Mindful Moments Blog

3 Bunny Brain Breaks To Increase Emotional Regulation And Academic Learning

Mindful Moments Blog

3 Bunny Brain Breaks To Increase Emotional Regulation And Academic Learning

by Ashley Patek on Apr 04 2022
Multi-sensory movements specific to eye-teaming, hand-eye coordination, and whole-body awareness changes the architecture of the brain, bolstering social-emotional and academic learning. Here are 3 Bunny Brain Breaks to do with your kiddos this spring (Free Printable!). 
Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Learning Starts At Home

by Ashley Patek on Mar 07 2022
Students who are self-aware and able to understand their emotions have a greater ability to relate to others, make decisions, and excel academically. Here is how to help your child develop social-emotional skills at home. 
Social-Emotional Learning Is Key in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mindful Moments Blog

Social-Emotional Learning Is Key in the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Rebecca Eanes on Mar 07 2022
Social-emotional instruction has been proven beneficial during normal times; it is now an urgent need. Here are 5 SEL activities for the classroom and 5 for home. Together, we can bridge the school to home gap. 
3 Effective Ways to Create a Peaceful Home Life

Mindful Moments Blog

3 Effective Ways to Create a Peaceful Home Life

by Rebecca Eanes on Feb 28 2022
Want to create a home with less yelling, power struggles, and chaos - a home that has more peace? Then these are your three ingredients.
Children Don't Have Standardized Minds. Let's Quit Testing Them As If They Do.

Mindful Moments Blog

Children Don't Have Standardized Minds. Let's Quit Testing Them As If They Do.

by Ashley Patek on Feb 21 2022
Our kids who are daydreaming or squirming in their seats or not listening or who show poor impulse control are being told that they are not behaving in ways that conform to the classroom. But perhaps their brain is not built for the standardized classroom. What if school looked like this instead?
Is Rushing Academics Detrimental To The Developing Brain?

Mindful Moments Blog

Is Rushing Academics Detrimental To The Developing Brain?

by Ashley Patek on Feb 07 2022
How do children best learn, and what happens when academics are the focus of pre-school and kindergarten? This study gives us some pretty telling answers. 
I Am Not Mad. I Am Feeling Mad. And There Is A Difference.

Mindful Moments Blog

I Am Not Mad. I Am Feeling Mad. And There Is A Difference.

by Ashley Patek on Nov 08 2021
Our identity is not the way we feel. The way we feel is a state of being. Here's why that's important (spoiler alert - it affects your child's brain development), and strategies for adults and children to balance their emotions.
Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

Mindful Moments Blog

Quit Pathologizing Children’s Stress

by Ashley Patek on Oct 07 2021
Research has shown that children who feel unsafe and disconnected cannot learn. Why is this and what can we do as parents and educators? 
Nurturing A Natural Love For Learning

Mindful Moments Blog

Nurturing A Natural Love For Learning

by Ashley Patek on Aug 30 2021
How do you nurture curious risk-takers who love to learn? It starts here.
Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

Mindful Moments Blog

Behavior is A Symptom, Not The Problem

by Ashley Patek on Aug 16 2021
Behavior is a symptom, not the problem. And when we focus solely on the symptom, the problems causing these behaviors remain unsolved, and they stack up. So, how do we transform challenging behaviors at home and in the classroom?
School Culture Affects Black Student Achievement

Mindful Moments Blog

School Culture Affects Black Student Achievement

by Selina Armstrong on Jul 28 2021
As students prepare to return to school this fall, there are many things for parents and educators to consider. We are still in the midst of a pandemic and living in an environment where racial disparities are being brought to the forefront where they can no longer be swept under the rug to be ignored, tolerated, or forgotten.  
Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

Mindful Moments Blog

Post-Pandemic Schools Need More Than Academics

by Traci Esposito on Jul 22 2021
Post-pandemic children have a lot to adjust to. And there is no cookie-cutter response because the mental health of our children is not one-dimensional. There is a spectrum of feelings and emotional stress taking a seat in the classroom this year. Here are some tools for nurturing social-emotional learning (SEL). 
The Stories Kids Want To Tell About COVID

Mindful Moments Blog

The Stories Kids Want To Tell About COVID

by Rebecca Eanes on Jul 19 2021
Our children grew up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their brains developed in quarantine. Their bodies changed in lockdown. They are emerging from this as different people, and the impact it had on them is yet to be told. Here are 4 things we can do to support our children’s social-emotional health this school year ...
Play-based tool to reduce stress in the classroom

Mindful Moments Blog

A Play-Based Solution To Reducing Stress In The Classroom

by Guest Author on Mar 25 2021
How can educators bring mindfulness practices into their classrooms? This educator shares tips and ideas for playful mindful minutes that can be added into the school day.
Preschooler Teaches Her Younger Sister About Emotions While Learning To Manage Her Own

Mindful Moments Blog

Preschooler Teaches Her Younger Sister About Emotions While Learning To Manage Her Own

by Ashley Patek on Mar 11 2021
The last thing Kelly wanted was another gimmick for a tired, worn-out parent. She was overwhelmed and out of ideas on how to manage her daughters' meltdowns. But then something amazing happened ... her oldest daughter taught her youngest daughter how to use a feelings chart. 
Feeding The Senses Helps Regulate Emotions: Part 2

Mindful Moments Blog

Feeding The Senses Helps Regulate Emotions: Part 2

by Ashley Patek on Jan 09 2021
Sensory diets are one way to incorporate alerting or calming sensory activities to regulate the nervous system, and because every child is unique, so too is every sensory diet. Here are 9 things to consider when designing a sensory diet: 
What Teachers Are Thinking and Feeling About Returning To School This Year

Mindful Moments Blog

What Teachers Are Thinking and Feeling About Returning To School This Year

by Ashley Patek on Aug 25 2020
With fall approaching, parents and educators are looking to the next school year and wondering what’s best for everyone involved.
kids arm and arm

Mindful Moments Blog

Children Need Less Academics and More Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom

by Ashley Patek on Jul 09 2020
Starting school or starting a new school year can be stressful at the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic.
Girl reading a school book

Mindful Moments Blog

School After COVID: What Parents Are Saying

by Ashley Patek on Jun 19 2020
Last March, school districts across the country closed due to COVID, and more than 55 million children were sent home to finish their school year.
Raising Mindful Children During The Age Of Black Lives Matter

Mindful Moments Blog

Raising Awake Children in the Age of Black Lives Matter

by Ashley Patek on Jun 04 2020
Our country is standing at a pivoting point. #BlackLivesMatter is the anthem and our nation is singing in the face of injustice. For all lives to matter, black lives must matter.