Exploring Family Relationships with Trolls Band Together
Movies and commercials often highlight traditional families and focus on the joys of being together. But real families…
MorePosts tagged: Relationships
Practicing Thanks-Giving
“Let’s go around the room and say something we’re thankful for,” says the teacher. “I’m thankful for apple…
MoreKindness Trees
“No, no, no!” said the preschool teacher as she rushed over to a child threatening to hit a playmate. “It’s not…
MoreManaging Misbehavior with Conscious Discipline
I’m watching a group of children prepare to act out a spiritual story. One child insists on taking the lead role, and…
MoreExploring Change with Where is Home, Daddy Bear?
My family moved when I was a child. For the first 6 months, I refused to call the new house ‘home’. I did not want…
MoreExploring Community with The Eras Tour Movie
Moviegoers are sporting a special look this fall. Glittery shirts and jackets. Purple jerseys with the number 13 on the…
MoreKindness Projects
My children's elementary school had a student committee that planned service projects for every grade. Kids from…
MoreAcknowledging Hurt & Making Amends
Yom Kippur, the annual Jewish Day of Atonement, begins the evening of Sunday, September 24. It is a time for deep…
MoreHow Curiosity Enhances Relationships
My daughter and her best friend met in 2nd grade. Their first weeks together were spent asking each other questions:…
MoreHelping Children Find Their Anchors
As we were preparing to move from one state to another, my four year old fell apart. “Where’s my train, my bunny,…
MoreCommunity-Building
School buses are back on the streets and pumpkin spice lattes have returned to coffee shops. Children’s backpacks are…
MoreMaking Kindness a Goal
My social media feeds have been flooded with ‘first day of school’ photos. Children stand holding signs proclaiming…
MoreSeeing Differences through Eyes that Speak to the Stars
Children are often curious about differences. They wonder why someone has red hair instead of brown like them, or…
MoreExploring Diversity & Community with Luli and the Language of Tea
Children from several nations gather in a playroom while their parents learn English as a Second Language next door.…
MoreMovement Meditation: Empathy
Children don’t always get along. Like adults, they get angry with siblings and friends. They feel resentment and…
MoreMovement Meditation: Awareness
Being aware of one’s surroundings can be an important safety practice. We teach children to pay attention when…
MoreExploring The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess
Fairy tales can play a powerful role in children’s lives. Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen has morphed into…
MoreExploring Every Little Kindness with Kids
Sometimes a story doesn’t need words to be powerful. That’s the case with Marta Bartolj’s Every Little Kindness,…
MoreMovement Meditation: Empowerment
Being a small person in a big world can be overwhelming at times. Children may feel overshadowed by the adults around…
MoreExploring Values with The Good for Nothing Tree
I have a peach tree in my front yard. Some years, there are lots of peaches and we scramble to pick our share before…
MoreExploring Elemental with Kids
A few days ago, one of my children wanted breakfast for dinner, while another preferred Indian. The first argued that…
MoreNot-So-Random Acts of Kindness
Walking through the farmer’s market last weekend, I overheard a conversation between a coffee vendor and a customer.…
MoreBuilding a Strong Image of Children
Sometimes when we talk about children, we focus on what kids can’t do: they can’t walk yet, or they can’t reach…
MoreConnecting with Nature through Apple and Magnolia
One summer, my kids and I planted a small garden. While our cucumbers and zucchini did well, our tomato plants…
MoreExploring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Kids
Marvel’s newest release, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, focuses on Rocket’s origin story as Groot, Mantis, Drax,…
MoreGenerational Spirituality
Spirituality isn’t just a social, emotional, or cultural aspect of life. It’s also biological, passed from…
MoreLanguage that Builds Community
“This is a story for Amelia,“ announced the adult leading storytime. “It’s a story for Marcus, and a story for…
MoreCelebrating Eid al Fitr
After 30 days of fasting, Muslim worldwide mark the end of Ramadan with Eid al Fitr, literally a festival of breaking…
MoreExploring Ramadan
Six years ago, I visited Istanbul with two of my children. We were there during Ramadan, which meant we observed…
MoreRihanna Spirituality
Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII performance is trending on social media. Several reviewers place it in their all-time top…
MoreGuided Meditation on Friendship
For children, Valentine’s Day is more about friendship than romance. They’re generally eager to exchange valentine…
MorePromoting Restorative Justice
My son’s Montessori school had a ‘peace table’ where children could go to work out disagreements. On it were a…
MoreHelping Kids Have a ‘Happy’ New Year
“10…9…8…7...6…5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!” My family celebrated the start of 2023 with sparkling…
MoreTaylor Swift Spirituality
With her latest album sweeping the top 10 slots on Billboard’s Top 100 - a first for any artist - Taylor Swift is…
MoreDiwali Spirituality
As fall crops are harvested and days grow shorter, many cultures and religions acknowledge the season with celebrations…
MoreGetting to Know Children Better
When marketers want to learn about people, they collect data about them. They then use that information to improve how…
MoreReflecting on Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with Kids
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile offers several big songs and dance scenes that will engage and excite young moviegoers. But…
MoreCreating A Culture Of Caring
In 3rd and 4th grade, I participated in an afterschool Kids Club organized by a neighborhood grandmother. I would walk…
MoreReexamining Humility as a Spiritual Virtue
Growing up, I was frequently told that good girls should be humble. I was expected to hide my intelligence and avoid…
MoreTalking about the Queen’s Funeral & Rituals after Death
Less than 24 hours after Queen Elizabeth’s death, media outlets were carrying articles about ‘what to expect’ as…
MoreExploring Power & Perseverance with Minions: The Rise of Gru
The new Minions movie has much of the silliness you expect from the Despicable Me franchise. We watch as young Gru…
MoreExploring Lightyear with Children
As long time fans of Toy Story, my children were excited to learn Buzz’s backstory. They watched as Buzz and Alesha…
MoreExploring Magic Candies with Children
Imagine a bag of candies with the power to bring your sofa to life and give voice to falling leaves. Would you want to…
MoreBuilding Rapport
As Covid-19 transmission risks soar again, concerns about the effects of masking and social distancing on relationships…
MoreReading Simon and the Big, Bad, Angry Beasts
Disney’s popular movie, Turning Red, has called attention to how children struggle with big emotions, especially…
MoreModeling Gratitude
“Thank you.” Two simple words we teach children when they’re small and hope they will use often. Giving thanks…
MoreImaginative Play & Spirituality
“Do you have a minute?” asked my daughter’s preschool teacher. “Of course,” I replied, “Is something…
MoreBooks for Earth Day
Every year on April 22, more than a billion people take time to reflect on the earth and its importance for human…
MoreBeing Gender Inclusive
I started transgressing gender norms with my children when they were babies. I dressed them in colors and styles…
MoreSharing Personal Spiritual Practices
Children’s group leaders often wonder how much to share about their personal lives with young people. We…
MoreSpiritual ‘projects’ with Operation Sisterhood
Bo’s summer plans completely change when her mother moves into a Harlem brownstone with her fiance and another…
MoreSpiritual Storytelling with The Last Cuentista
For a book lover like me, one bedtime story often turned into two or three as I tucked my young children in. But I…
MoreHelping Children Understand Love
I have a love/hate relationship with Valentine’s Day. It's an opportunity to celebrate relationships with friends and…
MoreSpiritual Play with Bluey
My sisters and I often engaged in imaginative play when we were growing up. We came up with various pretend situations,…
MoreExploring Where Wonder Grows
My dad collected rocks his whole life. He particularly liked geodes: rocks that - when broken open - contained a hidden…
MoreDigital Spirituality with Young Children
A friend posts a snapshot of her three year old daughter on social media. Sonia* has her head bent over her mom’s…
MoreSpiritual Reflection with Encanto
Encanto, Disney’s newest animated feature, tells the story of an extraordinary family. Once upon a time, Abuela…
MoreExpressing Gratitude
An American celebration of Thanksgiving generally involves liberal helpings of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and…
MoreDeveloping Spiritual Persistence
I am often so excited when I begin a new spiritual practice, I expect to see immediate benefits. In my enthusiasm, I…
MoreEmpathy Maps
Getting to know the children with whom we work is essential. We learn their names and perhaps ask about their favorite…
MoreGender and Sexual Diversity Inclusion
My daughter returned from her third grade ‘Meet the Teacher’ with news she’d heard through friends: a boy in her…
MoreBack to the ‘Kinda’ Familiar
As a new school year begins, many organizations are planning to welcome children back to in-person programs. But…
MoreSocial Emotional Learning at Home
My second child would become easily overwhelmed as a toddler. If we were shopping at the mall, she would start crying…
MoreTalking with Kids Under 10
Talking with children seems simple enough, but effective communication is actually more complicated than we think. Our…
MoreSpiritual Counseling
For many children, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of trauma, grief, and loss. Even if children have come through…
MoreIdentity Portraits
Valuing who we are and respecting others’ identities are crucial to spiritual wellbeing. Every child wants to be seen…
MoreTrust and Promises
As I left the gym, I overheard a mother tell her young son, “We need to get home right now and get snacks together…
MoreLearning to Forgive
Sibling squabbles were a daily part of life when my children were preschoolers. They erupted when one child would steal…
MoreSpiritual Connectedness
One of my favorite preschool parenting moments was watching my children chase fireflies around our backyard on a summer…
MoreSelf-Esteem vs. Narcissism
In Wonder Woman 1984, young Diana, Amazon princess of Themyscira, desperately wants to win a competition. She is in the…
MoreUsing Virtual Rooms to Strengthen Community
Over the past year, teachers, therapists, librarians, and others have created virtual rooms with bitmoji to engage…
MoreSpiritually Rich Virtual Interactions
As we slowly move back to regular in-person contact, part of a new normal will likely include virtual presence for many…
MoreYoung Children and Connectedness
The other day, my tween son and I were talking and laughing as we sorted through piles of nursery artwork I have stored…
MoreRelationships as Roots
Dr. Eugene Roehlkepartain has noticed that when adults say relationships with kids matter, they really mean parents…
More