The Day My Daughter’s Self-Compassion Eclipsed My Own
It was such a beautiful moment... Hello friends, I had a beautiful and humbling moment with my older daughter, Maya. We were standing in the kitchen talking about her cross country training. Ranked #3 in the state for her division, Maya shared how her response to her...
Helping Kids with Big Feelings: What I Wish I’d Known as a Parent
When Maya was little, the hardest part of my day wasn’t mornings or bedtime…it was the walk from her classroom to the car. Almost every afternoon, she’d melt down. Sometimes over something specific, sometimes over nothing I could put my finger on.
How to Help Kids with Big Emotions: Playful Self-Compassion Tools
I first learned about self-compassion while helping my daughter, Maya, navigate her big emotions. Initially, I was frantically trying to put an end to her meltdowns—because honestly, kids’ feelings can be exhausting, for them and for us as parents!
Five Habits to Help Kids Be Resilient
I’m excited to share an article I recently wrote for Greater Good Magazine: Five Habits to Help Kids Be Resilient.This piece features the updated Resilience Animal Quiz to help you discover which habit comes most naturally to you, along with a sneak peek of a new comic from Volume 2 of the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids.
Support for You and the Kids You Care About—even While I’m Away
While I’m away from teaching live this month, I still want to offer support. It’s something I’ve thought about often: what happens when your desire to learn doesn’t fit with a class schedule? How can I continue to share the tools of mindful self-compassion, even when our calendars don’t align?
More than One Feeling
As you read this, I am on my way to Costa Rica—chaperoning my younger daughter’s 8th grade Spanish class trip! I know it’s a gift to be a part of this amazing field trip….and it’s 10 days of eating all my meals in a big group and traveling around with 40 middle school students (we got on the bus to go to the airport at 1:00 AM).
Five Signs that Your Child May be Struggling with Shame
In a recent podcast interview, I was asked an important question: What are signs that a child needs self-compassion?
Befriending Anger
Last Friday we celebrated the 4th of July in the US. For those who celebrate, did you feel a mix of feelings? Personally, I felt a big mix—happiness for good things (like friends and family), outrage and despair about some of the things happening on the political landscape of this country, and exhaustion. Each of us may have had our own mix, and all of the feelings belong.
Break the Cycle
We all have wounds that we consciously or unconsciously carry, and unless we take steps to heal ourselves, these wounds are passed down to the next generation. For me, self-compassion was key to healing my wounds and empowering my kids to do the same.
A Book Club for Your Inner Child
I have long been delighted by the many ways caregivers use the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids, including parent-child pairs, school groups, kids in private therapy sessions, and even parenting groups! Lately I’ve been hearing about another deeply touching use: healing (or simply playing with) your inner child. ?