Finding time (and mind) for the things that matter most — from connecting with family to engaging in meaningful work to giving back — is a daily struggle. Families are experiencing unprecedented stress and anxiety. Kids face bullying, feel burdened by the pressure to succeed, and are often driven to distraction.
Yet research tells us the antidote to many of our most entrenched problems lies in empathy, mindfulness and kindness. When we practice kindness we feel better about ourselves; compassion might even breed success.
These are a few of the reasons why ParentMap is embarking on a yearlong conversation to explore how families and schools can nurture empathy, mindfulness and kindness. We’ll look at what research tells us about compassion and the brain, explore the role of schools and we'll give families tools to cultivate these traits – from daily acts of kindness to long-term commitments to volunteerism, one step at a time.
Find our most recent #RaisingKind content on this page; also check our Facebook page for tools and conversation.
This series is sponsored by the Community of Mindful Parenting.
Kindful kids: Teaching mindfulness and empathy
Finding mindful moments at the end of the day
Could Mindfulness Change Your Family's Life?
The absolute best way to respond when your child acts out
Can We Yeti? New Tool Makes Meditation Fun for Kids
Parenting in the Present Tense: Tools for Parenting Mindfully
Responding to Your Child's Negative Self-talk
How Mistakes Boost Motivation and Learning
How to Help Your Kids Be Less Stressed Out
How to Raise a Smart and Happy Kid
Someone You Should Know: Lawrence Cohen
There Are No Other People's Children
How to Take Your Young Kids Volunteering
5 Ways to Teach Your Child Gratitude
Why You Should Let Your Kid Fail (Sometimes)
Reading (and swiping) kind: Tools, apps and books
Playful parenting: Lawrence Cohen on how play teaches
Mindfulness apps help kids relax and connect to breath
Social justice stories: Teaching kids to do what's right through books
9 Books that Teach Kids to Appreciate Difference and Diversity
Reading Kind: Books and Movies that Teach Compassion
Movies that Teach Kids about Disability and Differences
11 Apps that Teach Generosity and Empathy
Games that Blend Empathy, Cross-cultural Understanding and Fun
It's all about you: Self-care and self-compassion
Mindfulness is better the second time around
Motherhood, Presence and the First Three Years
Can you be too empathetic as a parent?
You Can't Do Everything but You Can Do This
Recharge card: Great Northwest Mom Retreats
Someone You Should Know: Kimberly Arthur Offers Compassion To Go
Someone You Should Know: Angela Rose Black, Ph.D.
Everyday kind: Giving back with kids
Someone You Should Know: Dr. Jeff Sperring
Super Volunteering Opportunities for Teens and Tweens
Homegrown Volunteering: 12 Ways to Volunteer From your Kitchen Table
A Year of Giving: Ideas for Giving Back as a Family Long after the Holidays
How to Help a Family Who's Battling Childhood Cancer
ParentMap's 2017 Superheroes for Washington State Families
