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Q: Should young children practice mindfulness? Dr. Donna Housman: “To start, it’s important to make a distinction between mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness involves focusing one’s awareness on the present moment – on one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. This allows us to be more aware of not only our self but also of the people around us. In so […]
When circumstances are uncertain and unknown, they naturally create anxiety and stress. When situations are changing significantly and dramatically with schools and businesses closing and social distancing becoming the new norm, fear and anxiety may set in. When our life goes off course as new rules and regulations are being put into effect, robbing us […]
With all of the anxiety surrounding COVID-19 and the constant news alerts, we at Housman Institute & begin to ECSEL thought it might be helpful to compile a list of tips on how to discuss coronavirus with your children: 1. Focus on helping your child feel SAFE. Children can sense your anxiety, so try to maintain a calm environment […]
At the Housman Institute, we recognize the profound importance of building the foundation for emotional intelligence in children from birth. Our begin to ECSEL program helps children recognize, understand, regulate and express their emotions in a healthy way that sets them up for a lifetime of well-being, mental health and success. Within our program, we […]
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we here at Housman Institute are reflecting on gratitude and what it means for the development of emotional intelligence in young children. As Robert Emmons, Ph.D. the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. a professor of psychology and founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, has discovered when people regularly […]
November marks World Kindness Day, observed for over twenty years in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. Through the begin to ECSEL program, overseen by Housman Institute, Beginnings School has been actively promoting kindness since our inception, not only because of its societal importance but also because of […]
This month, The Boston Globe published an article about how childhood misbehavior is an essential stepping stone in the development of emotional intelligence. The unique, evidence-based begin to ECSEL program was born out of the realization of how important emotional intelligence is for lifelong learning, mental health, well-being and success. The Globe article identifies several cultural factors that may […]
Given the accelerating pace of change around the globe, it is no surprise that the world of schooling, and more specifically, early education, is also undergoing massive transformations. As new technologies appear on the market and trickle down into classrooms, educators must be prepared to empower today’s students to take advantage of these advancements as […]
Parents are a child’s first teacher and children’s earliest years are critical for their lifelong development, well-being and mental health. The earliest years of life represent the most sensitive and rapid period of brain growth and development. Housman Institute stands together with Infant Mental Health Professionals in Massachusetts who are critically concerned and deeply opposed […]
Happy, sad, angry and afraid. Understanding the Four Primary Emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, and Afraid These four primary emotions are universal to all human beings, regardless of age. They are a shared, human, and real aspect of our existence. Furthermore, these emotions play a pivotal role in our lifelong learning, well-being, and success. The Importance […]
Caregivers, educators, and policy makers are imperative for young children’s development of emotional, cognitive, and social skills. Specifically, self-regulation—defined by Adele Diamond as the ability to control and manage emotion, cognition, and behavior—is an emotional, cognitive, and social competence essential for healthy growth and development. Self-regulation emerges from co-regulation, whereby caregivers support, instruct, reinforce, and […]
This blog discusses the reasons why Causal Talk (CT) and Causal Talk in the Emotional Experience (CTEE) is important to employ in social, emotional, and cognitive early learning. As early childhood educators, we have a duty to arm children with the skills needed to thrive—most importantly, social and emotional competencies. A powerful way to promote […]
Communication allows us to connect with others through expressions of thought, feeling, and desire. We engage with actors on the big screen, empathize with characters in a gripping novel, and lament our friend’s pain as they share their struggles. The combination of words, tone, body language, and touch empower us to convey messages. As young […]
Neuroscientific advances demonstrate that the age range from zero to 5 years old represents a critical window for both learning and teaching, which must involve the development of emotional competence and the growth of self-regulation as a foundation for long-term academic, personal, and social success, promoting mental health and well-being. Read the full research study here!
Anxiety is a growing issue facing American adolescents today. Benoit Denizet-Lewis, writer for the New York Times Magazine, recently published an article illuminating the pressures facing our youth, depicting gripping personal accounts of anxiety. What was not illuminated is just how young children are being affected. The reality is that children as young as preschoolers […]
Constructing a foundation of emotional success is now widely understood to provide the building blocks toward academic and life-long success. Nine school districts in Massachusetts, in apparent recognition of the outcomes that such instruction can bring, recently collaborated to implement emotional intelligence curricula for their students. While our state should be commended for being cognizant […]
