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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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6 Reasons You May Be Failing Time-Ins

by Ashley Patek

If you are having trouble implementing Time-Ins in your home, or you are wondering if this is right for your family, we have some tips to help bring the science and connection into everyday life.

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.

Is My Child Too Old To Use A Calming Space?

by Ashley Patek

How do you use a Calming Space with kids beyond the toddler stage? Here are 5 tips.

Reducing Toddler Tantrums

by Alex Petrou

One family’s journey using time-ins to manage their toddler's big feelings, going from 33 to 3 tantrums a day in just one week.

Blue Dolphin and Green Hummingbird Are Perfectly Imperfect

by Ashley Patek

A manufacturing inaccuracy of Generation Mindful's SnuggleBuddies gave rise to a beautiful lesson: we are all perfectly imperfect.

5 Things To Do When Your Child Doesn't Want To Go To The Calming Corner

by Ashley Patek

What do you do when your child is so deep into their meltdown that they do not want to go to their calm down space ... or even want you near them? Here is a parent's guide.

5 Simple Daily Mindful Moments For Parents

by Traci Esposito

Whether the kid crew is acting mild or wild, chances are, your days would go a little more smoothly if you started and ended them with a few simple mindful moments. Here are 5 daily mindful moments you can add in (not on) to your day to have less yelling and more peace in your home.

6 Ways To Deal With A Public Tantrum (Or Prevent Them Altogether)

by Ashley Patek

A public tantrum doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker, but rather a learning moment in the broad scope of a day together. We can let children know with our words and actions that, wherever we are, emotions are safe to feel. Sometimes we can decrease the likelihood of a meltdown. Here are six helpful factors to consider:

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.

Re-Parenting Yourself As You Parent Your Child

by Guest Author

Remember, there is a little one wanting to be parented inside of you, too.

How One Child Learned To Manage His Emotions By Watching His Sister

by Ashley Patek

With the use of the Time-In-Toolkit and SnuggleBuddies Plush Toys, one child learned how to manage his emotions by modeling his older sister.

What Can I Do When I Feel Triggered By My Kids?

by Ashley Patek

Why do we feel triggered when our kids do that thing they do, and what tools do we have to keep us from meeting their immaturity with our own? Here are 3 preventive tips and 4 tools for in the heat of the moment.

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

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 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.

parent and toddler playfully laughing together

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.

Sixteen-Year-Old's Poem on Being A Man Challenges Definitions of Masculinity

by Ashley Patek

Sixteen-year-old Simar Singh shares his poem "How To Be A Man" to shine light on what happens when we tell young boys it is wrong, unsafe, and weak to feel. He challenges the socially constructed notions attached to manhood to change the narrative while raising awareness about mental disorders, especially depression.

5 Ways To Nurture Emotional Intelligence For Kids

by Ashley Patek

How can we as adults, parents, grandparents & more, nurture emotional intelligence for kids? 5 ways you can nurture emotional intelligence in children.

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

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.