mark on paving pathways for self-discipline and emotional regulation. Here's what to say instead. 
Birth of a mother

Mindful Moments Blog

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. 
Your Words Affect Your Child’s Brain

Mindful Moments Blog

Your Words Affect Your Child’s Brain

by Rebecca Eanes
Are we collectively destroying the potential of a generation with our mouths?  As parents, we hold many of the keys to our children’s futures. These keys are the words we speak to them. 
Play Is More Than Just Fun at Philadelphia's Children's Museum

Mindful Moments Blog

Play Is More Than Just Fun at Philadelphia's Children's Museum

by Ashley Patek
In collaboration with Generation Mindful, Philadelphia's Please Touch Children's Museum takes a bold step forward in creating a world where all children are able to exercise creativity, compassion, confidence, and social-emotional skills as it opens its new exhibit XOXO: The Exhibit About Love And Forgiveness.
On Peace Tents, Healing the Generations and Motherhood

Mindful Moments Blog

On Peace Tents, Healing the Generations and Motherhood

by Alex Petrou
Every child wants to know, do you see my light even when I’m not shining it?
Don’t Take Your Child's Behavior Personally

Mindful Moments Blog

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

Mindful Moments Blog

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

Mindful Moments Blog

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

Mindful Moments Blog

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.
Your Child’s Happiness Isn’t Your Job 

Mindful Moments Blog

Your Child’s Happiness Isn’t Your Job 

by Rebecca Eanes
We cannot make our children happy, but we can teach them how to make themselves happy, because ultimately, happiness is an inside job. Here are five tools to help children find their own happiness. 
4 Effective Ways To Break The Generational Cycle Of Yelling

Mindful Moments Blog

4 Effective Ways To Break The Generational Cycle Of Yelling

by Ashley Patek
I yell. I was yelled at. My guess is, my parents were yelled at too. Poor emotional regulation - and its wounding - has been handed down from one generation to another. Here are 4 effective ways to break the cycle so that our children don't have to carry that shame. It stops with us.
How To Use Storytime To Reduce Clinginess & Ease Transitions

Mindful Moments Blog

How To Use Storytime To Reduce Clinginess & Ease Transitions

by Courtney Tharpe
Storytime is a time when our children's imaginations are fired up, operating in the frontal lobe of their brain, and primed for learning. If you are struggling with clingy behavior, transitions, or teaching new skills, a simple, scripted story may be the best tool in your toolbox! Get your FREE scripted story printable here!