Mindfulness can assist us to pay more attention to our everyday life. In part one of this series, I shared what mindfulness is and how I apply it as a therapist using Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. I also gave an exercise that can explain the concept of mindfulness to children. The following exercise shows us that when… {read more}
Character Building Activities
Open When Cards: Encourage Kids Facing a Challenge
Sonya Lopez is sharing her awesome idea to help encourage a child who is facing a challenge. She says: My daughter is getting a little nervous for her first overnight camp so I made these “open when” cards. They were: Open when: You get to camp. This one was explaining that the “open when” cards are… {read more}
Mindfulness Exercises for Kids: The Concept of Mindfulness
Mindfulness has a lot of different meanings. As a Therapist, I find that Mindfulness is a very useful strategy to focus awareness on the current moment without judgement. This is very useful for kids to learn and parents to practice. In this three-part series I will describe the different parts of mindfulness as I learned… {read more}
How to Prepare Kids for New Life Experiences through Play
Whenever my kids have faced a life change, such as moving to a new country or introducing a new sibling, I have tried to use creative play to help prepare them. In addition to the usual talks over dinner or while riding in the car, play allows the kids to bring up their own topics… {read more}
Resources that Teach Kids to Build Healthy Friendships {Free Printables}
Summary: Tools to teach kids to build healthy friendships, maintain boundaries and recognise positive character traits in those around them. I remember the first time I thought I would have a friend forever. It seemed so beautifully pure to imagine that two people could spend their whole lives connected by an invisible thread, just on… {read more}
Teach Kids About Consent {Printable Conversation Cards}
Summary: Resources and a free printable set of conversation cards to teach kids about consent. “But she’s just a baby!” My heart jumped inside my chest. Did I just hear that correctly? One of my children thought that it was okay to tease someone who could not talk back. Because she was “just a baby.” Because… {read more}
Giving Children the Gift of Balance {Free Printable}
Imagine if we learned how to listen to our bodies as children. If we could respect their natural yearning for balance. Like all skills, we can learn to be more aware and take appropriate actions. This is a great tool to help children who jump from one extreme to the next. It can also be… {read more}
Positive Decision Making: A Guide for Kids {Free Printable}
Sometimes decisions make us sweat… How do you know if you’ve made the right choice? Where do you stand when your heart and your head start to tango, leaving you awkwardly in the middle? Do you know how to rocket your decision-making skills into committed and inspired choices? A Decision Rocket is a visual aid to help… {read more}
