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 […]
There is a growing appreciation that emotional intelligence is more than a wish list of optimal social skills. Emotional intelligence is a set of competencies that enable you to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others—a critical prerequisite to lifelong learning, relating and relationships, and personal and professional growth. But perhaps the […]
We’re hitting a strange anniversary this month. It’s been a year since the pandemic’s first reported deaths in the U.S., and this week, we crossed the dark threshold of a half-million deaths due to COVID-19. With the vaccinations available to more and more people, there’s a sense of light at the end of the tunnel. […]
2020 has been quite a rollercoaster for us all! This year has tested the best of us and unfortunately meant great pain for so many while the relentless onslaught of troubling news does not seem to be letting up. With a global pandemic, racial injustice, economic hardships, storms, fires, political unrest, where do we look […]
As educators and parents, we know how important routine is for the children we love and care for, but what about our own? The back-and-forth of school environments in 2020 have caused us all to lose our footing. Our new norm is a revolving door of in-person school, Zoom classes, and remote learning with no […]
This year has delivered us one unpredictable blow after the next. Parents, teachers and kids alike, have coped with school closings, travel cancellations, social and political unrest, isolation from friends and family, and an endless barrage of disruption and uncertainty. We all have been forced to pivot and get super creative during these unusual times […]
2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. With an unprecedented and ceaseless string of events from natural disasters, racial and societal injustice and unrest, economic uncertainty, and of course a global pandemic. Stress is on everyone’s doorstep. For those who were already dealing with difficult and anxiety producing experiences, the current […]
Anxiety mounts as teachers plan their return to the in-person classroom. Earlier this week, CNN reported that instead of prepping exciting new curriculums and gathering classroom supplies, many educators are updating their wills. According to a July analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly a quarter of U.S. teachers are at higher risk of severe […]
As we approach mid-summer, many parents are anxiously planning for their children’s return to school. Though going back to school presents a small step towards a sense of normalcy and routine, it also gives rise to many legitimate questions about how to protect your child from COVID-19 when they return to class. Many schools are […]
In some areas of the country, families have been isolating at home for over 3 months. As we enter the summer months, many parents are wondering how to maximize summer fun while staying home and staying safe. As a central tenant of the begin to ECSEL program, educators are instructed to establish a consistent routine […]
For all children, play is a child’s “work” and is essential in developing the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive skills. A wealth of research shows that unstructured play is a fundamental necessity for children to thrive physically, emotionally, mentally and socially. The importance of play is something that I have stressed repeatedly in my […]
While many of life’s enjoyed moments and cherished simple pleasures are being put on hold, that voice in our head continues to call out with moment-to-moment reminders about when we were able to take care of our kids and also to take care of ourselves. The longer we continue to be socially distanced because of […]
Among other important life lessons, this global pandemic is highlighting just how much we depend on social relationships. As social animals, some of us are struggling to establish a new normal while learning how to maintain relationships in this bizarre time of social distancing. Some of us may still be trying to figure out how […]
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 […]
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 […]
