How can we help our kids reach their highest potential?

Gratitude

By far, the attribute that gives the most peace and joy to a person is gratitude. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, according to studies done at Harvard Medical School .Being thankful has been studied and is shown to change the brain, according to research done by  the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. A daily practice of gratitude can model to your child a more joyful and contented spirit in you. Practicing this with your child will instill these values. I know for me, I did not learn the practice of gratitude until adulthood.  Now practicing it for many years, I see its positive effects on my children.

Empathy

Empathy is compassion in action! Understanding how someone feels is an important part of developing an amazing little human. Demonstrating empathy means caring about someone's point of view, or walking in someone's shoes figuratively speaking. Empathy is well-studied in science and psychology. Empathy plays a critical role,  inter-personally, as well as collectively in society, by allowing sharing of experiences and needs between individuals and creating a bridge that promotes pro-social behavior.

Responsibility

Developing responsible adults by teaching responsibility when raising children is a rewarding endeavor. According to research, there are three necessary tools to help children be responsible: communicating expectations to your child, being a good role model, and offering choices when giving children tasks.   

(Becca's Recs)

*I recommend reading "The Book of Virtues" by William J. Bennett, which guided me when I was raising my first two sons. It's a bit of a read, but I found that it helped me learn to impart moral character in my boys! This book is available on Amazon and many bookstores around the country.*

Coping Skills

In today's world, our children are bombarded by many pressures and stressors that we as children may not have had.  We may not have been taught coping skills when we were young. Today more than ever, we need to foster the tools necessary to cope when our children are presented with difficult situations.  

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an amazing concept being studied and implemented in education, psychology, state and even the business world. Mindfulness can be achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.  

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is an important part of raising an emotionally healthy child. Promoting self-regulation with your child will help your child have control over his or her emotions, responses, and behavior. This skill extends into the academic development of a child as well. This will serve your child by giving him or her the ability to be the "Master" of him or herself.

Social Skills at Home

In my work in the schools, I run social skills groups and have seen the power they have in helping children master their emotions and their responses toward others. Social skills also spill over to other areas of child development, including academic success.  In this time of pandemic, social skills are still important, even though your child is being educated at home during school closures.

Social Skills in the Community

By teaching social skills at home, these skills have a greater possibility to transfer over to your child's interaction with the community. This includes teaching empathy, coping skills, manners, and conversational skills.

Virtual Resources (Becca's Recs)

*There are many online tools available to help children learn pro-social behaviors. There is a great podcast my children and I listen to, and that I promote to my students at the school I work at. It is called "Imagine Neighborhood." You can listen to it here!*

Developmental Milestones

Cognitive development begins at conception. Throughout pregnancy, infancy, and throughout childhood, cognitive development is taking place.  Having adequate nutrition both in utero and throughout early childhood can affect a child's brain development.  In addition, the interaction and bonds that parents form with their child affect cognitive development.

Support Your Child's Cognition

The more we interact with our children, the more their brains are stimulated. Simple activities such as reading to your child, talking with your child, singing with your child, and playing games and doing puzzles, are just some of the many examples of how you can promote your child's optimum cognitive development.

Developmental Milestones

Parents often ask about milestones in development, including physical development. Click here for some great information for physical developmental milestones.

Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids

Creating healthy habits means many things! Hydration,  good healthy food, and plenty of exercise will serve your child not only in childhood but throughout their lifespan. Building a healthy body in childhood transcends long-term. 

Support Your Child's Physical Development

Setting goals with your child to be healthy and strong is a great way to build your relationship with your child. Setting goals on hydration, eating fruits and vegetables at every meal time, and getting exercise daily, will help guide your child into habits that will last a lifetime! 

Stress affects our ability to focus our attention on our children, our motivation to spend adequate quality time with our children and even our ability to find it rewarding. This takes place because when we are feeling stressed the higher parts of our brain (the frontal lobe in particular) are less available and we rely, instead, on the lower portions of the brain, which functions more automatically, and is more reactive in nature. This takes place unconsciously.

A parent who is feeling very stressed is much more likely to shout angrily at a child because impulse control, reasoning and the ability to calmly respond, all of which are higher brain functions, are less available. As parents become increasingly stressed, then, the characteristics we associate with effective parenting become harder to access. 

Managing stress at home is an important part of raising an amazing and healthy kid. It is important to intentionally lower stress in your home. Having a healthy and positive outlook is the first step in minimizing stress in the home.

Please see this wonderful organization for information on how to support families when there is a health crisis such as cancer. Support, Counseling, Groups and many other resources to help children and family members in this difficult time.

 https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/resources/children/ 

Please see this organization which assists and provides resources and help to parents that have experienced birth injuries.

www.childbirthinjuries.com