Our brains are coded with negativity bias to magnify threats, fears, and anxieties for survival. This has been good for humans from an evolutionary perspective.
However, from a mental health perspective, the negativity bias leads to damaging negative self-talk. Children and teens mired in negativity have low self-esteem and are most likely to engage in risky behaviors. In contrast, children and teens with high levels of self-esteem are satisfied with their lives, use healthy coping mechanisms and and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.
This FREE two-page printable is a great tool to counter negativity bias with positive self-talk, encouragement, and increase self-esteem levels in your household. Fill in the form below to get the FREE printable!
How should you deal with feelings? They’re powerful, messy, and complicated. On top of that, you often have to play mind reader to figure out how your child feels AND how to deal with big feelings.
This FREE two-page printable is a quick reference guide to help you figure out what your child needs whenever big, messy feelings arise.
Meet the moment with understanding, love, and compassion. Use this tool to channel the big feelings towards resolution and help your child become self-aware and develop positive coping skills in the process. Fill in the form below to get the FREE printable!
Mindfulness is a coping tool that promotes self-regulation. Practicing mindfulness neutralizes stress, increases cognition, attention, patience, and enjoyment of life. It is a simple but power coping tool (and it’s free!). Being mindful allows children to stay calm under stress, slow down, and find joy.
Teaching children mindfulness from a young age gives them self-regulation tools in the moment and the opportunity to gain mastery at a young age. It’s applications for future use is vast—essentially inoculating them against life stress and difficulties.
This FREE two-page printable is a quick, easy, and child-friendly mindfulness exercise that children and adults can use daily to practice mindfulness. Fill in the form below to get the FREE printable!
Chores give children a sense of capability and self-worth. They also help children develop life skills and executive functioning skills.
What are executive functioning skills?
- Metacognition
- Working Memory
- Attention
- Flexibility
- Perseverance
- Planning
- Organization
- Self-Control
- Task Initiation
- Time Management
Without chores, children’s avenues for developing core life skills and executive functioning skills are limited only to school-based activities. (I think we can all agree that their lives and futures do not end in classroom, they go beyond it.)
This FREE six-page resource is a great way to introduce chores into your home and make it fun. It comes with a list of age-appropriate chores and children can draw in the chores that are assigned to them or adults can laminate the sheet and use a dry-erase marker to change out the chores. Fill in the form below to get the FREE printable!
Routines give children’s lives a sense of normalcy, stability, and predictability. They help children feel safe.
Once established, children thrive on routine because they can always count on what will happen next. (COVID-19 NOTE: Routines are protective against anxiety, fear, and depression because they keep children moving forward.)
This FREE four-page printable establishes morning and evening routines to help children get out the door or into bed quickly and easily. Fill in the form below to get the FREE printable!