Mindful Moments Blog

Friendship: Using Improv Games To Create Peer Connection

Mindful Moments Blog

Friendship: Using Improv Games To Create Peer Connection

by Guest Author on Nov 01 2021
Social skills can be practiced, and the more we teach by actually doing, the more beneficial the approach will be when teaching social skills for friendships and peer engagement. This improv game is designed just for that!  
Gratitude Nurtures Emotional Resilience. Start Here.

Mindful Moments Blog

Gratitude Nurtures Emotional Resilience. Start Here.

by Ashley Patek on Oct 26 2021
Gratitude builds your child's brain for empathy and emotional resilience. Just as our children watch and model the things we say and do, they also mirror our level of gratitude. Here are 3 gratitude rituals to add into your home. 
Rewriting the Narrative On Terrible Twos and Tyrannical Threes

Mindful Moments Blog

Rewriting the Narrative On Terrible Twos and Tyrannical Threes

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 25 2021
The majority of the “problem behavior” that we see in children is because we are looking through a distorted lens. Tantrums are a developmentally normal emotional release when the child’s brain feels flooded with big feelings. Punishing a tantrum cannot make a brain develop faster, but there are things parents can do.
Parenting: Control Isn't The Goal. Here's What Is.

Mindful Moments Blog

Parenting: Control Isn't The Goal

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 20 2021
Nothing makes you feel like a failure quite like having a child you can’t control. Until you realize control isn’t the goal. Control starts to slip away as children grow, and you either have to up the ante to maintain that illusion of control or you have to accept the fact that you really don’t have control at all.
Emotional Intelligence: How To Discipline A Toddler Without Time-Outs

Mindful Moments Blog

Emotional Intelligence: How To Discipline A Toddler Without Time-Outs

by Ashley Patek on Oct 20 2021
Tantrums happen but parents can help children handle their big emotions. Here's how to discipline a toddler with a supportive, long-term approach that nurtures emotional intelligence.
Breaking Multi-Generational Shame Cycles

Mindful Moments Blog

Breaking Multi-Generational Shame Cycles

by Ashley Patek on Oct 18 2021
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. 
Ask Andrew: Flexible Thinking

Mindful Moments Blog

Ask Andrew: Flexible Thinking

by Suzanne Tucker on Oct 18 2021
Andrew answers today's question: How can I help my 5-year-old who is on the spectrum with his rigid thinking? Once he makes his mind up about something there is no changing it!
Why Being a Sensitive Parent is a Good Thing

Mindful Moments Blog

Why Being a Sensitive Parent is a Good Thing

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 14 2021
I am a highly sensitive parent, and here is why it is a good thing. Plus 5 sanity-saving tips for fellow parents who are sensitive, too.
Boy in glasses laying on his tummy in front of a red bookcase

Mindful Moments Blog

Study Finds That Emotional Intelligence Moves the Needle on Academic Success

by Ashley Patek on Oct 11 2021
A new study describes emotional intelligence as an important part of academic success from kindergarten into college.
Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

Mindful Moments Blog

Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

by Ashley Patek on Oct 07 2021
Research has shown that children who feel unsafe and disconnected cannot learn. Why is this and what can we do as parents and educators? 
Going With The Flow: Using Improv Games To Teach Flexibility

Mindful Moments Blog

Going With The Flow: Using Improv Games To Teach Flexibility

by Guest Author on Oct 04 2021
Sam struggled with impulse control and emotional processing when he didn't get what he wanted. Does this sound familiar in your home? I created an improv game to help nurture emotional intelligence and bolster flexibility. Get this game and more in our E-Book: 10 Minutes of Play For 10 Days!
Use Time-Ins To Decrease Defiance

Mindful Moments Blog

Use Time-Ins To Decrease Defiance

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 04 2021
Want to decrease defiance? It isn't through punishment and Time-Outs. The answer is in Time-Ins, and here's why. 
Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning To Emotional Intelligence

Mindful Moments Blog

Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning To Emotional Intelligence

by Suzanne Tucker on Oct 01 2021
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 Parenting Fairy Godmother Isn't Coming - Here's Why You Don't Need Her

Mindful Moments Blog

The Parenting Fairy Godmother Isn't Coming - Here's Why You Don't Need Her

by Ashley Patek on Sep 29 2021
Wouldn’t it be amazing if there were a Parenting Fairy Godmother that came to rescue us during tricky parenting moments? Unfortunately, there's not, but you don't need her. You have you. Here are some playful tools to help you boost emotional intelligence in your home.  
Time-Ins Decrease Meltdowns

Mindful Moments Blog

Time-Ins Decrease Meltdowns

by Ashley Patek on Sep 28 2021
How can Time-Ins decrease meltdowns in our home?
6 Ways To Decrease Power Struggles With Your Strong-Willed Child

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Ways To Decrease Power Struggles With Your Pushy Child

by Ashley Patek on Sep 20 2021
Decrease power struggles with your child using these 6 simple tools.
What Do I Do When My Child Won't Stop Hitting?!

Mindful Moments Blog

What Do I Do When My Child Won't Stop Hitting?!

by Ashley Patek on Sep 20 2021
Why does my child hit and what can I do to get him to stop?
Raising Teens: They're Still Under Construction

Mindful Moments Blog

Raising Teens: They're Still Under Construction

by Rebecca Eanes on Sep 20 2021
“Just wait until the teen years,” they’d say. Now I am here, and I get what they were referring to. Teens' fluctuating moods can be hard to deal with, but it's not our fault. Blame it on the brain. 
4 Ways To Guide Your Child's Misbehavior Without Yelling

Mindful Moments Blog

4 Ways To Guide Your Child's Misbehavior Without Yelling

by Ashley Patek on Sep 19 2021
There are several ways that children appear to be misbehaving when, really, these behaviors are developmental passages that help them learn how to be human. Understand why misbehavior happens, and 4 tools to guide your child without yelling.    
5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

by Ashley Patek on Sep 14 2021
Looking to make it through the day without yelling, power struggles or the dreaded parenting guilt? Stop what you're doing and check out these 5 simple (and effective) parenting hacks!