Parenting and educating children is one of the greatest experiences in life, but it comes with plenty of emotionally draining challenges. Join me as I discuss strategies and tips for how to hack your brain, build and strengthen relationships, and teach people how to recognize and neutralize their emotional states.
Not happy with a child’s behavior? Feeling stressed out? Just want to learn more about emotions and the brain? This podcast is for YOU.
This episode is all about food and gut health….and how it affects your brain and your mood.
Processed food, high sugar intake, added hormones, and pesticides all affect your digestive system. Your gut biome cannot break those down easily, which disrupts the bacteria in your gut. Your gut has a direct line to your brain, so this disruption affects your brain and mood.
In this episode, Lauren has a conversation with Renee Pena Lopez, an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist in New York City and also the creator of The Magic of Littles. They discuss working with young kids, the importance of play, and the need for connection.
Read MoreThis series discusses various design elements and how they impact stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. Based on recent research, lighting supports student performance. Fluorescent bulbs are counterproductive to students’ learning and have proven to be a natural stressor.
Read MoreThis series discusses various design elements and how they impact stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. When it comes to temperature, think how you feel on a hot, humid day. Sweaty, hot, exhausted. Now, think how a child feels in a hot classroom. They will struggle to remember what they learned that day.
Read MoreThis series discusses various design elements and how they impact stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. Have you ever been out for a walk and smelled something that triggered a memory? Our sense of smell can trigger memories and strong emotions, both good and bad.
Read MoreThis series discusses various design elements and how they impact stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. Color has its own magnetic frequency. It has an energy that influences the neurological pathways in the brain. Color also influences our moods, emotions, and actions. It is very impactful, so why not choose colors to help kiddos learn?
Read MoreThis series discusses various design elements and how they impact stress, productivity, attention, and behavior. A study by Cornell University found that chronic noise caused stress in children. The body and the brain are in tune to things nearby, including sound. The brain expends energy processing those sounds, which takes away from focus and attention for learning.
Read MoreLauren has an informative, in-depth conversation with Justina Hertzler about food and mood regulation. They discuss the importance of asking questions and the difference in pharmaceutical vs herbal options.
Read MoreSensory Integration is the act of integrating all of your senses to neutralize and balance the body. Research shows how it repairs damaged neurons from stress or trauma. It’s also one of the best forms of therapy to calm kiddos and lower the chance of breakdown.
Read MoreLauren has an in-depth conversation with certified Early Childhood Educator, Katie Deppen. Katie discusses in detail the classroom changes and teaching challenges during a global pandemic.
Read MoreWhat if you could change the way the brain works just by changing what you feed yourself and your kiddos? YOU CAN!
Food is medicine and can heal your body. Food and nutrition is also a significant contributor to how our brain operates.
Read MoreListen to our in-depth conversation with integrated nutrition health coach, Lindsey Kaszuba. She helps women make food and lifestyle changes tailored specifically for them. Lindsey teaches people to integrate health into their lifestyles.
Read MoreMany studies show the benefits of exercise and movement of the body. Our job as parents and educators is to set limits on the use of technology and teach kids why it’s important. They will learn self-control along with improving their focus and mental capacity.
Read MoreProgressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is simply a tense and release strategy. Tense certain muscle groups, hold tight for a few seconds, then release. It’s free, requires little effort or energy, and the best part….kids think it’s fun!
Read MoreOne of the best calming and coping mechanisms is simply breathing. It’s free, easy, cheap, and you can do it anytime, anywhere. Short, quick breaths increase energy and elevate you. Long, slow breaths calm you. Lauren explains the benefits of long, slow breaths and how to teach the techniques to children.
Read MoreSome calming strategies are used as a preventative while others are reactive. These strategies are referred to as being either Bottom-Up or Top-Down Approach. Lauren explains each approach and how to easily add to your daily life.
Read MoreIf a child responds strongly to any of their senses, then a Sensory Need is likely. These responses could be to loud noises, the volume of a voice or classroom, textures of food or clothes, etc. Often, these things may seem normal to you and others, but to the child, they are extremely irritating. This can often cause unwanted behavior.
Read MoreA Physical Need is any physiological need that is unmet. Food, water, shelter, and sleep are key physical needs. Most often, the first 3 are met. Sleep is a big factor in mood shifts and emotion management.
Read MoreThink about it. How much control do kids really have over their daily activities? Likely 90% of adult communication with kids is directive or authoritative. Wake up, get out of bed, brush your teeth, put on these clothes, get on the school bus, eat your dinner, etc. When someone has little control over their life, it ignites the stress response system. A constant lack of control causes the NEED for control to grow.
Read MoreThe second of the 5 Needs Areas is the attachment and relationship need. This is the need to feel connected, that you belong to a group. The groups could be a family system, a school system, or a classroom.
When kids are lacking in this need area, they will seek ways to connect and belong. For example, a child may be overly kind and loving or needy.
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