Tag: Social and Emotional Skills

Learning from “Building Powerful Learning Environments From Schools to Communities”

All parties – schools, families, and community members – share the responsibility for building trust. But those who hold the official power within schools and classrooms have to set the tone and lead by example. -Arina Bokas, Building Powerful Learning Environments From Schools to Communities In both roles – as a parent and as an …

On NBC’s Parent Toolkit… “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice… Here’s What To Say To Your Kids”

It’s difficult to hear the phrase “Say something nice” without finishing the sentence, “or don’t say anything at all.” I caught myself muttering these words recently as I watched a scene unfold from the cover of my porch. Two kids, around 10 or 11 years old, were walking past on the sidewalk while my neighbor …

“The Power of Play” – NBC Parent Toolkit Twitter Chat Coming Soon!

Did you know that play is an essential part of how kids develop social and emotional skills? Find out how and what you can do to support it. Mark your calendar! Let’s talk about “The Power of Play!” I’ll be discussing the impact of play on kids’ cognitive, social and emotional development and my colleague, …

The Extras

Extracurricular activities – whether before school or after school or in the community – are implicitly optional. They are, as the word implies – “extra” – in addition to school. As a parent, the choices can be freeing and helpful or confusing and challenging and perhaps, a little of both. And to add to the complexity, our …

Holiday Helpers

Giving your Children the Chance to Contribute to One of the Busiest Times of the Year Family life is typically busy with school, extracurriculars, parents’ work demands and more. But add a series of holidays to the already busy schedule and the resulting stress can reach a fever pitch. As I compare notes with friends, …

Your Story

If you read this blog, then you already know that cultivating social and emotional skills in our kids is not a luxury but an essential for preparing caring, confident and contributing adults. We can only learn and improve as parents through this dialogue if we share our stories. So I am hoping you might share …

Elements of a Confident Kid… Service Minded

– noticing others or environmental needs, feeling empathy and desiring a role in contributing to their or its well-being. About being service minded A service-minded person is both self and socially aware. She must know her own strengths and limitations. She sees what contributions she can make and how they relate to other’s unmet needs. …

“If…,” A Video Game that Teaches Social and Emotional Skills

Confident Parents, Confident Kids author Jennifer Miller has written the first blog article for a brand new video game being developed by gaming pioneer Trip Hawkins (founder of Electronic Arts) and Chief Learning Officer and Co-founder Jessica Berlinski formerly of GameDesk and Character Counts. Slated for launching in late January, this game entitled “If…” will teach social …

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