Mindful Moments Blog

Social Distancing Impact on Children

Mindful Moments Blog

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.
10 Tough Emotions Parents Feel But Don't Talk About

Mindful Moments Blog

10 Tough Emotions Parents Feel But Don't Talk About

by Ashley Patek
Here are 10 feelings you may be feeling as a parent. There’s a good chance you aren’t talking about these feelings because they are the ones we fear others will judge us for, and they are the feelings we criticize ourselves for. It is when we notice and share those feelings that we find our way back to ourselves.
Ask Andrew: Facing The "I Don't Knows"

Mindful Moments Blog

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.
Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning To Emotional Intelligence

Mindful Moments Blog

Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning To Emotional Intelligence

by Suzanne Tucker
Join Selina as she leads a mindful moment to drop into ourselves and notice our emotions. When we are mindful in this way, we nurture our emotional intelligence and become models for our children to do the same. 
The Power Of Play

Mindful Moments Blog

The Power Of Play

by Suzanne Tucker
When we join our children in their play, we join them in their world. Today Selina leads a mindful moment that invites us to tap into the playful parts of ourselves. 
I Didn't Make My Kids Sit On Santa's Lap And They Are Better For It

Mindful Moments Blog

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. 
The Day My Son Told Me Mad Is Bad

Mindful Moments Blog

The Day My Son Told Me "Mad is Bad"

by Ashley Patek
When our children believe that unpleasant emotions are "bad", they become unsafe to feel those emotions. However all emotions are sacred and useful. Here's why. Read more.
8 Ways To De-escalate Your Child's Tantrums

Mindful Moments Blog

8 Ways To De-escalate Meltdowns With Your Child

by Ashley Patek
Teens and toddlers alike can demonstrate aggressive or uncooperative behaviors from time to time as influenced by big emotions and neurological overwhelm. De-escalation tools help parents defuse a situation and help their child calm and regulate their system.
What co-regulation looks like

Mindful Moments Blog

What Co-Regulation Looks Like

by Alex Petrou
A young child is so frustrated and overwhelmed that she just hit her big sister. As the adult responsible for managing this moment, how can you navigate this? Enter co-regulation.
Attachment is Not a Reward; It’s a Lifeline

Mindful Moments Blog

Attachment is Not a Reward. It’s a Lifeline.

by Rebecca Eanes
In using a time-in, my boys learned valuable skills they would never have learned by sitting in a corner. Did this produce perfect children? No. But this did produce securely attached children who no longer had to make desperate bids for the attachment they so instinctively desired. Read more. 
What Motherhood Has Taught Me

Mindful Moments Blog

The 12 Things I Now Know As A Mother

by Ashley Patek
Parenthood is the ultimate journey - not only in getting to know our children but in growing (and testing) ourselves, too. I have learned so much in my years of mommin’, and here are just a few. Maybe you can relate, too …
The Gift Of Life And One Mama's Fight For Her Son

Mindful Moments Blog

The Gift Of Life And One Mama's Fight For Her Son

by Ashley Patek
A mother's devotion to finding a cure for her son's rare kidney disease and to helping him manage his big feelings along the way.
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?

Mindful Moments Blog

I Am Adaptable. Let's Move and Dance.

by Alex Petrou
I am adaptable let’s move and dance.
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.