Mindful Moments Blog

5 Winter-Themed Sensory Activities for Your Calming Corner

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Winter-Themed Sensory Activities for Your Calming Corner

by Rebecca Eanes on Nov 29 2021
Could your Calming Corner use a little seasonal cheer? Here are 5 winter-themed sensory activities to add into your space!
Is My Child Too Old To Use A Calming Space?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is My Child Too Old To Use A Calming Space?

by Ashley Patek on Nov 08 2021
How do you use a Calming Space with kids beyond the toddler stage? Here are 5 tips.
I Am Not Mad. I Am Feeling Mad. And There Is A Difference.

Mindful Moments Blog

I Am Not Mad. I Am Feeling Mad. And There Is A Difference.

by Ashley Patek on Nov 08 2021
Our identity is not the way we feel. The way we feel is a state of being. Here's why that's important (spoiler alert - it affects your child's brain development), and strategies for adults and children to balance their emotions.
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.
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. 
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? 
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?
I'm Too Stressed To Handle My Child's Meltdowns

Mindful Moments Blog

I'm Too Stressed To Handle My Child's Meltdowns

by Suzanne Tucker on Sep 14 2021
My own emotional capacity is on E, and it makes it super hard to be emotionally available for my child during his big emotions. What do I do?
Nurturing A Natural Love For Learning

Mindful Moments Blog

Nurturing A Natural Love For Learning

by Ashley Patek on Aug 30 2021
How do you nurture curious risk-takers who love to learn? It starts here.
5 Calming Strategies To Do With Your Kids

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Calming Strategies To Do With Your Kids

by Ashley Patek on Aug 11 2021
We’ve all been there before, face to face with our child, locking horns, emotions escalating (both yours and theirs). What do you do? Here are 5 calming strategies to do with your child to bridge the gap from being at odds to being on the same team.
It’s Development, Not Defiance

Mindful Moments Blog

It’s Development, Not Defiance

by Rebecca Eanes on Aug 04 2021
We are so accustomed to parenting being a struggle. We expect it. We deal with it. We fight back and forth for control. But what if I told you that their behavior was not defiance but development. Here are 3 tools to help your child grow their emotional regulation and impulse control muscles. 
Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

Mindful Moments Blog

Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

by Traci Esposito on Jul 22 2021
Post-pandemic children have a lot to adjust to. And there is no cookie-cutter response because the mental health of our children is not one-dimensional. There is a spectrum of feelings and emotional stress taking a seat in the classroom this year. Here are some tools for nurturing social-emotional learning (SEL). 
The Stories Kids Want To Tell About COVID

Mindful Moments Blog

The Stories Kids Want To Tell About COVID

by Rebecca Eanes on Jul 19 2021
Our children grew up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their brains developed in quarantine. Their bodies changed in lockdown. They are emerging from this as different people, and the impact it had on them is yet to be told. Here are 4 things we can do to support our children’s social-emotional health this school year ...
Regulate Emotions Through Play

Mindful Moments Blog

Regulate Emotions Through Play

by Ashley Patek on Jul 16 2021
How do we get under the meltdowns, tantrums, and big wants and desires fueling our tots? Learn how to use play and mind-body activities to increase connection, regulate emotions, and change undesirable behaviors.
Speaking Your Child's Meltdown Language

Mindful Moments Blog

Speaking Your Child's Meltdown Language

by Ashley Patek on Jul 14 2021
Understand the biology of a meltdown and how to speak your child's unique meltdown language.
3 Ways Parenting Can Heal Your Childhood Wounds

Mindful Moments Blog

3 Ways Parenting Can Heal Your Childhood Wounds

by Guest Author on Jul 07 2021
When our own childhood contained stress and trauma, the developmentally-appropriate behaviors of our children can be a big trigger. Here are 3 ways to heal your childhood wounds through parenting. 
Helping Children Embrace Mistakes For A Growth Mindset

Mindful Moments Blog

Helping Children Embrace Mistakes For A Growth Mindset

by Ashley Patek on Jun 30 2021
Whether your kiddo strikes out at baseball, colors out of the lines, or gets a grade lower than they wanted, parents have a beautiful opportunity to honor big feelings and offer tools to help them accept and maybe even celebrate it. Here are 8 ways. 
Using A Feelings Chart To Teach Emotions

Mindful Moments Blog

Using A Feelings Chart To Teach Emotions

by Ashley Patek on May 19 2021
If you feel like you are learning about emotional regulation right alongside your child, it’s because, very likely, you are. Here's how to use a feelings chart to teach your kids (and yourself) about emotions and calming strategies to decrease tantrums and nurture emotional intelligence.