Mindful Moments Blog

Raising Emotionally-Intelligent Boys: One Mom's Journey

Mindful Moments Blog

Raising Emotionally-Intelligent Boys: One Mom's Journey

by Ashley Patek on Nov 01 2021
What do you do when the world around you tells you that you are too sensitive?  Do you adapt to the social norms and shift who you are, or do you hush the noise of society to listen to your inner wisdom?
Rewriting the Narrative On Terrible Twos and Tyrannical Threes

Mindful Moments Blog

Rewriting the Narrative On Terrible Twos and Tyrannical Threes

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 25 2021
The majority of the “problem behavior” that we see in children is because we are looking through a distorted lens. Tantrums are a developmentally normal emotional release when the child’s brain feels flooded with big feelings. Punishing a tantrum cannot make a brain develop faster, but there are things parents can do.
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. 
Why Being a Sensitive Parent is a Good Thing

Mindful Moments Blog

Why Being a Sensitive Parent is a Good Thing

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 14 2021
I am a highly sensitive parent, and here is why it is a good thing. Plus 5 sanity-saving tips for fellow parents who are sensitive, too.
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? 
Use Time-Ins To Decrease Defiance

Mindful Moments Blog

Use Time-Ins To Decrease Defiance

by Rebecca Eanes on Oct 04 2021
Want to decrease defiance? It isn't through punishment and Time-Outs. The answer is in Time-Ins, and here's why. 
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?
6 Ways To Decrease Power Struggles With Your Strong-Willed Child

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Ways To Decrease Power Struggles With Your Pushy Child

by Ashley Patek on Sep 20 2021
Decrease power struggles with your child using these 6 simple tools.
What Do I Do When My Child Won't Stop Hitting?!

Mindful Moments Blog

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

by Ashley Patek on Sep 20 2021
Why does my child hit and what can I do to get him to stop?
4 Ways To Guide Your Child's Misbehavior Without Yelling

Mindful Moments Blog

4 Ways To Guide Your Child's Misbehavior Without Yelling

by Ashley Patek on Sep 19 2021
There are several ways that children appear to be misbehaving when, really, these behaviors are developmental passages that help them learn how to be human. Understand why misbehavior happens, and 4 tools to guide your child without yelling.    
5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Parenting Hacks For Getting Through A Day With Kids

by Ashley Patek on Sep 14 2021
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!
5 Therapeutic Art Activities for Emotional Health

Mindful Moments Blog

5 Therapeutic Art Activities for Emotional Health

by Rebecca Eanes on Aug 24 2021
Art can help your child release and express feelings they may not know how to process and let go of otherwise. Use these 5 art activities to navigate loss, stress and transitions and to nurture emotional intelligence such as managing big emotions. 
Helping Your Child With The Tough Transition Back To School

Mindful Moments Blog

Helping Your Child With The Tough Transition Back To School

by Ashley Patek on Aug 18 2021
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. 
Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

Mindful Moments Blog

Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

by Ashley Patek on Aug 16 2021
Behavior is a symptom, not the problem. And when we focus solely on the symptom, the problems causing these behaviors remain unsolved, and they stack up. So, how do we transform challenging behaviors at home and in the classroom?
Consequences For When My Child Misbehaves

Mindful Moments Blog

Consequences For When My Child Misbehaves

by Ashley Patek on Aug 12 2021
We all want to raise kind and empathetic humans. And when our children fail to pick up their toys, do their homework, or listen to our requests, our instinct is to issue a consequence. But what type of consequences work?
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.
Why Is My Child Behaving This Way?

Mindful Moments Blog

Why Is My Child Behaving This Way?

by Ashley Patek on Aug 09 2021
Power struggles ... meltdowns ... defiance. Here's what's causing your child's behavior and tools for transforming it.   
Connect, Regulate, and Teach Through Play

Mindful Moments Blog

Connect, Regulate, and Teach Through Play

by Rebecca Eanes on Aug 09 2021
Playfulness isn’t only a tool to keep in your parenting toolbox, it’s a mindset. Here are some tips and tools on how to use play to build connection, bolster emotional regulation, and enhance learning. 
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.