Mindful Moments Blog

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.
Teaching Your Child How To Be Mad

Mindful Moments Blog

Teaching Your Child How To Be Mad

by Ashley Patek on Jul 15 2021
It’s not about teaching our children not to be mad, sad, or frustrated. It’s about teaching them how to be mad, sad, and frustrated. Rather than teaching them to suppress or bottle their emotions, we can empower our children to move through them in healthy ways. Here's how. 
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. 
Portable Emotional ToolKit for Sensitive Kids

Mindful Moments Blog

Portable Emotional ToolKit for Sensitive Kids

by Guest Author on Jul 06 2021
How do you discipline a highly sensitive child? Using time-ins help children understand and mange their deep emotional world, nurturing connection and emotional intelligence. Here are 8 tips to building a portable ToolKit for your child to help them regulate not only at home but on the go.
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. 
Does Self-Care Feel Like A Chore?

Mindful Moments Blog

Does Self-Care Feel Like A Chore?

by Ashley Patek on Jun 29 2021
Empowerment self-care is when we can be with the current moment with joy and ease, noticing how we feel and asking ourselves, “What is it that I want and need, and how do I make that happen?” Here's how to listen to your sensory body and 5 simple self-care breaks for you and your child.
Moving Past Punishment With Compassion

Mindful Moments Blog

Moving Past Punishment With Compassion

by Ashley Patek on Jun 23 2021
Maybe what she needed was to be seen, heard, and validated. For someone to tell her that she didn’t have to be that scared child anymore. Here are 5 ways to show compassion to a fellow parent and 3 ways to re-parent your inner child.
There's What Parents Say And What Kids Hear

Mindful Moments Blog

There's What Parents Say And What Kids Hear

by Ashley Patek on Jun 22 2021
Does it ever feel like there is a disconnect between what you say and what your kids hear? Like, somehow, asking your child not to jump on the couch or slap her brother translates into more jumping and continued slapping. Here are common parenting phrases, what kids hear, and what we can say instead to get on the same page.
Man Regulates Co-Worker Using Tools He Learned From His Daughters

Mindful Moments Blog

Man Regulates Co-Worker Using Tools He Learned From His Daughters' Calming Corner

by Ashley Patek on Jun 09 2021
Kevin is a supervisor for the federal government and dad of two daughters, ages seven and six. In using a Calming Corner for his daughters at home, he gained tools that he later integrated with a co-worker during an escalated moment. 
Attachment is Not a Reward; It’s a Lifeline

Mindful Moments Blog

Attachment is Not a Reward. It’s a Lifeline.

by Guest Author on Jun 08 2021
In using a time-in, my boys learned valuable skills they would never have learned by sitting in a corner. Did this produce perfect children? No. But this did produce securely attached children who no longer had to make desperate bids for the attachment they so instinctively desired. Read more. 
Healing From A Childhood You Don't Remember

Mindful Moments Blog

Healing From A Childhood You Don't Remember

by Ashley Patek on Jun 02 2021
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. 
Parenting A Strong-Willed Child

Mindful Moments Blog

Parenting A Sensitive And Strong-Willed Child

by Ashley Patek on Jun 01 2021
Raising a strong-willed child? You're not alone. Gain access to tools that help you validate the emotions fueling their meltdown, plus tangible tips to redirect hitting, kicking, spitting, power struggles, and other challenging behaviors.
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.
Building Resilience Through Connection

Mindful Moments Blog

Building Resilience Through Connection

by Ashley Patek on May 17 2021
Children are wired to bounce back from trauma when they have protective factors in place. Through connection with a supportive adult, and through increasing their social-emotional skills, a child's health and development can tip towards positive outcomes.
Raising Emotionally Healthy Boys

Mindful Moments Blog

Raising Emotionally Healthy Boys

by Guest Author on May 12 2021
Forcing boys to repress their emotions is quite literally killing them, leaving lasting mental and physical health implications. Here are 4 things we can do to free our boys and men from social constructs of man up, toughen up, and dry up. 
The Battle Between Positive and Negative Reinforcement

Mindful Moments Blog

The Battle Between Positive and Negative Reinforcement

by Traci Esposito on May 10 2021
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.
Mom Of Two Advocates For Her Neurodiverse Daughters

Mindful Moments Blog

Mom Of Two Advocates For Her Neurodiverse Daughters

by Ashley Patek on Apr 28 2021
Natasha is a mama of two neurodiverse daughters and she has one big focus: teaching her girls social-emotional skills, not only to help them express themselves but to advocate for themselves.