Mindful Moments Blog

Browse by Theme

Loading articles…

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.

No articles found for this theme.

Why Is My Child Behaving This Way?

by Ashley Patek

Power struggles ... meltdowns ... defiance. Here's what's causing your child's behavior and tools for transforming it.

Emotional Intelligence is More Than Naming Emotions

by Alex Petrou

Emotional intelligence is more than naming emotions. Remaining calm when our child is emoting requires great patience, often more than we have in reserve.

Beyond the 9-to-5: A Woman's Journey from Professional to Stay-at-Home Mom

by Ashley Martin

Leaving your career to stay home with your kids is a big shift. Discover how to manage the emotional impact, find your footing, and embrace this new chapter with confidence.

Types of Parenting Styles: Finding Yours and Why It Matters

by Alex Petrou

There are four types of parenting styles and each impacts how your child develops. Learn which one you use and the research behind how they affect kids.

Your Child's Misbehavior Is A Distress Call. How You Answer Matters.

by Rebecca Eanes

Misbehavior is really a way of saying “I need help” when the words will not come. We wouldn’t answer “I need help” with “you’re in big trouble.” We’d say, “I can help. Here I am.” Answer the distress call. This is where true change begins.

3 Ways To Transform Your Child's Behavior

by Ashley Patek

This mom was searching for a way to transform her child's misbehavior. And it was these three connection-based tools that did it.

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.

Dear Daughter: A Spoken Word Poem

by Alex Petrou

Grab your tissues. This heartfelt video captures the love and prayers one father carries for his unborn child: "The pain and the pleasure, they are buried treasure. Get your hands dirty..." - Kurt Peloquin

A mother kneels and holds her young child’s hands against a colorful abstract background.

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

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

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

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.

Child clinging to mom in a doorway, black and white photo with hearts and clouds

My Child Is Clingy. Am I Doing It Wrong?

by Ashley Patek

Your child is clingy, seems to be experiencing separation anxiety and is consistently acting out whenever you leave them, even if just to try to pee alone. Are you doing something wrong as a parent? Not even a little. Here's why.

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.