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Tag: Executive Function
Anger Management is a Big Part of Parenting, So How Do We Do It?
From Calm to Chaos The sun rises, your alarm rings, you roll out of bed and find your way to your first mug of coffee (Not a coffee person? Imagine tea instead). The birds are singing. The world feels full of possibility. You take a deep breath, committed to starting your parenting day with smooth… Read More →
Grade for Grit? Not Yet
A lot of parents have asked us over the years whether or not they should do the marshmallow experiment with their kids to ‘test’ their self-control. While asked half in jest, it is clearly tempting for them to want to assess this critical character trait in their children. If self-discipline is so important, the logic… Read More →
Six Back To School Essentials
Hint: They Won't Fit In Your Child's Backpack
Students will enter school this year with all sorts of supplies, habits, skills, and feelings. The pens, notebooks, books and class schedules will fit neatly inside their backpacks. The other things can be harder to pin down but have a much greater impact on our kids’ success. Empathy Empathy is one of the core “pro-social… Read More →
How to Involve Your Kids in Meal Planning and Meal Prep
I have been cooking with my parents since I was a kid. Usually this involved sitting on the counter tasting the cookie dough batter (yes, with raw egg!), but not always. Sometimes I also helped by licking the brownie mix from the bowl with a spatula (wink, wink). My mom, in particular, loved to bake,… Read More →
The Brain Benefits of Free Play
A growing body of research is piling up that begs us to question the firm line we’ve drawn between the playground and the classroom.
Be an Emotion Coach: 5 Simple Steps
Emotion coaching helps kids learn how to manage powerful emotions and turns would-be power struggles into learning opportunities. Whether or not you know it, your children already sees you as their emotion coach. So here are five steps to start honing your coaching skills. Listen. Pay attention to your child or teen. What are they… Read More →
Stress and The Brain
Too Much, Too Little, and the Resilience Sweet Spot
As a culture, we are obsessed with stress and the brain –“Stress Free in 40 Days!”– “Go On Vacation and Leave Stress Behind!” say the advertisements. You can buy stress busters, stress exterminators, and stress eradicators. Yet one out of five children report worrying “a great deal” or “a lot.” Millenials (young adults ages 18-33)… Read More →
How to Build Your Child’s Self-Regulation at The Dining Room Table
“You have to finish what’s on your plate before you can have dessert.” It’s something that many of us likely heard as children, and have possibly even used with our own kids. Wanting our children to learn not to be wasteful (or ungrateful) with their food is understandable, but it turns out that ultimatums like… Read More →
Another Take on the Marshmallow Experiment
Why Trust is a Critical Ingredient in Self-Control
“Moot!” my son exclaimed happily. “More moot!” In order to make sure that he got his message through to me he proudly showed me his empty milk glass. I reassured him that I would return to the dining room with more milk after I checked in on dinner simmering on the stove. For a thirsty… Read More →
3 Ways to Practice Executive Function Skills at Home
We just wrote a post about executive function and how important these skills are for our kids success in school and in life. Here are some tips for giving your kids lots of practice: Help your child build a framework: Helping your child set attainable goals and breaking tasks into achievable steps helps build executive… Read More →