Positive Parenting in the Age of Anxiety

This short guide will provide you with positive parenting suggestions grounded in positive psychology and trauma informed care.

Information Resources

Concerns of Toxic Stress

• Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, Tackling Toxic Stress
• Center for Disease Control, Adverse Childhood Experiences.
• National Child Traumatic Stress Center.
• Oprah 60 Minutes Interview on Trauma.
• Hey Sigmund, The Effects of Toxic Stress on the Brain and Body: How to Heal and Protect.
• Helpful article from Slate, Unhelpful Punishment.

Self Determination Theory

• Videos on Self Determination Theory
  • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
  • Self Determination Theory V1. (for educators)
  • Camp Stomping Ground (this is an advertisement for a camp, however, a great introduction).

Positive Psychology

• Greater Good Science Center (Sign up for their newsletter)
• Pursuit of Happiness (check out their 7 habits and compare)
• Rick Hanson, author of Just One Thing and Hardwiring Happiness. (Sign up for his newsletter)
• Project Happiness
• The Positive Psychology Center
• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Connections and Friendship

• Friends Psychology Today
• Making Friends: What to do when your child can’t – WebMD
• How Children Make Friends Psychology Today (Part 1 – check out the other parts)
• Kids Who Need a Little Help to Make Friends Child Mind Institute
• How to Help Kids Make Friends Parenting Science

Kindness

• Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
• Kindness.org
• 102 Random Acts of Kindness Brad Aronson’s Blog

Character Strengths

• VIA Character Institute (Take their survey on Character Strengths)
•  Character Strengths Inventory (shorter – based on VIA survey)

Gratitude

• Gratitude Psychology Today
• The 31 Benefits of Gratitude Happier Human
• Proflowers. 42 Ways to Practice Gratitude Everyday
• The Science Behind Gratitude Happify

Mindfulness

• Mindfulness Psychology Today
• Mindfulness in the Age of Complexity Harvard Business Review
• Engaged Mindfulness Institute
• Mindful Schools
• Empowering Education
• Conduct a search for “mindfulness, children”

Stand Tall – Presence

• Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are Dr. Amy Cuddy Ted Talk
• Let it Go – from Frozen – note when Elsa stands tall and gains “power.”

Problem Solving

• Think Kids Massachusetts General Hospital
• Lives in the Balance Collaborative and Proactive Solutions
• I Can Problem Solve.