“Thank you for what I am about to learn,” or “Arigato gozaimasu” (ah-ree-gah-toe go-zah-ee-mass) my son along with ten of his teammates respectfully utter with a bow and prayer hands as they begin a lesson in Aikido. As a Star Wars’ fan and appreciator of “the force,” Aikido seemed to align well with my eleven-year-old’s desire …
Check out the following feature article in “Youth Connections” magazine by Confident Parents, Confident Kids’ author, Jennifer Miller. This was written in partnership with Montana State University’s Center for Health and Safety Culture, one part of a multi-media campaign launching this January 2019 entitled Parenting Montana focused on parenting with social and emotional learning. Here’s how it …
By Guest Author, Jenny Woo “What are the most life-defining pieces of wisdom and memories that I could leave with my children and be in peace knowing that I have prepared them for life?” I’ve been pondering over this question nonstop. With the sudden passing of yet another friend, I felt the looming urgency to …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: "52 Essential Conversations" card game, embracing failure, embracing mistakes, Jenny Woo, Parents' Choice Award, Relationship skills, Self awareness, Self-management, skill building with kids, social and emotional games, Social and Emotional Learning, Social and Emotional Skills, Social awareness
It’s flu shot day. I have a feeling that today will go smoothly. But two years ago, it didn’t. And I notice a sense of dread creep up on me like a zombie in a haunted mansion. A few years back, E asked about whether shots would be involved with his upcoming doctor’s appointment well …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: anxiety and anger, Empathy, Helping kids deal with fears, Kids, kids and anxiety, kids facing fears, kids' feelings, parenting and fears, parents and anxiety, Patience, Self control, Self-management
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names. – Chinese Proverb It’s been said that the sound of our own name can be magical. It’s often true and particularly so for a child. I remember the principal saying “Hello Jenny.” to me in the school hallway. And I was in awe. …
What is it… why you want it… and how to get it! “I had no idea it was so late!” my ten-year-old exclaimed lifting his head up after a few hours of finely-crafting origami Star Wars figures with his cousin, Grandma and myself who were equally entranced in our crafting projects on spring break. Clearly, …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: children success, executive funtion, family flow, family mindfulness, flow, flow in families, focuses attention, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Mindfulness, Self control, Self-management, Self-regulation
If you have a problem, don’t muddle through. Here’s a simple rap about what to do. Stop, calm down before you act. You’ll think more clearly – that’s a fact. Say the problem and how you feel. Set a positive goal (and try to be real). Now for some “brainy” contributions, make out a list …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: Calming down, CASEL, Collaborative problem solving, Family problem solving, Identifying feelings, learning about feelings, practicing problem-solving, problem-solving skills, problem-solving with kids, Responsible decision-making, Roger Weissberg, Self awareness, Self-management, Social and Emotional Learning, social decision-making
”Mom, everything seems to speed up around me, get louder in my head, and I can’t take my test. I feel scared.” This is how my ten-year-old son described his anxiety during test taking time. But though I know he has felt those feelings in the past, this is the first time he’s been able …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: Calm, Calming down, Coping strategies, dealing with stress, Deep breathing, kids and anxiety, Kids and stress, kids and test-taking strategies, Modeling, parents as models, physical symptoms of anxiety, physical symptoms of stress, Self awareness, Self-management, teachers as models, teaching kids to deal with stress, Testing anxiety, Testing stress
For Promoting Social and Emotional Skills in the Home or Classroom Mandy is having a tough day because each friend or relative she meets can’t play. But the narrator of this story asks good questions of Mandy to learn more. It turns out her friend got in trouble and wasn’t allowed to play. Another friend …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: "The Grit Up Series", Abbie Kelley, Care to repair, Empathy, negative self-talk, Relationship skills, Responsible decision-making, Self awareness, Self-management, Social and Emotional Learning, Social and emotional skill building, Social awareness
How Can You Help Your Five-Year-Old during the Major Adjustment to All-Day Kindergarten? “We have to go back every day?!” exclaims five-year-old Simon incredulously in the first week of kindergarten. I was reminded of when the nurse told me “only 20 more minutes of pushing and the baby should be out,” during drugless labor. It …
Category: Building a Positive Family Environment Tags: adjusting to kindergarten, emotional kindergarteners, emotional meltdowns, Empathy, five-year-olds, kindergarten exhaustion, parent patience, parents dealing with kindergarten, Self control, Self-management, separation anxiety in kindergarten, transition to kindergarten, young children and hyperactivity, young children and self-control
