Mindful Moments Blog

Happy father and his son building with blocks.

Mindful Moments Blog

How to Use a Feeling Chart for Adults in Positive Parenting

by Guest Author on Aug 03 2023
Unlock emotional well-being with a feeling chart for adults. Enhance awareness, communication, and resilience with mood charts and emotion charts.
3 Effective Ways to Separate Your Identity From Your Emotions

Mindful Moments Blog

3 Effective Ways to Separate Your Identity From Your Emotions

by Rebecca Eanes on May 02 2022
Whatever you are facing today, I hope you know you are more than your current struggle. You are fierce and brave. You are enough. You are a warrior.
Meditating mama

Mindful Moments Blog

Undone

by Suzanne Tucker on May 01 2022
What if I was done? Complete. Leaving me incomplete. Longing to be a work in progress. Round around the edges. Potential yet realized.
Pretending To Be Calm Is Not Helping Our Children

Mindful Moments Blog

Pretending To Be Calm Is Not Helping Our Children

by Rebecca Eanes on Apr 11 2022
Many of us believe that if we can remain calm no matter what and teach our children to do the same then we have successfully mastered self-regulation. But true regulation has nothing to do with achieving a certain state. It's in noticing and responding to whatever emotion you are feeling.
Words Matter - Crossing out dismissive phrases in kid's story books

Mindful Moments Blog

Words Matter: Adjusting Popular Books and Songs to Align with Positive Parenting Strategies

by Ashley Patek on Mar 14 2022
Our words matter. Children receive messages from all around them and this includes the books, songs, and stories we share with them. Sometimes those messages are affirming and sometimes they are dismissive. Read how to make your words count to nourish your child's social-emotional skills.
6 Ways To Successfully Co-Parent With Your Ex

Mindful Moments Blog

6 Ways To Successfully Co-Parent With Your Ex

by Ashley Patek on Jan 10 2022
How do we co-parent with our ex when we have differing views and parenting philosophies, and how do we keep our kids from being in the middle?
Gratitude Builds The Brain For Emotional Intelligence

Mindful Moments Blog

Gratitude Builds The Brain For Emotional Intelligence

by Ashley Patek on Nov 22 2021
Whether we are thanking our spouse, our kids, Mother Nature, or receiving thanks in return, gratitude in any form can help stabilize emotions, help us parent from our center, and offer our children the safety and connection to learn and grow. 
Emotional Intelligence: How To Discipline A Toddler Without Time-Outs

Mindful Moments Blog

Emotional Intelligence: How To Discipline A Toddler Without Time-Outs

by Ashley Patek on Oct 20 2021
Tantrums happen but parents can help children handle their big emotions. Here's how to discipline a toddler with a supportive, long-term approach that nurtures emotional intelligence.
Speaking Your Child's Meltdown Language

Mindful Moments Blog

Speaking Your Child's Meltdown Language

by Ashley Patek on Jul 14 2021
Understand the biology of a meltdown and how to speak your child's unique meltdown language.
8 Ways To De-escalate Your Child's Tantrums

Mindful Moments Blog

8 Ways To De-escalate Meltdowns With Your Child

by Ashley Patek on Mar 08 2021
Teens and toddlers alike can demonstrate aggressive or uncooperative behaviors from time to time as influenced by big emotions and neurological overwhelm. De-escalation tools help parents defuse a situation and help their child calm and regulate their system.
Our Kids Are Listening Even When They Don't Seem Like It

Mindful Moments Blog

Our Kids Are Listening Even When They Don't Seem Like It

by Ashley Patek on Nov 23 2020
I was starting to lose hope that my three-year-old was actually absorbing anything when I talked to him about emotions or attempted to elicit empathy after he hit or kicked another in a fit of rage. But then this happened, and I realized he had been listening after all. 
Why Time-Outs Increase Power Struggles

Mindful Moments Blog

Why Time-Outs Increase Power Struggles

by Ashley Patek on Oct 30 2020
When your child misbehaves, how do you respond? Here is why Time-Outs increase power struggles and what you can do instead. 
Children sharing feelings with SnuggleBuddies during classroom morning meeting

Mindful Moments Blog

Morning Meetings and Connecting a Classroom

by Ashley Patek on Jan 30 2020
A the school counselor shares how her school transformed its classroom culture by using SnuggleBuddies plush toys to teach students about their emotions. 
Waiting

Mindful Moments Blog

Waiting

by Suzanne Tucker on Jan 09 2020
For the mamas out there whose hearts know the sharp sting and then the long deep ache of miscarriage, I see you. I feel your heart and I want you to know that you are not alone. Here is my life's story - our joys, our sadness and, most of all, our waiting.
Mother swinging her child

Mindful Moments Blog

Types of Parenting Styles: Finding Yours and Why It Matters

by Alex Petrou on Dec 27 2019
There are four types of parenting styles and each impacts how your child develops. Learn which one you use and the research behind how they affect kids.
The Gift Of Life And One Mama's Fight For Her Son

Mindful Moments Blog

The Gift Of Life And One Mama's Fight For Her Son

by Ashley Patek on Dec 09 2019
A mother's devotion to finding a cure for her son's rare kidney disease and to helping him manage his big feelings along the way.
A man kissing his pregnant wife's belly

Mindful Moments Blog

Dear Daughter: A Spoken Word Poem

by Alex Petrou on Nov 29 2019
Grab your tissues. This heartfelt video captures the love and prayers one father carries for his unborn child: "The pain and the pleasure, they are buried treasure. Get your hands dirty..." - Kurt Peloquin
Child reading a book in classroom's Calming Corner

Mindful Moments Blog

Preschool Teacher Creates Calming Corner to Teach Students About Emotions

by Ashley Patek on Nov 26 2019
In a nook in the back near the teacher’s desk, a cozy, safe place exists. It is a place to explore feelings. A place to regulate. A place to take a break and just be. Welcome to Emily Brown’s preschool classroom. Emily is a teacher dedicated to helping her students learn about, notice and practice their emotions.
Mindful Parenting and How It Affects Children

Mindful Moments Blog

Mindful Parenting and How It Affects Children

by Alex Petrou on Nov 01 2019
What is mindful parenting? Learn the benefits and practices of this positive parenting style and how you can integrate it into your child's life.
An open letter to you, my toddler: "I get It."

Mindful Moments Blog

An open letter to you, my toddler: "I get It."

by Suzanne Tucker on Sep 14 2019
2
I get it. I get all of it. The screams, the tears, the tantrums. Your bottom lip drops and your eyes brim with emotions. Sometimes you even turn away from me. That one rips my heart in two. Then the sun will peek through and the smiles will come...