My 9-year-old’s previous school tried to teach him skills such as self-regulation and empathy, but in practice the whole thing felt like just another item on his busy teacher’s daily checklist. But when my son switched schools last year, I saw how effective SEL can be. Read more ›
We often talk about building self-awareness in our kids, but what about in ourselves, as parents and caregivers?
The better we understand our own complexities, the more wholeheartedly we can show up for our children. In fact, research shows that when a parent understands themselves better, the child has better overall life outcomes. Read more ›
Regulating our emotions is at the heart of our ability to parent the way we’d like. It’s just so easy to get hijacked by our emotions and find ourselves already ten steps down the low road. Read more ›
Americans are emerging from the pandemic more stressed out and reactive than ever. For example, in a typical year, the United States sees about 100 to 150 cases of “air rage”—passengers becoming violent or unruly on airplanes. In 2021, there were more than 5,700 cases, of which more than 4,100 were mask-related.
You might not be disrupting a flight or assaulting a stranger in the street, but maybe you are more emotionally volatile than you would like. Read more ›
Simple interactions between you and your children help build children’s brains foundation for all future learning. Vroom is a set of tools and resources designed to inspire families to turn everyday moments into “brain building moments” by layering activities that are essential to healthy brain development onto existing routines. Read more ›
A month into school, Chicago social worker Alyssa Rodriguez says she underestimated the challenge ahead. Student behavior referrals are up, as middle schoolers hurt each others’ feelings with comments they’d usually only be bold enough to say online.
Schools across the country say they’re seeing an uptick in disruptive behaviors. Read more ›
While some students thrived during distance learning in the spring, many others struggled with the format or with other challenges, such as concerns about safety, family finances or health. Whatever form school takes, here are four ways parents and educators can help children cope with change and uncertainty as we face the new school year. Read more ›
Promoting SEL at Home is a series of developmentally appropriate social and emotional learning (SEL) resources for parents, families, and caregivers to use at home. These lesson ideas facilitate the development of SEL skills in children, from infancy through high school. Read more ›
In scary times, anxiety is normal and understandable. It’s important to exercise self care—to center yourself and seek calming influences to manage stress. Mindfulness helps you recognize the moments where you are feeling overwhelmed and regain balance and an improved mental state. Read more ›
In her book “UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World,” educational psychologist and parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba lays out nine ways to raise kids who are more caring, compassionate, and concerned about others. Read more ›
