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 Power of Emotional Regulation and Problem-Solving Skills
In classrooms nationally, we are seeing extreme rates of teacher stress and burnout, children navigating anxiety and trauma, behavioral issues, conflicts with peers, and a significant decrease in empathy and prosocial skills. Teachers feel unable to manage their own heightened emotions let alone redirect children’s behaviors or support their big feelings. What all these pieces […]
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 […]
Choosing the Right Childcare Center: A Comprehensive Guide
As a parent, you want to give the best to your children – the best food, the best toys, the best environment, and the best childcare. With the growth of full-time working parents, the demand for childcare is rising and even exceeds the supply of providers nationwide1. Selecting the right childcare center can be a challenging […]
Tips to Prepare Kids for Back to School (& Other BIG Transitions)
The back-to-school season is upon us! Children all over are transitioning from summer schedules to meeting their teachers, making new friends, reuniting with classmates, learning about classroom rules, and getting used to a lot of new routines. ⬇️Be sure to read to the bottom, to get the downloadable Back to School Kit. It has worksheets, templates […]
Back-to-School Jitters or Serious Anxiety and Depression?
In the upcoming weeks, millions of students of all ages will be heading back to school. We all remember those back-to-school jitters, a combination of being excited and nervous about a new school year, but how do we know whether our children are experiencing typical nervousness and anxiety or serious anxiety, and possibly depression, that […]
Nurturing Emotional Intelligence with Literacy | Bookmarks Included
As a former English teacher and mother of two young children, I know literacy and storytelling can be powerful tools to support children’s development of emotional intelligence. In this blog, we will go over the importance of Emotional Intelligence and reading, provide tips for promoting emotional intelligence through books, and share some resources to help […]
School Psychologists Are Only One Piece of the Solution to Address Mental Health Issues
There are consistent reports about the need for more school psychologists. While I agree that there certainly is a need for more of these essential behavioral health experts, they are only one piece of a much larger puzzle. A Systemic Approach to Supporting Mental Health is Needed As a psychologist with more than 35 years […]
Teaching Kindness to Preschoolers: Activities, Lessons and a Free Kit
Kindness is one of the most important skills we can have when it comes to connecting to other human beings. Showing and practicing kindness builds community and spreads care and compassion through helpful, empathetic actions and words. But just like any important skill, kindness needs to be nurtured, cultivated and practiced. This happens best when […]
Reflective Practice in Early Childhood & Childcare: Steps and Examples
Reflective Practice is Housman Institute’s adaptation of Reflective Supervision. It is a process that focuses on self-reflection of one’s experiences, interactions, feelings, reactions, and areas of growth to promote emotional awareness, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Reflective Practice creates an environment that promotes self-reflection, empathy, understanding, support, and both personal and professional growth. This comprehensive overview […]
Mindfulness Activities You Can Do with Young Children
Today is International Yoga Day – a wonderful opportunity to ground ourselves, move our bodies in intentional ways, and introduce young children to the world of mindfulness. While today may serve as a reminder to be mindful, the best outcomes will come from integrating mindfulness opportunities into children’s everyday routines. Mindfulness is all about focusing […]
Improving Teacher-Student Interactions With a Commitment to Emotional Well-Being
I recently attended the NAEYC Professional Learning Institute and led an interactive session on improving Teacher-Child Interactions and addressing head-on many of the challenges teachers and young children have been experiencing over the past several years. It was a dynamic discussion about the importance of emotional intelligence. During the first 1,000 days of a child’s […]