“BAD” Parenting and “MISTAKES.” How BrainMoves can help YOU Parent Positively and be Kinder to Yourself + Three Parenting Tips
By: Diane Malik Published on: 07/08/2025Being a mother or father to a preschooler can feel like an impossible job. If it is your first child or your third, sometimes you may feel like you are one day before a complicated review and you forgot to hand in a work project or that you have been given a new role but have no onboarding for how it should happen. Of course, mistakes will happen. Your child is unique; you are unique. Every situation is unique. There is no guidebook. There’s also no black and white. Remember that part of childhood development is transitioning from black-and-white thinking into a more nuanced way of reviewing our world. When we’re stressed, we, as adults, can sometimes revert back to that childhood black-and-white thinking. What does this mean for parenting? You may feel a situation is disastrous: Maybe you’ve said the wrong thing and the child cried, you lost your temper, or maybe you forgot something important like a parent-teacher meeting or a doctor’s appointment. Perhaps you simply overcommitted yourself and you don’t feel “present.” In that moment it may feel like the exact opposite of what should have happened HAS happened and you feel guilty. Your brain could process this as “Oh, that was a mistake. That was BAD.”
Yes! You have Time to Learn BrainMoves!
By: Diane Malik Published on: 29/05/2025Are you considering doing BrainMoves with your child or incorporating it into your classroom but are unsure if you have the time to dedicate to learning? Regular readers of this newsletter know that my self-paced BrainMoves course is designed for busy parents and working adults. I created the course with audio that can be listened to in the car or while doing chores around the house, as well as 5.5 hours of brief, easily digestible interactive video lessons. I wanted to make sure that parents, teachers, and therapists could learn valuable skills that they could immediately apply, even while they were still going through the course lessons. Yet, many people still wonder, “What will you learn?” Here is what is included in my BrainMoves course.
Confidence, Cooking, and Picky Eaters
By: Elizabeth Hummel Published on: 29/04/2025Dinner time is an important opportunity for families to share, communicate, ask questions, and build connections. Picky eating, also known as selective or fussy eating, is a common behavior in children where they are very selective about the foods they eat, often refusing new or unfamiliar items. While this behavior is often a normal phase of development, some children may exhibit extreme pickiness that can lead to nutrient deficiencies. It is essential to understand the reasons behind picky eating and to adopt strategies that can help children broaden their dietary choices.
Positive Statements for Difficult or Transitional Moments
By: Diane Malik Published on: 20/04/2025Navigating the challenges of teaching and/or parenting can often feel overwhelming, especially during difficult or transitional moments with your preschooler. It’s essential to provide support and encouragement while helping children develop resilience and a sense of control. Positive statements are a powerful tool that can shape these interactions, creating a nurturing environment that fosters growth and understanding. Here are eight examples you can use to reframe emotional or transitional moments, allowing both you and your child to move forward more smoothly.
