• Family Rituals Create Our Story

    Family rituals and traditions are a positive source of identity for children. They provide a link between themselves and the people they love, a link between themselves and their culture and family history. They are different from simple routines. Routines are regular, moderately consistent process (bedtime, bath time, morning) that help children understand what comes […]

  • Raising a Compassionate Child

    Compassion develops over time as children grow.  We know from research that the desire to help and comfort others comes naturally to us.  Even two-year olds will offer a blankie or pacifier to a crying playmate.  They may not understand why their friend is crying, but they want to help them feel better.  By age […]

  • Encouraging Compassion in the Classroom

    We can build classrooms that foster respect, compassion and deep listening, resulting in spaces where students feel safe and where healthy social skills can emerge. The word compassion comes from the words to be “with suffering.” It is our ability to step into the shoes of another person, to care for them without judgment. It […]

  • Self-Regulation to Grow Engaged Learners

    As educated adults we know that to lead a healthy life we should eat fewer fatty foods, exercise regularly and get enough rest…but we don’t always do it!  That’s because we are all continually developing our self-regulation skills.  Your students are the same.  They may know what to do, but lack the self-regulation skills to […]

  • Growing Children Who Can Calm Themselves

    Self-regulation is defined as the ability to manage your emotions and behavior in accordance with the demands of a situation.  It’s the ability to calm yourself when upset, to resist highly emotional reactions to stressful stimuli, and the ability to handle frustration and adjust to a change in expectation.  Children have varying degrees of self-regulation, […]

  • Routines and Getting Ready for Back to School

    In most families, summertime means a relaxation of schedules and routines. But…here comes the school year!  It’s time to get back into the swing of routines.  More than just getting everyone out the door on time in the morning, routines help young people develop important life skills. Routines provide the external structure that children need […]

  • Back to School and the Importance of Routines

    Routines in the classroom help students feel have a sense of order and stability: they invite a feeling of safety and security. Although setting up routines takes time and energy, once routines are established, you can simply refer to the routine it invites a sense of collaboration from students. “What is next on our schedule?” […]

  • Classroom Jobs

    School is finally out and the start of the new school year is a safe distance away. If you are like most teachers, part of your brain will be thinking about what little things you might improve in your classroom next year and those thoughts will be murmuring at you all summer. One of the […]

  • Family Work

    What have your children done to contribute to your family this week?  We aren’t talking about making their own beds or cleaning up their own toys, but helping out with the work that all families need to do: setting the table, walking the dog, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom. True, as a parent, sometimes it is […]

  • Helping Students Become Their Courageous Selves

    If your school is one that actively teaches character traits or values we hope courage is on your list. Yet, talking about courage or even reading stories about courage doesn’t always help students be able to use their own courage. Instead of focusing on heroism or bravery, we suggest framing courage as becoming your best […]