See Me Hear Me Love Me

What to do when your child's angry? When your child can't "hear" your calming messages? Anger is a big, challenging emotion for the children experiencing it and for the parents trying to help, support and guide a child through the emotional storm. Listen to the real struggle with special insights from Dr. Marnee Schneider, a pediatric clinical neural psychologist (see her website - https://www.drmschneider.com/) At the Table with Marnee and Lauren

Our goal is to raise children who have strong emotional intelligence, who are resilient, resourceful, flexible and experience joy. The developmental arc of emotional intelligence is to move from the amygdala brain to executive function with "whole brain" thinking. Early Childhood Educators have always known that "play" is the way to self-regulation, to meaning-making and to raising competent, capable, socially respectful children. Here are a few takeaways from a Keynote Presentation I'm doing next week called Laughing Our Way to Better Teacher. Laughter and humor and play are essential building blocks for emotional intelligence - not just for teachers but for parents too. Solo with Karen

Here's an episode from the Archives talking about Setting Limits with Respect when there is resistance, attitude and pushback from your child. With 5 new tips from Karen: Act with Love; Accept Feelings; Know What You Know; Let Go of False Expectations; Baby Steps

Be inspired by The Be Books and Lauren's message of kindness and positivity. Lauren also shares following her dream as a mom and an author See more about Lauren and The Be Books at www.TheBeBooks.com

In our quest to be "better" in a new year, we often look around and try to get others to change - particularly the all the frustrating things children do. Would you love to change your child's behavior now? I worry that that impatience only adds to escalating frustration and counter-productive responses to kids learning and growing. To us learning and growing! Change requires slowly building and practicing emotional intelligence and cognitive problem-solving skills. It also requires a sense of humor and an I'm-on-your-side connection. Want your child to change NOW? First look at your ability to change something that's frustrating you into something better. Just Karen at the Table...

I'm excited for Part 2 of my conversation with Alexis Cobo, Computer, Science & Technology Specialist at Pinecrest School in Boca Raton. In this podcast, Alexis shares insights and recommendations for helping children to interact thoughtfully with Artificial Intelligence devices in the home. It's a new world of technology in the home that is not going away so let's help children and families use and engage meaningfully with a new generation of smart devices and toys. Thank you Alexis!!! You can follow Alexis on Twitter at @agatorbites

This is not a tech toy shopping list. It's better. It's how children engage and play with technology in order to create thinking and problem solving skills to be innovators and creators. My hope is that, as parents listen to my favorite science & tech specialist, they will learn how thinking and collaboration skills are more essential than ever. Tech is here to stay and we have an exciting opportunity to communicate and guide young children to become thinkers and problem solvers...through play. At the Table with Alexis Cobo, Computer, Science and Technology Specialist at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton. You can follow her on Twitter @ agatorbites

Here's a little reminder to step back from holiday stress to think of how your family, even the youngest children, can help others and receive "the gift of giving" from the Archives #Giving and Receiving!

Back from the NAEYC Conference, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and proud and inspired to be an Early Childhood educator!!! Here's a podcast from the archives on the Power of Comfort Objects - wishing everyone the comfort and emotional support of feeling safe. Emotional intelligence and that unconditional love IS the foundation of all learning and growing.

Gratitude and Emotional Intelligence go hand in hand - both are skills that require practice to develop fully. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence suggests three parts to a "gratitude practice": paying attention, writing about it, and expressing it to "complete the feeling of connection". As we teach young children a "gratitude practice", I suggest first help them to stop and recognize the moments of value and their own feelings (See Me Hear Me Appreciate what matters to me). Second, create age-appropriate routines to make gratitude an ongoing habit. And finally, create action to express that gratitude to others and that gives children the power to help others from a place of abundance and resourcefulness. Happy Thanksgiving!

Episode #210 Revisiting Self Care before Holiday Madness Sets In by Karen Deerwester

You owe it to your children! You owe it to yourself! Revisiting Episode #92

Temperament is the key to managing change, comfort, skill building and so much more! Listen to this important conversation from the Archives!

This conversation is on behalf of all the parents experiencing the stress, anxiety and confusion over baby and child gastro issues - from contradictory info in the media, best and worst advice from friends and family, to serious medical challenges. At the Table with the highly respected and thoughtful pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr Yoni Fuchs from Joe DiMaggio Children Hospital in Hollywood Florida.

There are few things sadder and harder than saying good bye to a pet. Each child, each age and stage of development, each parent and each family has different and unique ways of managing the reality of saying good bye to a pet. This conversation is beautiful exploring the unique relationships we have with our pets and how to consider our own needs and the needs of the children as we prepare for those really tough conversations. At the Table with Kim, Elana and Meaghan