Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth ...

Buckling up for a metaphorical bumpy ride from time to time as you enter a new job, experience a change in leadership, or encounter a developmental growth spurt is something that begins at birth and follows us until life’s conclusion. The winds of change blow strong. With children, we sometimes don’t see the changes themselves right away; instead, we see the impact of the changes in personal barometers of behavior and mood. How can we as supportive humans respond effectively to the need for change and see the purpose behind the disequilibrium?

Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth Through Turbulent Times
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose, Pick a Project, Quick Acts of Kindness
MiaLisa Millares
Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower ...

People want and need to be seen. It is a fundamental characteristic of humans that we seek opportunities to connect with others in an authentic way. We want to feel noticed and valued as a member of the human community. We want to understand AND be understood. This connection is vital to our feelings of safety and happiness, and ultimately is foundational to our ability to work through challenges, think critically, be planful, and other executive function skills. How can adults use that in-born inclination to shine a light on actions that we wish to reinforce in our children? 

Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower Children by Reinforcing Positive Actions
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose, Advocate, Kindness Practice, Pick a Project, Read Together
MiaLisa Millares
Transforming a Child’s “I Can’t” into “I Can!”

As adults, we have a better sense of what is within our locus of control and how we can approach solving problems from our mature perspective, whereas young children see a lot of problems as big and insurmountable even if they are not. The good news is that we can cultivate the growth of our child’s sense of helpfulness over time in ways that match their developmental stage, while teaching about both agency AND the interconnectedness of humanity.

Transforming a Child’s “I Can’t” into “I Can!”
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Inspiring a Growth Mindset for Kids: How ...

in the last few years, I have worked diligently to cultivate a growth mindset and to model that approach for my teenage children. The basic idea behind this concept is that by using “yet” at the end of a sentence, we reframe our approach to problems and retrain our brains to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. 

Inspiring a Growth Mindset for Kids: How Parents Can Lead by Example
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
How to Talk to Kids About Poverty, Mental ...

The world in which we are helping our children to grow is not free from adversity, small or large. We cannot shield young people from the troubles of their community and world. And while it might make us caring adults feel better to try, research shows that doing so is not to their benefit, either. Children are innately curious and working continuously on relating to others as their empathy skills develop. They wonder about big questions like, “how am I similar or different to people I see suffering,” “could that happen to me,” and “my heart hurts for them; how do I help them.” Many who witness tragedy or challenges faced by other people in the world ask the same questions. How do we explain problems like poverty, mental illness, systemic racism, and violence to these small humans?

How to Talk to Kids About Poverty, Mental Illness, Systemic Racism, and Violence

Fall Kindness

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9 Small, Science-Based Family-Life Upgrades that Prepare Kids to Live Kind

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Giving your family routine a few big-hearted upgrades can make it easier to raise thoughtful, kind kids willing to reach out to that new student sitting alone at lunch or brave enough to stand with the student getting taunted by a bully. Ultimately these kind routines will help children become adults who strive to make a difference in the world.

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I Disagree! 7 Civil Conversation Skills for Kids, Teens, and Families

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In this age of divisiveness, disturbing headlines, and excessive devices, strong communication skills are more important than ever. Let's make time to practice these skills as a family. Here we offer 7 skills your family can begin practicing right now.