I recently finished teaching summer school, and it left me thinking about how much parenting and teaching have in common. Both are beautiful, imperfect places full of humans who don't always get it right. One thing we can strive to create in both is a community that...
There is a simple self-compassion exercise by Dr. Kristin Neff that can produce profound insights for adults and kids alike. It's called "How Would You Treat a Friend?" Let’s try it now. Think about something you have been beating yourself up about lately. Maybe...
Whenever I read about a mindfulness-in-schools study that didn’t have the results researchers were hoping for, my heart sinks a little. I feel a mix of disappointment and confusion because I know mindfulness can be helpful, and we all want to support kids who are...
When kids build their worth on self-esteem, they ride the emotional yo-yo of social comparison. Self-compassion offers something steadier. Many well-meaning parents try to help their kids develop high self-esteem. But self-esteem can be a fickle friend. It's there for...
Recently, my 8th grade daughter had volleyball tryouts. Although she has bumped a volleyball back and forth during PE class, she's never actually had formal volleyball training. Nonetheless, she went to all three days of tryouts and gave it her best effort. On...
Hello friends, The other night I was driving out of town to pick up my daughter, and I was feeling upset. Events outside of my control were weighing heavily on my mind, so I turned on soothing music. But I knew I really needed to give myself compassion. I opened my...
Hello friends, I continue to feel grateful for the conversations unfolding around the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids series—conversations rooted in the real joys and struggles children face as they grow. My writing here will keep returning to those...
Sometimes it's fear. Hello friends! In a recent reflection, I explored motivation for kids. Here, I’d like to explore a common saboteur of motivation—fear—and how it can show up for kids (and us) in surprising ways. A story about Amy (Note: Details about Amy and her...
A reframe that can help parents support kids Hello friends, The other day I heard myself telling my 13-year-old that she “lacked motivation” to do something productive over break. And actually, this conversation didn’t begin over break. Uh-oh, I thought to myself,...
When you don’t know what to say Hello friends, A couple of weeks ago my husband lost his mom, and at first I wasn’t sure how to show up for him. You see, my husband has the chameleon feelings habit, which means he doesn’t like to talk about feelings. Most days, I know...