How to Manage Post-Helene Emotional Toll
Boston, Mass.–Hurricane Helene left catastrophic damage and loss, including the loss of lives, in its wake. As response and recovery efforts are underway, it’s important also to consider the emotional toll the storm has taken on you and your loved ones.
Using Scenario-Based Teaching & Storytelling to Support Children’s Emotional Intelligence
In my decades of experience working with children and in the early childhood education field, one thing is clear – children love stories. Not only listening to them, reading them, and exploring the pictures on the pages, but the opportunity to share their own stories (and feelings) with anyone who will listen. When it comes […]
The “As Children Develop” Series Part I: Infants 0-3 Milestones and Activities
There is no faster time of brain development than from zero to three, and some of the most formative experiences that have lifelong consequences occur in early childhood. Because of this period of expedited development, babies’ and young children’s needs vary during these early years. That’s why I’m going to focus on age-by-age information during […]
Back-to-School For Many Will Look Different Than Other Years
Each back-to-school season comes with the typical jitters and excitement; however, this year is unique in that it’s the first time pandemic babies and young children are school-aged. The New York Times¹ recently wrote an article highlighting how the pandemic affected babies’ and young children’s development–with many of them experiencing higher than average developmental challenges. The reason: isolation and […]
Helping Children Navigate Big Changes with “Franklin’s World Takes a Turn”
I’m thrilled that we’ve released the fifth book in the ECSELent Adventures series, “Franklin’s World Takes a Turn.” Each book in the series addresses topical developmental issues by helping children explore their emotions, relationships, and the world around them. Each book is designed with support to scaffold learning around familiar topics children encounter while also […]
Mindfulness & Breathing in Classrooms are First Steps in Addressing Children’s Mental Health, Not the Whole Solution
During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the New York Times ran a piece entitled “Are We Talking Too Much About Mental Health?” In the article, the journalist cited some research that pointed to the possibility of overdoing coursework in emotional learning and mindfulness. The article explained, “…two research psychologists at the University of Oxford, Lucy Foulkes […]
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Let’s Focus on Connection
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a month where we raise awareness about the importance of mental health and ways to support mental well-being. At Housman Institute, emotional well-being and mental health are central to all of our efforts. In my last blog post, we took a look at a New York Times article that explored chronic absenteeism […]
Absenteeism and Behavioral Issues Are Only a Few Effects of Emotional Dysregulation
The New York Times1 recently explored chronic absenteeism in K–12 students since the pandemic, finding it has spiked and delving into the reasons and statistics. Alarmingly, many of the children have stayed home due to anxiety, other mental health issues, illnesses other than COVID, and to support their families, among other reasons. A Texas mother shared […]
Celebrating Emotional Intelligence Everyday
Emotional Intelligence Day is recognized on June 6th to promote the importance of nurturing self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication. Here at Housman Institute, we’re dedicated to promoting the building blocks of emotional intelligence all day, every day. We believe that educators and parents should be equipped with the tools they need to support children’s emotions in […]
Preventing Bullying by Embracing Differences Through the Art of Storytelling
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela Children are […]
Bringing in 2024 by Navigating the Path to Becoming our Better Selves Through Emotional Intelligence
Each year we think in earnest about how to become our better selves when traversing questions having to do with our bodies, our minds, and our souls. Whether it be about weight, knowledge, spiritual engagement or our relating and relationships. But what about our emotions – the instrumental force driving our thinking, our behavior, and […]
New Year, New Way of Showing-up
We often talk about how children develop within the context of relationships and that they thrive when surrounded by responsive and empathic caregivers and educators. However, we all know that knowing is one thing–doing is another. We all get distracted and, at times, bogged down by the hustle and bustle of life and the obligations we must fulfill. […]
The Holiday Season is Full of Feelings from Happy to Hurtful: Prepare Yourself for All Emotions the Season Brings
Holiday season is expected to be the most joyous time of the year–filled with laughter and cherished moments. Let’s take the ‘h’ in “holiday” and consider what feelings we think of during this time. We typically think of happiness as the first emotional response when contemplating the holiday season. Other positive ‘h’ feelings we think […]
Building Emotional Intelligence through Play-Based Learning
The mind of a child is an amazing thing. During the first three years of life, their brains develop rapidly, creating 1 million new neural connections per second 1. It is during this sensitive period that positive emotionally intelligent experiences lay the foundation for future growth and learning. And what is one of the best ways to […]
The Art of Bibliotherapy: How Riley’s Really Big Worries Supports Children’s Emotional Development
I recently spoke with Dr. Melissa Rampelli who writes for Psychology Today about the importance of bibliotherapy, or “the use of books as a form of treatment,” to improve emotional well being and mental health in children’s development. Melissa had seen Housman Institute’s work and cited the necessity of causal talk, conversations about emotions between adults and children, […]
The U.S. is Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis, Let’s Remember to Take Care of Ourselves
Recently, we’ve seen an alarming report from the CDC that in 2022 that the United States reached a record number of suicides at more than 46,000 lives lost to suicide. The rate of suicides increased between 2011 and 2021 among 10- to 24-year-olds by 60%. It’s clear that we remain in a mental health crisis, and […]