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Growth Mindset

Kids getting on school bus

Back to School Priorities

“How are you feeling about going back to school?” I asked my youngest over breakfast. “I’m excited!” he responded quickly. I was grateful for the enthusiasm but realized that there might be more to the story.  Sure enough, the same child was on the verge of emotional collapse five minutes later. He was beside himself…  Read More

Young people holding hands navigating stress

A Mindset For Teens That Embraces (Some) Stress

​​Math was by far my favorite subject in elementary school. Other subjects required more effort. But math felt comfortable and full of ease. It felt great when others offered praised for my “natural” math abilities. This was all well and good until my eighth grade geometry class. I was completely lost from the moment I…  Read More

Young child looking up into her parent's face.

Kids Don’t Need Perfect Role Models. They Need You.

And Your In-Progress Imperfections.

“All of this talk of modeling always feels like so much pressure!” a parent recently shared with me.  “What do you mean?” I responded. “I just feel like the knowledge that my kids are watching and listening all the time means that I really need to have things together. Which… I definitely don’t feel like…  Read More

Back to School Emotional Toolkit

Whether your child is heading back to school in person, online or via a hybrid model, the school year looks and feels different. Stress levels are high, uncertainty reigns, and routines that usually anchor us during transitions are absent. Amidst all this uncertainty, it would be easy to focus our attention on the most tangible…  Read More

Child doing distance learning on a laptop during COVID-19 pandemic

Distance Learning: Kids Need Parents and Teachers on the Same Team

Five Things to Keep In Mind As You Get Started

Teachers, parents, and families everywhere are scrambling to bring teaching and learning online. Administrators are working hard to find ways to provide food and technology to families who need them. Caregivers are juggling full time work, the strain of job loss, or the stress of working on the front lines at the same time that…  Read More

Child experiencing anxiety and worry

Stress in Children

Helping Kids and Teens Handle Worry

I was recently asked to try to go back to my own childhood and try to remember the things that I worried most about when I was young. Closing my eyes, it didn’t take me long to channel my inner child and generate a robust list of worries that ranged from, “my basement” to, “an…  Read More

Practical Parenting Tips for Growth Mindset

Growth mindset isn’t just about praise “My daughter is working hard and I am proud of her perseverance, but at the end of the day her performance isn’t necessarily improving. Do I just keep praising her? This growth mindset stuff doesn’t seem to be working.” These are the words of a parent who attended a…  Read More

Four kids going back to school with their backpacks at their feet

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

Children running through obstacles on ground.

Why Positive Thinking Needs Obstacles to Work

I vividly remember a youth hockey coach once asked me to do some positive thinking before a big game, “Imagine that there are no obstacles standing in your way. You are fast and powerful and nothing is between you and the net.” Even with my eyes closed in the locker room, I could practically hear…  Read More

One red crayon pulled out of box above the rest symbolizing perfectionism

Help Your Child Overcome Perfectionism

“I’m not going to basketball practice next week,” Troy announced to his dad just before leaving for school. “The coach is stupid and I don’t like the other guys that much anyway.” “But you’ve been excited to play on the high school team for years and you just made the team!” he replied. “Well I…  Read More