SEL Social Emotional Learning Archives

Late Bloomers – Hang in There

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019

I often work with parents of kids who are in their 20’s. When your child has passed the teen years and is not entirely “launched,” the issues become more complex and stressful. We must ask ourselves, what are reasonable and appropriate expectations? How do we set boundaries while managing our parental stress? To begin to answer some of these questions, we, of course, need to understand some of the underlying reasons why the young adult may be in the situation … Read more

A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD

June 21, 2019June 19, 2019

Moms and female professionals often approach me, after my workshops and conferences, and share with me their personal stories of discovering that THEY may have ADHD. The descriptions I give triggers a recognition in them that helps them realize that perhaps many of the challenges, struggles, and frustrations they experienced as girls and adults stem not from just anxiety, depression, or general lack emotional control, but from what we now understand as ADHD. If you are a woman with who … Read more

When School is Out for Summer – Learning Isn’t! The Value of Pre-Teaching

May 7, 2019May 2, 2019

I recently met Brandon Slade, who runs an after-school and summer program for middle and high school students who struggle with ADHD, executive function, and dyslexia. We were discussing the challenges some students have with the pace and level of work they must master, even though they are very bright and capable of learning the required material. He mentioned the importance of giving some students an opportunity to pre-learn so that they can level the playing field. I asked Brandon … Read more

Emotional Intelligence and Learning

May 7, 2019April 17, 2019

Kids are all wired differently – that is why emphasizing Emotional Intelligence and Social Emotional Learning in school is vital. I was hiking with a friend the other day, and we were discussing some of the differences in schooling years ago versus today. It didn’t take long before we got to the issue of stress and expectations placed on kids these days versus back in the ’60s and ’70s. Of course, I realize that many of my readers are now … Read more

Your Kid’s Metacognition & Self-Talk Matters – Here’s How You Can Help

May 9, 2019April 9, 2019

“I’m not good at this.” “It’s too frustrating.” “It’s too hard.” Sound familiar? These comments, whether our kids verbalize their thoughts or they show their emotions in their body language, can send most parents into a combination of sadness, worry, frustration, and sometimes anger. We each have a belief about ourselves concerning the challenges and opportunities we face. And each of these challenges and opportunities congers up different emotions: fear, excitement, boredom, anxiety, frustration, nervousness, etc. Helping our children become aware … Read more

Math Homework Help – What is the best way to help your child?

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019

Actually, it all starts with YOUR own mindset. Can anyone relate to “I’m not good at math” or “I won’t be able to help you with THAT subject”? As those of you who have heard me speak know, our belief about our own intelligence has everything to do with how we approach or avoid, a challenge. Whether consciously or not, our children are always watching us and learning from how we approach our opportunities and challenges. If you are not … Read more