In partnership with PBS’s Thirteen WNET, Confident Parents, Confident Kids wrote for PBS Kids in support of the new Parenting Minutes video on “Sharing Feelings.” The article begins…

“I call base!” my son would say frequently after he was introduced to the game of tag. If he wanted to end the tickling or stop the chasing, he would claim a piece of furniture or the staircase banister as his safe haven. No one could touch him there. And he relished in the power and security it afforded him.

In the Parenting Minutes video on Sharing Feelings, Helena and Andrew created a safe zone at bedtime for their daughter Liya in which they could talk about any feelings she’d experienced that day. They offered their empathy without judgment as a way of settling down and reflecting on the day. That opportunity gave Liya practice with identifying and articulating her feelings and honing her ability to practice self-control. When these skills are practiced at home, children are more likely to internalize them and use them at school to aid in focusing on the learning at hand. Read the full article on the PBS Kids’ site.