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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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7 Ways to Stop Disrespectful Behavior

by Rebecca Eanes

Disrespectful behavior is a normal response for an underdeveloped, reactive brain. Our response to this normal behavior, however, will determine whether a negative cycle ensues or our relationship is strengthened. When you must choose between showing power or showing love, choose love.

This Twist on a Classic Teaches Children Loving Limits and Boundaries

by Ashley Patek

While some may say that The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a tale of selfless love, others find the story actually sends a much different message --- one of co-dependency.

Enhancing Social-Emotional Learning in Traditional and Montessori Classrooms

by Suzanne Tucker

Discover effective social-emotional techniques for Montessori classrooms and traditional settings. Nurture emotional growth in diverse educational environments.

Santa's 'Naughty List' Has Been Canceled This Holiday Season

by Ashley Patek

The holiday season is meant to be a magical time, but often it is used as leverage to control a child’s behavior. We have a real opportunity to rewrite the narrative. Here's how.

Gentle Parenting: An Ode To Our Ancestors

by Selina Armstrong

For Black parents, gentle parenting is not the opposite of what our elders have done. This is how we thank previous generations for keeping us safe in a world that wouldn't.

How To Support Your Child Through Grief

by Guest Author

Grief is a universal human experience that can affect anyone at any time, and at any age. By acknowledging and processing our grief, we can help our children cope, too. Learn how children of different ages may express their grief and tools to support them through it.

What Young Children Need You to Know About Separation Anxiety

by Rebecca Eanes

Children are born with a need for attachment and so it stands to reason that separation is a great fear for many children. This doesn’t mean we cannot ever be separated from them, but rather that we take time to understand the developmental aspect of this issue so that we can fulfill their need for attachment in our absence.

Rewriting the Narrative On Terrible Twos and Tyrannical Threes

by Rebecca Eanes

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.

Child Stress And How Emotional Intelligence Can Keep It In Check

by Alex Petrou

Stress is our body’s natural reaction to a challenging or adverse situation, whether real or imagined, which triggers the body’s fight-flight-or-freeze response. By learning to express emotions, listen actively, and consider multiple perspectives, children and adults alike can learn to control stress more effectively.

Portable Emotional ToolKit for Sensitive Kids

by Guest Author

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.

Why Improv Is Not Just For The Stage

by Guest Author

We all improvise every day, and children are the ultimate improvisers. Through play and connection, improv games nurture brain development and bolster social-emotional learning. Here's how to do it. Plus get our E-Book: 10 Minutes of Play For 10 Days!

Why Being a Sensitive Parent is a Good Thing

by Rebecca Eanes

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.

Thank You: A Father’s Day Poem

by Guest Author

This mama writes a poem to her husband as she navigates her baby blues, teary eyes, breastfeeding, and raw limits.

7 Parts Of The Parenting Pie

by Rebecca Eanes

At its core, parenting is about relationships, and in our search for the perfect discipline tricks, we've lost sight of that. Here are 7 pieces to the "parenting pie" that shape your child’s formative years.

Help! My Child Prefers My Partner, Not Me

by Ashley Patek

What do you do when your child prefers one parent over the other? Here are tools for both the preferred and non-preferred parent. Spoiler alert: This is developmental, temporary and is nothing you are doing wrong.

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.

Dr. Shefali's New Book on Conscious Parenting: Let's Get You a Signed Copy

by Guest Author

In this interview with New York Times Bestselling author Dr. Shefali, endorsed by Oprah herself as "revolutionary" in her approach to conscious parenting, we talk about it all: the insanity of cultural parenting norms emotions, not as facts but as "data" the challenge to parent differently than we were raised moving past guilt and shame and her new book, The Parenting Map. I was so moved by our interview that in the end, I did a thing. I made the offer to buy each of you a copy of the book. Check out the interview below. I hope you are as inspired as I am by the potential for us to reach families around the world with the concept of putting an end to punishment-based parenting. Buying thousands of books is a thing, but truly, I think we can do this. My goal is to ship thousands of books into the hands of you, our Generation Mindful members, because I know you will share it powerfully with others. So, this week only, anyone who buys our Digital Calming Corner and Time-In ToolKit will also get Dr. Shefali's new book The Parenting Map ($26 Value) shipped to them for FREE, with the US shipping included at no added cost. My apologies to our international members, but right now only US Shipping is possible. Dr. Shefali has offered to sign every book we ship to a community member and to come back for a private live event to answer our questions after reading the book. This offer is good on Digital Calming Corner & Time-In ToolKit® Bundle orders placed this week only. Thanks all! I'll keep you posted on follow-up event details which we will host FREE, live with Dr. Shefali in The Village, our community hub for parents, caregivers, and educators. Finally, for the busy people among us that want to learn more about the book and the offer, I made this 2-minute version of the video for you. I see you because I am you. ;) I hope you'll join us in this offer and the live online "book club" meetup to follow for all that get in on the offer.

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.

4 Reasons Your Child Can't Regulate Alone

by Ashley Patek

While it is often a hot topic and a buzzword, it turns out there are many misconceptions about self-regulation. Here are four.