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Parent-Teacher conferences offer the opportunity to build a supportive, collaborative relationship with your child’s teacher and bring up any questions or concerns you might have about your child’s academic, social, and emotional development. Use these four tips to foster a strong community around your child’s education and well-being, as well as to foster a compassionate partnership with your child’s teacher.
Read MoreNavigating and understanding emotions is a journey, and giving your child the space and language to express themselves can help them navigate the ups and downs of life in the future.
Read MoreA Relationship Map is a visual tool that helps children identify the adults at school who can offer support and guidance. By creating this map together, parents and caregivers can empower children to feel confident and prepared to tackle any challenges that may come their way.
Read MoreThe home stretch of summer has begun, and for many kids, school may be starting in just a week or two. The end of the summer can bring many emotions (for kids and parents alike), and the best way to support kids in feeling safe and secure with a big transition is to feel comfortable with it yourself. One of the most important parts of navigating this busy time lies in thoughtful preparation. These three tips can help parents and caregivers confidently step into a new school year, ease the stress, and tune into feelings of excitement for a new chapter.
Read MoreBack-to-school this year comes with a milestone for my family: my 12-year-old is heading to middle school. He’ll be taking a city bus to and from his new school, which is across town from where we live. It’s a simultaneously thrilling and terrifying prospect that has raised a nagging question: Is it time for a smartphone?
Read MoreDaily challenges that children face range from navigating illness, trying to make friends at a new school, struggling to understand a new concept at skill, or experiencing deep grief from the loss of a loved one. As a parent, it can be tempting to solve our children’s problems and remove the stressors from their lives. These three tips can help you support your child in developing resilience and confidence amidst adversity.
Read MoreIt’s summer! A time for relaxation, exploration, and a well-deserved break from the school routine. But just like children’s academic skills can regress during this period (the dreaded "summer slide"), social-emotional skills and mental health can also take a dip. Here are 5 tips for preventing the summer SEL slide and promoting family wellbeing.
Read MoreMany fathers in the United States said they felt closer to their children—spending more time and better-quality time with them—during the coronavirus pandemic than they did before the pandemic began in early 2020. Now, as we approach Father’s Day a little more than a year after the World Health Organization declared the end of the pandemic, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on these relationships.
Read MoreCaring for ourselves and our children is a stressful job. From the number of decisions we make each day, to navigating work, health, and schooling, a parent’s to-do-list is neverending. Even though experiencing stress isn’t enjoyable, it’s important to remember that everyone experiences stress. Exploring ways to better understand and manage your stress can strengthen your connection and relationship with your child.
Read MoreCollege isn’t the only path to success, and it’s important for the adults in teens’ lives—family members, teachers, coaches, and others—to acknowledge the value of diverse paths that don’t include four-year degree. Here are 20 questions to ask soon-to-be graduates that celebrate a wider range of options for life after high school.
Read MoreEvery year, Mother's Day prompts a flurry of Hallmark card purchases, brunch reservations, and frantic (maybe even last-minute?) searches for the perfect bouquet. Don't get me wrong—these gestures are lovely and appreciated. But for many moms, the gift they really want isn’t something that can be wrapped. It’s recognition of—and help with—the mostly unseen work that keeps the family ship afloat.
Read MoreThe emotions we experience influence the way we interact with the people we love. As adults, many of us haven’t had the time (or support) to explore our emotions or build healthy coping strategies. Due to busy schedules, dealing with grief, trying to support our family’s financial needs, and so many other challenges that we experience as parents, understanding and navigating our emotions can fall to the bottom of the to-do list.
Read MoreNational Public Radio’s Here & Now checked in with Rick Weissbourd about the importance of family mental health.
Read MorePlanning some spring cleaning? Include your kids! Chores can be about much more than just keeping a tidy house (although a clean space doesn’t hurt). When your kids pitch in, it can help them develop empathy, responsibility, self-efficacy, and confidence. Plus, it can strengthen your connection as a family.
Read MoreAs part of our relationship mapping and mental health initiatives, we’ve been focusing much more of our time on creating resources for educators and caregivers to help them support student mental health. We aim to Increase awareness around mental health for both teens and adult in addition to providing adults with actionable tips and strategies to support their teens, and themselves.
Read MoreParent-teacher conferences are about more than just academic performance. They offer a critical window into your child's social-emotional development and their contributions to their school community. Here are 15 questions, tailored for grades PreK - 12, to guide you in asking these important questions during your next teacher meeting.
Read MoreFor Valentine’s Day, we sat down with our faculty director to talk about love and his research, and specifically, what parents, schools, and communities can do to help young people build fulfilling relationships.
Read MoreWhile it’s important to celebrate your child’s successes, it’s critical not to let these accolades become young people’s measure of a life well lived. One way to do this is to support teens and young adults in developing a deeper and more complex view of life and its meaning—one where achievements have their place, but don't overshadow the value of connection, purpose, and belonging. Here’s how.
Read MoreRick Weissbourd joined Parenting Understood to speak about how parents can reduce achievement pressure for their children by being mindful of the messages they send and by prioritizing children’s well-being over external validation.
Read MoreIf an open, trusting connection with your child seems elusive, the missing ingredient might be something fundamental in parent-child relationships: attunement.
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