For many parents, growing the capacity to respond well to the needs of their child is one of the greatest challenges of life. Emerging research in neurobiology, brain development, and relationships is provides some valuable insight into this challenge. Through research, mental health professionals and early childhood development experts are learning how better to support parents in their work to raise healthy, resilient kids in the face of the unique challenges of parenting in a modern world.
Many of my favorite illustration projects as a mental health artist involve interpreting this research – which can be technical, dry, and hard to read in it’s rw form – into engaging illustrations that can be used for teaching parenting classes, one-on-one with parenting coaches, or used by individual parents for their own development.
Kids with caregivers who give them permission to feel big feelings and that give them support in managing those feelings are kids with tools who are able to become adults who can regulate emotions and find resiliency in the face of crisis.
Today, I’m releasing a simple visual illustrating how empathic, attuned parenting can disrupt one common cycle behind problem behaviors at home or in the classroom.
Pre-teen, pre-adolescent, pre-pubescent, tween… Regardless of what term is used – we’ve all been there, most of us know one, and some of us are parenting (teaching, counseling, etc.) one. As the stepping stone from childhood to adolescence, this time frame can be a tough one to navigate for both tweens and for those attempting to engage and connect with tweens.
Connecting with preteens can be especially difficult. Not quite kids, and not quite adolescents, tweens deserve more credit than we tend to give them.
All of us have some resiliency to cope with challenges. When we encounter difficult experiences that take us past the range of our ability to tolerate, the ways we tend to respond fall into one of two categories: those of us who get agitated, and those of us who shut down.
Emotional regulation refers to our ability to stay present, engaged, and able to listen and learn despite challenges. My rainbow of emotional regulation is a social-emotional learning resource that can help teach this concept in the classroom, in counseling sessions, or at home.
Last month, my patrons helped me collaborate on creating this new resource: a pizza-themed feelings wheel for kids. Via the Patreon community, Patrons got early …
If you aren’t naming and breaking the cycles that have entangled you, you are participating in them. This is true in most systems we are …
Instead of questioning (“How could you?”) or punishing (“How dare you!”) look for the entry point for empathy (“Oh, of course you…”). When someone …
This three-piece worksheet is an adapted excerpt from my COVID Kid’s Activity Book. This bundle includes two worksheets, with three pages total. The Feeling Forecast …
Most of us are more than a little concerned about the mental health of the kiddos that we care about during this pandemic. The natural …
The first draft of this illustration was created as a professional resource, but as Social Distancing entered the global vocabulary and #quarantinewithkids started trending, I …
Demonstrating our trustworthiness builds relational bridges that self-advertisement cannot. If you sense that your friend, partner, child, client, etc. feels hesitant to trust you, let …
It’s not that social media is good or bad, the real question is: What we are willing to trade for likes, views, and follows? This is …
Image Description for Screen Readers A simple pie chart outlined in black atop a white background is divided into thirds. The top section, shaded in …
It’s normal for parents to worry about kids as they navigate shared spaces, learning, and the social aspects of growing up. Parents typically find that …
There is an enormous amount of pressure on parents to keep tabs on everything their teen does – especially online. But a little bit of …
JUMP TO: VIEW THE ILLUSTRATIONS | DOWNLOAD THE PDF | TAKE THE QUIZ In 2019 researchers at Johns Hopkins University published results of the first …
Kids who grow up in families where emotional needs are not validated and met often develop a deep sense of internal shame for having needs …
When brains experience trauma, they struggle to cope with it. It’s normal – and part of the healing process – to have flashbacks, nightmares, or …