Building a Relational Partnership: The Essential Home-School Bridge
It is that time of year—another start to a brand new school year filled with little fresh faces. They are coming, with their lunch boxes and backpacks filled to the brim with curiosity, questions, and big emotions … and they are not coming alone. Riding along on this most important journey are their parents. As […]
Off to School We Go – With a House of Support and Confidence
It is back-to-school season, and stuffed inside all those new backpacks and lunchboxes are lots of jitters and emotions, especially as we send off our littlest learners for the very first time. Our so-called “Covid Generation,” children born right before or during the pandemic, are carrying all the usual excitement, worries, and questions; however, they […]
Dr. Housman in WCVB Channel 5 Boston – Back to School Mental Health Tips
BOSTON — Dr. Donna Housman, of the Housman Learning, offers advice on how adults can be proactive and more attuned to the emotional needs of children. Watch the full recording on WCVB Channel 5 Boston: “What parents, teachers can expect as kids head back to school in Year 3 of pandemic”.
7 Back-to-School Mental Health Tips
Boston, Mass.–With parents, students and educators getting ready for a year-three pandemic school year, Housman Learning is providing tips to help parents, students and educators manage their mental health and cope with increased stress and anxiety.
The Magic of a Great Early Childhood Educator
What makes for good teaching? And what makes a teacher great? Liz Willen posed those questions in a recent Hechinger newsletter as she highlighted Jill Barshay’s article Proof Points-The Paradox of Good Teaching in which Barshay acknowledged that “deciding what constitutes good teaching is a messy business.” No doubt that it is, but I’m sure we can all […]
Let’s Get to Work…and Play!
Play is a child’s work. ~Dr. Donna Housman Play is the Key to Children’s Socialization, Learning, and Brain Development Happy Summertime! We all wait for this special season to kick-back, relax and spend more time with the children in our lives. To many, it may seem like it’s just one big continuation of what young […]
Let’s Just Play! Dr. Housman in Exchange Magazine
Imaginative and creative play is important for every child. Having fun exploring and discovering their world whether indoors or outdoors is essential in developing the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
New Study! The Positive Impact of begin to ECSEL on Children’s Learning
“When children are better able to manage intense emotions, including stress and anxiety, their brain’s resources are better able to perform important executive function skills such as listening, concentrating, and problem-solving—all essential for learning.” ~ Dr. Donna Housman
Ask Dr. Donna -Helping Children Talk About Their Emotions
Dear Dr. Donna, How can I get my daughter to talk about her emotions? It is always a challenge when we know our children are experiencing big emotions and they don’t have the knowledge or tools to appropriately express them or are reluctant to talk to us about how they are feeling. How do we […]
Responsive Relationships | To Help Kids with Emotions, Help Yourself
In my monthly column ASK Dr. Donna, I answer questions from concerned, worried, and anxious parents about how their kids are doing and offer ideas, provide advice, and suggest ways on how to handle situations that cause children, and their moms and dads, emotional discomfort and distress. What I always try to impress upon parents, however, […]
Pandemic babies are behind. Years of stress, isolation have affected their brain development-Dr. Housman in USA Today
In ideal scenarios, the adults are emotionally and physically available for the child at all times. They are responsive to their kid’s needs, helping them regulate their emotions and understand the myriad stimuli they’re taking in…But for many parents, doing that became all but impossible once the pandemic hit…” A new and important article […]
ASK Dr. Donna-Changing the Legacy of Avoiding Emotions: Freeing Children to Feel
Dear Dr. Donna,
Helping Parents and Children Talk About Shootings
Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone. ~Mister Rogers Unfortunately, violence is a part of […]
Stop the Cycle of Struggling in Silence and Ignoring Your Emotions
As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, we find ourselves at a critical point in the state of mental health for young and old around the globe. We were seeing an alarming rise in rates of depression, anxiety, toxic stress, and suicide for all ages. The past two tumultuous years have impacted every corner […]
Instill Wonder in Young Children With Earth Day Activities
In this article, you will find 10 Earth Day Activities, 12 Earth Day Lesson Ideas, and 10 Earth Day Picture Books to instill wonder in young children. Jump to: Earth Day Activity Ideas Earth Day Lesson Ideas Earth Day Book List As we celebrate Earth Day, let’s use this great opportunity to spark and empower […]
ASK Dr. Donna-Helping children deal with failure (of expectations)
Dear Dr. Donna, Our 9-year-old son is academically gifted and a talented athlete. As a result of his success in the classroom and on the baseball field, we find that when things get tough or he is faced with failure, he struggles to maintain his composure and persevere. He is his own worst critic. We […]