Mindful Moments Blog

Feeling In Color

Mindful Moments Blog

Feeling In Color

by Guest Author on Mar 28 2022
Do you live in black and white or do you feel in color?
Stop Apologizing For Your Child's Emotions

Mindful Moments Blog

Your Child’s Unpleasant Emotions Don’t Need An Apology

by Ashley Patek on Mar 28 2022
We rarely apologize when our children feel happy or grateful or proud yet we often find ourselves apologizing for unpleasant emotions. "I'm sorry you feel mad ... sad ... disappointed." How does this impact our children and what can we do instead?
When Your Child Says "I Hate You!"

Mindful Moments Blog

When Your Child Says "I Hate You!"

by Guest Author on Mar 28 2022
When your child says “I hate you!” you might find yourself getting defensive or you may feel the urge to assert control over the situation. The key to getting to the root of the challenge is to look beyond the hurtful words to figure out what’s going on for them emotionally. What are they really saying?
Growing Beautiful Orchids - Helping Sensitive Children Thrive

Mindful Moments Blog

Growing Beautiful Orchids - Helping Sensitive Children Thrive

by Rebecca Eanes on Mar 21 2022
If you’ve been graced with an orchid child, here are three tips for helping them grow into their magnificence. 
Sometimes Our Kids Just Want Us To Listen: 3 Tools For Connected Parenting

Mindful Moments Blog

Sometimes Our Kids Just Want Us To Listen: 3 Tools For Connected Parenting

by Ashley Patek on Mar 21 2022
These tools are invitations for you to show up to your child’s wants and needs with curiosity instead of immediately throwing down the hammer with a rebuttal. Because maybe they do want that thing they are mentioning, or maybe they are just sharing with you their heart, and their only real ask is that you listen.
4 Powerful Ways To Ensure Your Kids Don’t Bear the Weight of Your Emotions

Mindful Moments Blog

4 Powerful Ways To Ensure Your Kids Don’t Bear the Weight of Your Emotions

by Rebecca Eanes on Mar 21 2022
When children feel responsible for taking care of their parents emotionally, it can cause a range of mental and emotional issues. Maybe this was a familiar story in your own childhood. Here are 4 ways we can break the cycle. 
Stop Saying, "He Hurts You Because He Likes You"

Mindful Moments Blog

Stop Saying, "He's Mean To You Because He Likes You"

by Ashley Patek on Mar 21 2022
"He's mean to you because he likes you" is a harmful message that perpetuates the cycle of bullying and programs our children to accept abuse. Here are 4 things our kids need to know about boundaries and consent.
5 False Toddler Myths

Mindful Moments Blog

5 False Toddler Myths

by Rebecca Eanes on Mar 21 2022
Toddlerhood is a precious time. We do our kids and ourselves a great injustice by assigning negative intent to their developmentally normal behaviors. Instead of going to war, let’s spend these quickly-passing years seeking to understand our little ones and rewrite the narrative on common myths.
10 Magical Outcomes to Dropping Your Expectations

Mindful Moments Blog

10 Magical Outcomes to Dropping Your Expectations

by Guest Author on Mar 20 2022
We subconsciously believe that if our children are misbehaving, then we did something wrong and we take action from a place of guilt. Here's how to flip your perspective and move from connection.
Can You Spoil A Baby?

Mindful Moments Blog

You Can't Spoil A Baby With Your Love

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
Keep holding them. Keep tending to their needs. Keep doing what feels right. It is impossible for you to spoil them with love. 
Words Matter - Crossing out dismissive phrases in kid's story books

Mindful Moments Blog

Words Matter: Adjusting Popular Books and Songs to Align with Positive Parenting Strategies

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
Our words matter. Children receive messages from all around them and this includes the books, songs, and stories we share with them. Sometimes those messages are affirming and sometimes they are dismissive. Read how to make your words count to nourish your child's social-emotional skills.
92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

Mindful Moments Blog

92-Year-Old Shares Valuable Parenting Lesson

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
This 92-year-old woman shared with me this wisdom, and it changed the way I loved myself, and it eventually became a guide for how my children would learn to love themselves, too. 
Your Child's Emotions Need Support, Not Solutions

Mindful Moments Blog

Your Child's Emotions Need Support, Not Solutions

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
When we attempt to fix our children’s emotions and problems, we move out of connection and into control. The focus shifts from them to us. Instead, we can sit with them in the hard stuff, offering support, not solutions. Here's how. 
To The Boy That Called My Daughter Ugly

Mindful Moments Blog

To The Boy That Called My Daughter Ugly

by Guest Author on Mar 14 2022
From a dad in our community: "To the boy that called my daughter ugly on the school bus the other day, I have some things to say to you." 
Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

by Ashley Patek on Mar 07 2022
Students who are self-aware and able to understand their emotions have a greater ability to relate to others, make decisions, and excel academically. Here is how to help your child develop social-emotional skills at home. 
Social-Emotional Learning Is Key in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Learning Is Key in the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Rebecca Eanes on Mar 07 2022
Social-emotional instruction has been proven beneficial during normal times; it is now an urgent need. Here are 5 SEL activities for the classroom and 5 for home. Together, we can bridge the school to home gap. 
Motherhood Broke Me and Built Me Back Stronger

Mindful Moments Blog

Motherhood Broke Me and Built Me Back Stronger

by Guest Author on Mar 07 2022
The thing they don’t tell you when you’re expecting that little bundle of joy is that the bundle is going to break your heart eventually. It usually happens in a million tiny breaks over the years. But while a mother’s heart breaks many times, it is ultimately indestructible. 
To My Kids: I Messed Up Today, And I'm Sorry

Mindful Moments Blog

To My Kids: I Messed Up Today, And I'm Sorry

by Ashley Patek on Mar 07 2022
I messed up today in ways big and small. I am an imperfect mom. I used to shame myself for it, but not anymore. And here is what I say to my children.
Discipline Your Child's Behavior, Not Their Emotions

Mindful Moments Blog

Discipline Your Child's Behavior, Not Their Emotions

by Ashley Patek on Mar 07 2022
There is a difference between how our children feel and how they behave. Rather than trying to force our children to not feel certain emotions (especially the ones that are inconvenient for us), we can teach them how to deal with emotions. Here are four ways to do this. 
Is It Okay For Me To Cry In Front Of My Child?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is It Okay For Me To Cry In Front Of My Child?

by Guest Author on Mar 06 2022
How do we straddle the line of expressing emotion in front of our children while letting them know that they are not responsible for our feelings? The process can be vulnerable and uncomfortable, but this is often how it feels when we commit to breaking cycles of generational wounding.