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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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Not Perfect Parenting and Mindfulness

by Alex Petrou

By: Alex Petrou"When I started my journey in motherhood, my greatest struggle was perfection. Wanting to reach high. Having these high, I would say unattainable, goals. And though I was doing all the crunchy mama wonderful things - babywearing, nursing, making my foods and you know, all these wonderful things, it was never enough. You know that feeling of being a hamster on a wheel? I was very present to that sort of not enough-ness in motherhood early on. I was also very present to the isolation, to feeling alone, and yet I was here in my home town of St. Louis, Missouri where I was raised. I had family around me and every reason to feel supported and yet I struggled with that feeling of isolation and really just wanting to connect in a really authentic way to other moms. And this was 16 years ago so you have to remember, there was no Facebook." "All of this has brought me to where I am today; to the classes I run for parents and all the products we've created via Generation Mindful. It's about being enough at the root of it all and lowering the bar. If our goals are too high, we can never reach them." Watch the full video and hear more about: The difference connecting before you correct your kids can make in their listening. Practical applications of mindfulness in parenting. Why awareness is more important than being perfect. How mantras can inspire mindful parenting. The toddler years and how the card game PeaceMakers is helping parents to be more patient. The power of being enough and celebrating the little things. The power of daily playful rituals for parents, children and kids. Click here for more on PeaceMakers and follow Generation Mindful on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. _____________ Generation Mindful creates tools, toys, and programs that nurture emotional intelligence through play and positive discipline. Join us and receive joy in your inbox each week.

Why Being A Perfect Parent Is Too Much

by Guest Author

In the face of her daughter's meltdowns, this mama strived to be perfect by suppressing her own emotions. What she learned is that abandoning herself was a trauma response to her own childhood, and that what she and her daughter both needed was this ...

Feeling Emotions As An Adult When Taught Not To As A Child

by Ashley Patek

When we learn to suppress unpleasant emotions as a child, we become adults whose conditioned self masquerades as our authentic self. This dampens our human experience (and affects our mental health and parenting). Here's how to break the cycle.

From Classroom to Home: One Teacher's Journey to Positive Parenting

by Ashley Patek

After maternity leave, I decide to shift from my role as a teacher of an academic classroom to that of teaching our “one and only.” My full momma heart told me that I would nail it. I mean, how hard could it be to teach one child when I had taught so many?

Gratitude Builds The Brain For Emotional Intelligence

by Ashley Patek

Whether we are thanking our spouse, our kids, Mother Nature, or receiving thanks in return, gratitude in any form can help stabilize emotions, help us parent from our center, and offer our children the safety and connection to learn and grow.

TikTok Goes Viral As Mom Shows Alternative to Time-Outs Using The Time-In ToolKit

by Ashley Patek

A mom recently shared a clip on TikTok of her son using Generation Mindful's Time-In ToolKit, and the post went viral. Take a look.

A calm mother kneels eye-level with a frustrated child, holding their hands to demonstrate co-regulation and emotional connection

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

by Ashley Patek

Why does my child hit and what can I do to get him to stop?

Helping Your Child With The Tough Transition Back To School

by Ashley Patek

Children bring so many different emotions to the first week of school: excitement and anticipation, fear and wonder. The change may lead to increased meltdowns and/or regressions. Make the transition less overwhelming with these 5 tools.

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

by Ashley Patek

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.

Mom Realizes It's Never Too Late To Parent Differently

by Ashley Patek

As a school psychologist on the elementary level, Karen was in search of professional development tools, and in doing so, found an avenue to help her in raising her three diverse sons.

Joe's Workers Dance & Sing To Calm Crying Toddler

Video Of Trader Joe's Employees Singing And Dancing To Stop Toddler Tantrum Goes Viral

by Ashley Patek

When this toddler had a meltdown at checkout, these Winter Park, Florida Trader Joe's employees jumped into action with an impromptu dance party. The video goes viral.

A Mother’s Love: I Hope You Always Know

by Guest Author

A mother shares her perspective of Motherhood. No matter the doubt, or her questions of being enough, there is one thing she knows for sure, "despite all my questions, my immeasurable love for you is not one of them."

Moving Past Punishment With Compassion

by Ashley Patek

Maybe what she needed was to be seen, heard, and validated. For someone to tell her that she didn’t have to be that scared child anymore. Here are 5 ways to show compassion to a fellow parent and 3 ways to re-parent your inner child.

St. Louis Magazine: St. Louis Mom Launches New Parenting Tool After Raising $7K on Kickstarter

by Alex Petrou

When my son first saw the deck of colorful PeaceMakers cards lying on the counter, he smiled and asked, “What are THESE, Mama?”. He dove right in, mixing them up and picking ones for me to read. He’s only four years old, but he immediately took action[...] Read More ____________ Generation Mindful creates tools, toys, and programs that nurture emotional intelligence through play and positive discipline. Join us and receive joy in your inbox each week.

A Play-Based Solution To Reducing Stress In The Classroom

by Guest Author

How can educators bring mindfulness practices into their classrooms? This educator shares tips and ideas for playful mindful minutes that can be added into the school day.

Joy Sun Bear on Unity

by Alex Petrou

Join this curious and special bear cub as he embarks on magical adventures to explore the world, discover his inner gifts, and share them with others. In this short video Joy Sun Bear explains a very special word to children...UNITY. Take in the video and then tell us, what does the word unity mean to you? For more exciting adventures and to practice "seeing the world with joy" visit Joy Sun Bear and his friends here. Sign up for their monthly newsletters and the adventures will be sent right to your inbox. Click here for more on PeaceMakers and follow Generation Mindful on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. _____________ Generation Mindful creates tools, toys, and programs that nurture emotional intelligence through play and positive discipline. Join us and receive joy in your inbox each week.

The Way You Perceive Your Child Affects How You Respond To Them

by Rebecca Eanes

Is your child's challenging behavior bad behavior or is it a distress call? Your perspective will decide. Perspective is the lens through which you view the world. It determines how you perceive your children. By changing how we see our children, we change how we respond to them.