How Social Media Impacts Children (Even If They Don’t Have an Account)
Every parent wants to believe they can protect their child from things that may hurt them. So when parents tell me, “My child isn’t on social media,” I understand why that feels reassuring. But in today’s world, keeping your child offline does not mean keeping them...
The Mental Health Skill Our Children Desperately Need
We are raising children in a world that even adults are struggling to understand. As a nation, our mental health is declining. At this point, mental health skill building is just as vital as teaching kids how to tie their shoes. The news is heavy and the pace is...
How to Build a Hope Toolkit for Your Family
Do you have your hope toolkit ready? You're probably prepared for all sorts of emergencies. I bet you have a first aid kit for scrapes, a medicine cabinet for unexpected fevers and colds, a spare tire in the car, and flashlights with fresh batteries for power outages....
25 Fantastic Books to Teach Social-Emotional Skills
Recently, I had the honor of speaking to a room full of literacy leaders about something I believe with my whole heart: Children’s books are not “just stories.” They are emotional rehearsal. They are language for feelings kids can’t yet name. Just like going to the...
The Two Levels of Self-Care (And Why Bubble Baths Aren’t Enough)
Thank you @worry_ _lines for this image. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Worry Lines (@worry__lines) It really got me thinking about how bad most if us are at giving ourselves what we need the most. You've heard the term self-care. But did...
How to Create a Family Anchor Box and Boost Your Family’s Hope
How to Create a Family Anchor Box and Boost Your Family's Hope Life has a way of feeling like a storm sometimes. Whether it's a personal setback, a family challenge, or just the weight of the world pressing down, it is easy to lose sight of hope when life feels...
This past week has been heavy. Not “scroll and move on” heavy. Not “damn, that’s messed up, time to go back to work” heavy. I mean the kind of heavy that makes your head spin, sits in your chest and makes you wonder what kind of world we’re living in… and what kind of...
10 Positive Affirmations for Kids to Build Confidence and Resilience
The words we use have power. They can build us up or tear us down. This is especially true for children. The messages they hear from others—and the ones they learn to tell themselves—shape their inner voice, their self-esteem, and their view of the world. One of the...
The Power of Setting an Intention for the New Year
As the calendar turns, there's a collective desire for a fresh start. It's as if the new year reminds us that life is full of possibilities and that it is never too late to begin again. For the past 4,000 years, people have been making resolutions—lists of things to...
When Your Big Dream Crashes Back to Earth: Why My Word for 2026 Is Trust
Since 2020, I've been setting a word of the year. My word for 2026 is unlike any other... Probably because I’m writing this on the other side of a heartbreak that doesn’t show up on an X-ray. Why My Word For 2026 is Different I think that sometimes people look at all...