Mindful Moments Blog

Time-Ins Are Not A Punishment Nor A Reward

Mindful Moments Blog

Time-Ins Are Not A Punishment Nor A Reward

by Ashley Patek
Do time-in's "reward" children for being bad? We wanted to strip this question down to the bare bones and address every facet of this misconception. Read more. 
Toddlers And Meltdowns And Brain Development, Oh My!

Mindful Moments Blog

Meltdowns Develop Your Child's Brain When Met With Connection; Punishment Doesn't Work

by Ashley Patek
Toddlers are one of the most authentic creatures on the planet, and also, arguably, the most misunderstood. On the surface, we see meltdowns, defiance, and limit testing. But there’s so much more than what meets the eye.
Teacher using PeaceMakers cards during circle time

Mindful Moments Blog

Teaching Academics and Social-Emotional Skills in the Montessori Classroom

by Ashley Patek
Emily Canibano, a Montessori teacher with a classroom of 16 students ranging in age from 1.2 to 5.5 years, was looking for a way to teach social-emotional skills in her classroom, both in feeling emotions and in the safe expression of them.
Suzanne's interview on Motherly

Mindful Moments Blog

Manage Your Emotions, And Your Child's Too: Interview With Suzanne Tucker

by Ashley Patek
You can actually be yelling at your child and be mindful. If you notice that you're yelling... pause, and celebrate. You say to yourself, 'I'm yelling, and I noticed I'm yelling' and then take a deep breath. Now you have some power. to do something different, but not if you're busy beating yourself up.
The Battle Between Positive and Negative Reinforcement

Mindful Moments Blog

The Battle Between Positive and Negative Reinforcement

by Traci Esposito
We parents have long searched for a solution when it comes to behavior modification, asking ourselves, which is more effective, positive or negative reinforcement? We have the scoop here.
Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

Mindful Moments Blog

Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

by Ashley Patek
Research has shown that children who feel unsafe and disconnected cannot learn. Why is this and what can we do as parents and educators? 
calming spaces for 8 year old girls alike

Mindful Moments Blog

Calming Spaces for Muggles, Wizards and Eight-Year-Old Girls Alike

by Alex Petrou
Wisdom. Emotional intelligence. Maturity. These words typically conjure up the image of someone older than you. Perhaps it’s someone you know and revere for their persistent nature and kind soul. That person for me is Elizabeth: an 8-year-old I’ve only just met. Older than me? Not by a long shot. A person from whom I could learn from? Absolutely. Elizabeth and her mom reside in St. Louis, and I was lucky enough to speak with them very recently about their enjoyment of their products from Generation Mindful. Not only was it encouraging to hear they were well-loved already, but there was a tone in this young girl’s voice that stopped me dead in my tracks: she was fully embracing the mindfulness mindset, and was already self-aware enough to speak with me about her own growth and life today. Elizabeth answered the phone when I called and did so with so much gusto that I thought I was speaking to her mom, Tracy, instead! We chatted Harry Potter, and our shared love of his adventures and magical stories bonded us immediately. She, without a doubt, is a Gryffindor: she was happy to share this fact with me, and even pointed me in the direction of the sorting hat if I wanted to do so myself. I assured her I’m a longtime Hufflepuff and noted that we work well together. She reminded me we all can. The mother-daughter duo then proceeded to tell me more about the magical Calming Corner they’ve set up in their basement, in a little room below the stairs: just like a certain big-feeling boy Elizabeth and I both know quite well. It was previously used for storage, but once they received their posters and toolkit from Generation Mindful, their collective lightbulb went off and they just knew that space would be better used as Elizabeth’s very own Calming Corner. In it, she’s incorporated her toolbox of helpful things: some stuffed poodles, some coloring utensils, a small pad for her drawings and doodlings. She tells me that it makes her happy and to feel calm, and her mom also chuckles and notes that she’s spoken with the poodles a time or two when she needed to vent as well; and that it really, truly helps them to have that space. Making an area an inviting haven for comfort, peace, and love means it will be used. It will be loved, and much reflection and growth can happen there as well. Sometimes we need a place that is all our own, with tools made with those big feelings in mind. Dumbledore famously said to his protege Mr. Potter, “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” We can’t help but agree. _____________ 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 Ultimate Guide To Building A Calming Corner And Using Time-Ins At Home

Mindful Moments Blog

The Ultimate Guide To Building A Calming Corner And Using Time-Ins At Home

by Ashley Patek
How do you say goodbye to time-outs and introduce time-ins? This is the ultimate guide on the do's and don'ts for building and using a Calming Corner.
St. Louis Mom’s Alternative To Timeouts Turns Into Multi-Million Dollar Business

Mindful Moments Blog

St. Louis Mom’s Alternative To Timeouts Turns Into Multi-Million Dollar Business

by Ashley Patek
Parenting during a pandemic has its challenges, but there’s something that can help those with younger children thanks to a St. Louis mom.
Enhancing emotional development to treat child depression

Mindful Moments Blog

Enhancing Emotional Development to Treat Child Depression

by Alex Petrou
A recent study shows that focusing on the parent-child relationship and enhancing emotional development may be a powerful and low-risk approach to the treatment of depression.
Holiday Survival Guide For Parents: Managing Your Child's Meltdowns

Mindful Moments Blog

Holiday Survival Guide For Parents: Managing Your Child's Meltdowns

by Ashley Patek
Here are some reasons why toddlers meltdown more during the holiday season followed by some easy tips to help regulate their environment and their moods.
What's Wrong With My Clingy Toddler?

Mindful Moments Blog

What's Wrong With My Clingy Toddler?

by Ashley Patek
Why is my child clingy, emotional and crying and what can I do about it? Here are 7 tools for parents with clingy toddlers.
Time-Outs Affect The Developing Brain

Mindful Moments Blog

Time-Outs Affect The Developing Brain

by Guest Author
Separation-based techniques, like the popular time-out approach, use what children care most about against them.
Helping Your Highly Sensitive Child Gain Confidence

Mindful Moments Blog

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. 
De-escalation Strategies For Jingled Out Kids

Mindful Moments Blog

De-escalation Strategies For Jingled Out Kids

by Rebecca Eanes
December is a sensory-overload kind of month. It’s loud. It’s busy. It’s flashy. For a lot of kids, it can be so overwhelming that they may just jingle all the way to a meltdown. For this reason, it’s good to have a few de-escalation strategies in mind. Here are 5. 
Celebrating Being An Imperfect Mom

Mindful Moments Blog

How I Celebrate Being An Imperfect Mom

by Ashley Patek
I closed the car door with my foot as I tiptoed my son’s birthday cupcakes inside.
Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

Mindful Moments Blog

Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

by Traci Esposito
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). 
girl holding tablet, behavior chart

Mindful Moments Blog

Behavior Charts for Kids: Do They Work?

by Traci Esposito
Behavior charts track behavior, but do they work in actually reforming it? Parents and educators can use this instead to nurture children's social-emotional skills and guide behaviors. Read more.
Social-Emotional Support For Military Families and Their Children

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Support For Military Families and Their Children

by Guest Author
Generation Mindful® is excited to be in partnership with US Military Family Support Services in bringing our play-based social-emotional skill-building tools, toys, and parent education programs to military families with children ages 2 to 10. Here is a brief overview of the program by Generation Mindful's founder, Suzanne Tucker: In this next video, learn more about the science behind the Time-In ToolKit® Bundle you will receive, including: The Time-In ToolKit® SnuggleBuddies Emotions Plush Hearts Treasure Hunt Children's Book Positive Parenting Online Course In the following video, Generation Mindful's founder explains the brain science behind the company's strength's-based approach and why these positive, play-based educational tools and parent education programs outperform punitive methods when it comes to teaching children vital social-emotional skills: The following video on SnuggleBuddies Emotions Plush opens with Amanda, a military mom of two, sharing her family's experience using the plush to manage some big feelings and challenging behaviors her children were showing when her husband deployed: And to show the appropriateness of these tools for tots to tweens, here is Meghan, age 10, sharing how she created a calming space her the Time-In ToolKit® Bundle.  Listen in as she explains how she uses the tools, including the PeaceMakers Mindfulness Card Deck and her calming corner posters to regulate her emotions: We hope you will join us in this new program, bringing support to military families via play-based early emotional learning tools, parent education, and support. _____________________ This sponsored program is being offered for FREE to a limited number of military families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on a first-come, first-served basis. Join us, and start creating more connection, cooperation, joy, and resilience in your home. For more information, check out this flyer and/or email Julie Hohe at support@genmindful.com for details.
They Saw A Bratty Kid, But That Wasn't The Whole Story

Mindful Moments Blog

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.