Invitation for Articles!
ATTENTION:
EDUCATORS/PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO ARE PARENTS!
Call for Articles
Dear Educators/Child Development Experts/Psychologists/#SEL Experts,
Not enough time to contribute to an academic journal but want to write?
Eager to reflect on how what you are learning professionally about advancing children’s development and life skills can help your own children?
We hope you’ll consider writing for Confident Parents, Confident Kids! The site enjoys daily visitors from 152 countries around the world and a follow-ship of more than 24,000. Help initiate important dialogue in our community. Please see below for our guidelines. We hope you’ll join our parent-led community of practice by contributing! We are so excited to learn from your ideas!
If you hope to write for us, please email confidentparentsconfidentkids@gmail.com with the subject line: “Article Idea from SEL Educator!” Please include your idea, how it connects to a social and emotional skill building opportunity (in your child and yourself!), and the ages/stages of children you are writing about. Also, please include a short bio or resume. All authors must have experience as an educator with SEL and be actively parenting in your own home. A diverse range of perspectives is encouraged. All articles must align with the research base on children’s social and emotional development. All ideas are due by January 31, 2025. We’ll review and get back to you on whether you’ll be published this Winter/Spring by February 5, 2025.
All the best,
Jennifer Miller, Founder
Senior Lead Writers: Shannon Wanless, Jason Miller, Jenny Woo, Mike Wilson, and Lorea Martinez
ARTICLE TOPICS
Using the CASEL five core competencies, any one of the following could inspire an article topic (or see below for suggested social and emotional skills):
- What are you most challenged by in your parenting? How can that point you to social and emotional skills you need to cultivate in your children? What social and emotional skills does it point you to build in yourself?
- What is your child going through developmentally? How are you supporting it? How does that include social and emotional skill building?
- How are you able to partner with your child’s school in your child’s learning? What can we learn from your experience about family-school partnerships?
Share your story and how you are growing socially and emotionally right along with your support of your child’s social and emotional growth. Be sure and share strengths and challenges, successes, and mis-steps! Here’s a more detailed description of the many skills that are a part of the five core competences that might also stir ideas.
ARTICLE REQUIREMENTS
- All articles need to fit/align with the CPCK guiding principles. You can find them here: https:// confidentparentsconfidentkids.org/about-the-blog/guiding-principles/
- All articles need to draw upon a solid scientific research base to support the thesis.
- CPCK has signed a promise that all content will have integrity – be factual and honest so all guest blogs need to reflect that commitment as well.
- All articles must clearly cite any references used and ideally, have between an 800-1500 word count (there’s flexibility here – say what you need to say!). Please list references in APA format.
- All articles need to show the connection between their topic and the mission of the site – which is to help parents actively promote their children’s social and emotional development. For example, how does your topic promote self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making in parents and/or kids. Since rewards and punishments as inducements for positive behaviors thwart skill building, they cannot be included as strategies since they do not align with the research.
- All articles need to come from an assets/strengths-based perspective in others words, here are things you CAN do (versus things you should not do).
- All articles will be edited by the site’s editor.
- All articles must be respectful and safe reading for any potential reader of any age in any part of the world.
- CPCK promotes books, games, websites and/or other online or print materials only (no other merchandise) that offer education and support as a service to readers. If you are promoting a book that relates directly to the content you are writing, please include a brief description of the book and a photo of the book cover along with a link to where you can best find the book for order online.
- Articles that do not meet this criteria will not be selected for publication.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR GUEST AUTHORS
- Must have a degree in education, psychology, social work, or related field.
- Must have professional experience in promoting children’s social and emotional development.
- Must be actively parenting children in your household, ages 0-19.
- All family structures, all cultures, creeds, and races are encouraged to submit. We are stronger if we learn from a range of family structures and circumstances.
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
All article submissions can be emailed to confidentparentsconfidentkids@gmail.com with the subject line: “Confident Parents Submission.”
Please share the article on Google Docs so it can be collaboratively edited.
Please send a short bio or resume.
Please include your own headshot.
Please include your social media tags so that we can tag you when it’s published.
If you would like to, you can also include a photo of you and your kids that would match the article and Jennifer Miller will illustrate it (with her time permitting).
TYPICAL BLOG ARTICLE FORMAT
- Introduction with a real life story that sets up the heart of the opportunity or challenge (please change all children’s names to other names for safety!). Also, has your culture impacted your perspective on this topic? If so, how?
- Connection to research – how does this fit in the research? How can you establish a need beyond just your family in the broader culture? Or what social and emotional research can you connect your family story to?
- 3-5 specific practical strategies parents can use right away that build social and emotional skills in themselves or their children or both
- Reflective questions for the reader to engage them in the dialogue.
- Closing – reflections on your learning
- References and/or resources (if you use picture books or parenting books or websites, please share!)
DEADLINES
Deadline:
Intent to write with proposed topic – January 30, 2026.
Notification of your selection by February 5, 2026.
We will determine collaboratively your due date for your particular article.
BENEFITS
- Publishing credit that will be promoted through most social media networks.
- Reflective learning about your own parenting.
- An invitation to our Fall Confident Parents Online Dialogue.
- Contributing to the knowledge base of a new and emerging way of parenting.
- Supporting others in the most challenging and most important job on the planet!
- A Confident Parents Writing Badge to post on your social media or website.
- An illustration of you, your children, or your family by Jennifer Miller if you submit a photo (time permitting)!
ARTICLE EXAMPLES
Check out these examples!
Preparing Your Child to Stand Up for Themselves and Others by Jennifer Miller
Understanding the Emotions of Our Teens by Jennifer Miller
Engaging Children in Household Chores; Ways to Teach and Motivate at Various Ages and Stages by Jennifer Miller
How to Have Productive and Honest Dialogues at Parent-Teacher Conferences by Jenny Woo, PhD
The Spontaneous Unity of Family in Flow by Jason Miller
Making the World More Just and Equitable Right at Home by Shannon Wanless
How Can We Disagree with Family and Friends While Sustaining and Growing Relationships by Mike Wilson
Raising Bilingual Children by Lorea Martinez
