Mindset Matters!

Mindset Matters!

Does your child tend to get frustrated with mistakes and give up easily? Do you say that it’s important to learn from mistakes, but then not really have an explanation of why that is true?

Research has shown that students who believe and understand that they can improve their intelligence, truly growing and strengthening their brain from participating in challenging learning experiences and making mistakes, will do better in life. World-renowned Stanford University Psychologist Carol Dweck calls this a growth mindset. Below are 2 links that will bring you to some more information on her book and an informative Ted Talk Video.

1) Check out this website: You will be exploring information about what is a mindset, as well as articles and further information about Carol Dweck's book called Mindset.

2) TEDtalk video : Listen to Carol Dweck explain the power of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. 

You might make some connections as to how you can apply this way of thinking to understanding your own child or to understanding yourself!

Mrs. Reynolds and myself are true believers in helping our students understand how they can help their  brains grow and develop. One book we use to teach them how the brain works, and how we can help our brains grow through making mistakes and trying challenging activities is called 

The Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak.

Some other wonderful books to read with your child are:

The Girl who never made mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein

What do you do with an idea? By Kobi Yamada

Read aloud on Youtube of What do you do with an idea?

The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Ish by Peter Reynolds

If you are interested in more books (with reviews) for your child, please check out this wonderful blog!

We also teach our students about phrases they can say to help them have a growth mindset when they make mistakes. Here are just a few ideas of this language.

Finally, here are some GREAT videos to watch with your child. This is a series of videos made for students to help them understand their brain, and how their brain grows stronger and learns more from making mistakes. Please watch with your child and discuss what you learn and discover about learning and a having a positive growth mindset!! 

Mindfulness

On the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 10^th, the staff of Nabnasset were treated to a Professional Development workshop given by Brenda Feingold regarding Mindfulness to help us regain focus and reduce stress and anxiety.  Ms. Feingold has been studying and teaching mindfulness and its benefits for the past 15 years. She has spoken at many schools and businesses/corporations in and around the Boston area.

Mindfulness is considered to be a foundation to increasing resilience and balance in your life.  It also improves one’s well-being and has an impact on all aspects of physical and emotional health.  Some benefits include: increased energy, the ability to respond more effectively in stressful situations, impulse control, increased focus and increased confidence.

What is mindfulness?  Mindfulness is deliberately paying attention to what you experiencing in the moment and to do so with kindness and without judgment.  That is, instead of worrying about past or future actions, one focuses on the “here and now”, being fully in the present.  With mindfulness, we can focus on what makes us happy as well as what factors contribute to unhappiness, thus allowing one to do something about it. It also allows us to reflect on our current experience and learn new ways to relate, thus reducing stress.

A wonderful book to read with your child is called Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer. This story offers a wonderful explanation of the importance of practicing mindfulness. We have been reading this book to many of our small counseling groups to help the students begin to practice mindfulness.

What are the symptoms of stress? Some common symptoms of stress include:

• Berating oneself with negative thinking - "I can't do it", “I’m dumb”, “I’ll never get this”

• Headaches

• Stomachaches

• Trouble paying attention

• Irritability

• Forgetfulness

• Difficulty making decisions

• Lashing out at others

• Difficulty concentrating

What can I do to help reduce stress in myself or my child? Introducing and including mindfulness into your life doesn’t have to be time consuming.  Mindfulness exercises can take as little as 10 minutes to complete.  The amount of time you spend is up to you and your schedule, but it does help to build a little mindfulness time into your daily routine.  Some tips to bring mindfulness into your life are:

• Take 4-5-6 breaths (breathe in for the count of 4, hold your breath for the count of 5, and breathe out for the count of 6 –pursing your lips like blowing out through a straw)

• Take 3 deep belly breaths

• Maintaining quiet and still bodies for 1 minute. Listen to all the sounds around you

•   Practice mindful yoga

• Take a mindful nature walk - stop and listen to all the sounds, stop and look all around you

• Make mindfulness bottles with your children (for directions click here) 

•  Use the relaxation wheel for more calming down tools!

               

                 

Practicing these exercises as well as other mindfulness techniques found below, will allow for a more rich, satisfying life experience. 

Mindfulness book reviews

Kids Relaxation blog with lots of relaxation activities

Guided Mindfulness Meditations for Children

8 Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids (article)