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Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom

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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How To Heal Your Inner Child While Raising One

How To Heal Your Inner Child While Raising One

by Guest Author
Often, when punitive measures were used to reform our behaviors as children, it can be a challenge to step outside controlling, demanding, and commanding our kids, especially in the face of big emotions and misbehavior. So, how do we heal the child within while raising children? Here are 3 tools.
5 Ways To Use Positive Affirmations With Kids

5 Ways To Use Positive Affirmations With Kids

by Ashley Patek
Positive affirmations help build a child's learning brain to nurture self-awareness, self-esteem, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. Here are 5 ways to use affirmations with kids so they'll stick.
5 Ways To Use Positive Affirmations With Kids

5 Ways To Use Positive Affirmations With Kids

by Ashley Patek
Positive affirmations help build a child's learning brain to nurture self-awareness, self-esteem, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. Here are 5 ways to use affirmations with kids so they'll stick.
92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

by Ashley Patek
This 92-year-old woman shared with me this wisdom, and it changed the way I loved myself, and it eventually became a guide for how my children would learn to love themselves, too. 
What If My Partner Talked To Me That Way?

What If My Partner Talked To Me That Way?

by Ashley Patek
In the early years, we are the definitions of love for our children. Our behavior and words outline what is acceptable and what isn’t. Our response informs them of how to treat others and sets the pace for their own self-worth. Ask yourself, "What if my partner talked to me/treated me in the way I do my children?" What would come up for you?
3 Successful Alternatives To Yelling For A More Peaceful Home

3 Successful Alternatives To Yelling For A More Peaceful Home

by Ashley Patek
One of the hardest parts of parenting is not the learning. It is the unlearning. When yelling is your natural impulse, these three tips can help you channel what you are feeling in a healthy, productive way. 
How To Connect With Your Toddler Emotionally While Weaning

How To Connect With Your Toddler Emotionally While Weaning From Breastfeeding

by Ashley Patek
Breastfeeding is such a sacred time, and sometimes we fear that weaning will cause us to lose our connection. But that doesn't have to be the case. Here is how you can connect with your child while weaning.
They Saw A Bratty Kid, But That Wasn't The Whole Story

They Saw A Bratty Kid, But That Wasn't The Whole Story

by Ashley Patek
What they saw was a bratty child. A clingy child. A spoiled child. And underneath it all, they saw a mother who wasn’t doing it right. But that wasn't the whole story. Our behaviors were communication for so much more.
Little girl pointing to her calm corner feelings chart

How To Use A Calming Corner With Kids Under Three

by Traci Esposito
You've likely seen the Calming Corner floating around social media, and you're probably wondering if this adorably cozy setup will work in your home, let alone with your two-year-old. And the answer is YES. Here's how. 
Acts Of Service Boosts Emotional Intelligence. Here's How.

Acts Of Service Boosts Emotional Intelligence. Here's How.

by Ashley Patek
Toddlers and teens alike have brains that are going through major biological transformations and family rituals like volunteering can help nurture their social-emotional intelligence. Here are 10 acts of service to do as a family this holiday season. 
5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

by Ashley Patek
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!
Your Child’s Unpleasant Emotions Don’t Need An Apology

Your Child’s Unpleasant Emotions Don’t Need An Apology

by Ashley Patek
We rarely apologize when our children feel happy or grateful or proud yet we often find ourselves apologizing for unpleasant emotions. "I'm sorry you feel mad ... sad ... disappointed." How does this impact our children and what can we do instead?
Sometimes Our Kids Just Want Us To Listen: 3 Tools For Connected Parenting

Sometimes Our Kids Just Want Us To Listen: 3 Tools For Connected Parenting

by Ashley Patek
These tools are invitations for you to show up to your child’s wants and needs with curiosity instead of immediately throwing down the hammer with a rebuttal. Because maybe they do want that thing they are mentioning, or maybe they are just sharing with you their heart, and their only real ask is that you listen.
Conventional Discipline Doesn't Align With Child Development. Here's What To Do Instead.

Conventional Discipline Doesn't Align With Child Development. Here's What To Do Instead.

by Rebecca Eanes
As well-meaning parents, we second-guess ourselves instead of trusting our inner wisdom. We often feel the pressure to raise a “good” kid and be a “good” parent, and thus fall into the trap of conventional parenting. Here's how to escape the cycle.