This month, ClassDojo and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence announced a partnership to bring mindfulness to millions of kids around the world. Together, ClassDojo and Yale have created a set of activities related to ‘Mindfulness’ for home and school, to be made available to all ClassDojo teachers and parents over the coming weeks.

It has been shown that regular mindfulness practice — even just a few minutes per day — improves students’ optimism, reduces stress, and increases students’ ability to feel empathy for others.

“Practicing mindfulness helps to reduce stress and enhance attention — factors critical to a child’s success, not only in school but later in life,” says Marc Brackett Ph.D., Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. “The challenge is ensuring that students, regardless of where their school is located, have the opportunity to benefit from mindfulness. ClassDojo provides an exciting opportunity to extend the powerful benefits of mindfulness to tens of millions of students.”

ClassDojo also conducted a new, national survey which found that even though only 13% of teachers and parents report having a mindfulness practice at their school, 70% want one.

“Learning to center yourself, stay focused, and be aware of others’ feelings are all things I know will benefit my students far into the future,” said Cindy Price a first grade teacher in New Castle, Delaware. “When my class found out the ClassDojo monsters will be talking about mindfulness, they all insisted on doing their own mindful yoga poses that afternoon in preparation!”

ClassDojo’s previous activity series on Growth Mindset and Empathy have been seen by 1 in 3 kids under the age of 14 in the U.S.

As with ClassDojo’s previous collaborations with Stanford (PERTS) and Harvard (Making Caring Common Project), the Mindfulness activities will be made available to all ClassDojo classrooms around the world.

“We believe that to create incredible classrooms at scale, classrooms need to be connected to the best ideas in the world,” said Chris Frank, head of research at ClassDojo. “In partnering with Yale, we have the ability to help millions of kids learn about mindfulness — from the US to Turkey to South Korea. For many of them, May will be the month of Mindfulness: we can’t wait to see the reaction!”

ClassDojo now reaches 90% of K-8 schools in the U.S. as well as schools in over 180 countries.

“The companies that get my attention are the ones transforming education at an unprecedented scale. ClassDojo is one of those companies,” said Deborah Quazzo, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at GSV Acceleration. “This partnership with Yale is another step in ClassDojo’s vision of helping any teacher, anywhere, create an incredible, modern classroom.”

ClassDojo: Mindfulness will begin on May 8, with activity guides and short videos for home and school released over the course of following two weeks.

For more information on ClassDojo’s Mindfulness activities, please visit https://www.classdojo.com/ideas and https://www.classdojo.com/about.

“5 Tips to Teach your Kids Mindfulness”

Paying attention to your own, and to your children’s, emotions and responding mindfully

1. Recognize emotions: Paying attention to emotions – both one’s own and others – is a critical step toward building self-and social-awareness. Our facial expressions, body language, and vocal tones convey important messages, from, “I’m here for you” to “stay away!”
2. Understand emotions: Learning what caused your child to feel the way they do, and sharing the reasons why we feel the way we do as parents, deepens communication and builds mutual respect. Asking open-ended questions such as, “what happened?” or “what do you believe caused you to feel this way?” helps to build this skill.
3. Label emotions: We use language to inform thinking and communication. Try using specific emotion words such as disappointed instead of upset, or peaceful instead of good. The more nuanced our emotion vocabulary becomes as parents, the more advanced our children become at effectively communicating their feelings.
4. Express emotions: Each home has an “emotional climate.” Creating a home where all emotions matter and can be talked about – the pleasant and unpleasant – helps to build trust, safety, openness, and authentic communication among all family members. As parents, we need to be comfortable discussing the full range of emotions with our children.
5. Regulate emotions: Each day, we are modeling both effective and ineffective ways to manage emotions. Be mindful of modeling “positive self-talk” (e.g., it will all work out) as opposed to “negative self-talk” (e.g., nothing ever turns out the way it’s supposed to”) will help your child to learn helpful, as opposed to unhelpful, ways to deal with emotions.

* Tips from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Credit:

About ClassDojo

ClassDojo’s mission is to give teachers, parents, and students the power to create incredible classrooms. Founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, California, ClassDojo is a communication platform that helps students build important life skills while creating a simple way for teachers, parents, and students to share what’s happening during the school day through photos, videos, and messages. Today, 90% of K-8 schools in the U.S., as well as a further 180 countries, have joined ClassDojo. To learn more, visit: https://www.classdojo.com/ or Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Emotions drive learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, and health. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence uses the power of emotions to create a healthier, and more equitable, productive, and compassionate society, today and for future generations. We conduct research and design educational approaches that support people of all ages in developing emotional intelligence and the skills to thrive and contribute to society. We do this work because the well-being and sustainability of our society depends on each of us using our emotions intelligently. To learn more, visit: http://ei.yale.edu/ or Facebook and Twitter.

Colgate is shaking things up with the latest addition to the Colgate Total® portfolio – new Colgate Total® Advanced Health Mouthwash. Building on the dual phase trend seen in many health and beauty products, this mouthwash is the first oral care product to contain two-layer technology; combining freshening power with germ killing ingredients (cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)). First, shake the bottle to activate, next clean to remove 24x more bacteria* and then you will see the results in the sink! Simply – Shake, Clean, See – for a healthier mouth!

I tried this one out and was quite impressed! Just make sure to Shake it up first! I like that it really removes plaque! I really did notice a difference after using this Mouthwash.

MSRP:

• 200mL: $4.99
• 400mL: $5.99
• 800mL: $7.99

Self Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate this post. A photo was provided.

Springtime is here and that means Picnic time! Memorial Day is also approaching!

For the Kids

• Flavored Water: Stay hydrated! Fun for kids and smart for parents, AquaBall’s naturally flavored water is the only zero-sugar, zero-calorie, zero-preservative children’s beverage around. Available in four flavors, Berry Frost, Fruit Punch, Grape, and Strawberry Lemonade, and features fan favorite characters from Disney’s Frozen, Disney Princesses, Marvel’s Avengers, and Disney Classic Characters, the bottle alone will bring a smile to any kid’s face.

My son really likes these!

• Fruit Snacks: Both gluten-free and preservative-free, Go Organically® Fruit Snacks and Welch’s® Fruit Snacks taste delicious AND are an excellent source of Vitamins A and E.

These are a big hit in our house!

• Pasta: Whip up a quick, easy and nutritious pasta salad with Explore Cuisine, an alternative pasta brand that integrates beans, peas, lentils, and rice to provide you with nourishing meals which are easy, quick, colorful, and simply delicious! All Explore Cuisine products are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and jam packed with nutrients.

I tried these for the first time and I was quite impressed! They are full of flavor!

And…one of my favorites…

• Sparkling Water: Stay hydrated with Sparkling Ice! An excellent soda alternative, Sparkling Ice is slightly carbonated with B-Vitamins, Vitamin D and antioxidants. This light and refreshing beverage is the perfect addition to any picnic, containing zero calories, zero carbs, and is gluten free and sodium free.

Look for them at your local grocery stores!

Self Disclosure: Photos and samples were provided for the above. 

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac disease is a serious genetic autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. The most common symptoms of Celiac disease are nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. In support of Celiac Awareness Month, Tandoor chef has launched a new campaign to show consumers suffering from Celiac Disease the ease of having great restaurant-quality, gluten free meal options to enjoy.

Throughout this campaign, consumers are encouraged to share their go-to gluten free Tandoor Chef meal on social media. By using the hashtag #GlutenFreeGoTo, they will be entered to win the grand prize of a month of free Tandoor Chef.

WHERE:

#GlutenFreeGoTo will be hosted on Tandoor Chef’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

WHEN:

#GlutenFreeGoTo begins May 1 and will conclude May 31.

I just love their food! I received free coupons to try out some of the ones I found at my local store and can’t wait to try others!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

To learn more about Tandoor Chef, visit http://www.tandoorchef.com  

Credit for the contest: Tandoor Chef. Coupons and photos were also provided.

Kids love to construct and the Techno Gears Bionic Bug kit from The Learning Journey is the perfect way to encourage them to build. With its 80+ colorful construction pieces, power motor and more, this kit includes everything a child needs to build their own bug with motorized gears. The product aligns with the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math standards and introduces children to the science of gear ratio.  Techno Gears Bionic Bug is for ages 6+ and is available online and at specialty retailers for approximately $19.99.

I like that this is bright, colorful and just simply fun! It’s also educational and really is a fun way to learn!

Techno Gears Bionic Bug is for ages 6+ and is available online and at specialty retailers for approximately $19.99. You can find it here.

Rocket Science for Babies: Physicist Creates Science Board Book Series! I love this! I really wish this set had been available when my son was a baby.

In a world where toddlers operate smart-phones and computers before they learn to walk, is it really too soon to teach them Newton’s three laws of motion or Einstein’s theory of general relativity? Physicist and father, Chris Ferrie, doesn’t think so.

Chris’s mission to teach toddlers (and their adults) advanced science and math concepts before they encounter them in school led him to create Baby University, a board book series that introduces young readers to complex ideas like physics and math using simple explanations and colorful illustrations.

All books in the series approach topics with a tongue-in-cheek humor that adults will love sharing with their little geniuses or their adult friends. In Rocket Science for Babies readers learn about the basics of aerospace engineering. General Relativity for Babies introduces Einstein’s most famous theory and teaches babies all about black holes, gravitational waves, and more. Quantum Physics for Babies and Newtonian Physics for Babies give simple introductions to the principles that give quantum physics and Newton’s laws of motion their names.

These first four books in the series were released on  May 2, 2017. Additional releases will be added to the series July 2017, October 2017, and January 2018.

Disney Gets into Subscriptions!

Do you have a Princess at home?  They will absolutely love this!

       

Do you want to make your dad feel special? Father’s day is near and it is an excellent opportunity to showcase your love and appreciation for your dad. There are so many gifting options. Choosing any one can be a challenging thing.

Father’s Day is not far away and if you want to make him special and extraordinary, gifting him with presents won’t be a bad idea. Sometimes it can be really difficult to choose a gift for your father on the special day. Selecting a gift for your dad depends largely on his interests. If it is your child’s first time celebrating Father’s day, as a mother you can make arrangements and make your partner feel special. If you and your little one are struggling for ideas you can try to find the perfect Fathers’ Day Gift Ideas in 2017 From Look What’s Cool and then decide what to get after that.

Today, in the digital age, even your dad is tech savvy and won’t mind if he is gifted with the new age gadgets and technology. The market is flooded with so many different products apt for gifting your dad and showing your love, respect and appreciation towards him.

The article highlights some of the best gifts that you can present him on the Father’s Day.

Fitness tracker band

If you want your father to adopt the healthy way of living and adhere to fitness activities, gifting the activity tracker band, can be an excellent option. It is a smart accessory that can fit on your wrist and can monitor our heart rate, keep a track on your workouts and also your sleeping patterns. It can sync with your smartphone easily and give your call notifications right on your wrist.

DSLR camera

You are well aware of your dad’s fascination and love for photography. Fulfilling the responsibilities of the family head, he seemed to have forgotten about his passion and even never complained about it. How about gifting your father a DSLR camera? Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it? Help your father nurture the skills of photography and give him the opportunity to capture his best snaps. Your dad will simply love you for it.

An oak recliner

From morning till night, you must have found your dad running from home to grocery shops to office and everywhere to meet your and other family members demands. Don’t you think your father needs a break as well and relax for some time with his very own time? Gifting an oak recliner seems to be an excellent idea. Allow him to relax watching television or reading his favorite book with his favorite cup of coffee.

An expensive watch

Your dad deserves to be treated like a king. You can make him feel so by gifting him with an expensive, luxury watch. All through the years he had hardly spent on expensive items on himself. On such a special occasion, you have the opportunity to make your dad feel special about everything he has been doing for you all these years.

Wireless speaker

Does your dad loving listening to the old classics. But he always have to depend on the laptop or desktop for listening to songs. The quality of the songs is not up to the mark, but he doesn’t care much. Give him the taste of real musical treat with the wireless speaker. You dad can enjoy music anytime, anywhere without compromising on the quality.

Are you planning to beautify your kid’s playroom? There are several ways that can be executed. All you need is being creative. Go for some fun designs.

As a parent, you definitely want the space for your child to enjoy his/her childhood and expand their imaginations. A creatively designed and decorated playroom for your kid can be an excellent option to consider. It will be your child’s favourite place in the home. The article highlights on some of the creative and innovative ideas for making your child’s playroom a magical space in the entire home.

Let us get into the brief of some of the ideas.

Using fun and vibrant color

When you are planning to paint your kid’s playroom, you have to give special attention to the colors. Since it is the room where your child will be spending the majority of his/her time, you have to choose the colors that represent positive feelings and creates an ambiance of fun and enjoyment. It is essential to understand the psychology of each color. For instance, blue and green represents calmness and tranquillity, purple is associated with creativity, passion and wisdom, red is associated with energy.

Lighting needs to be focused

Lighting plays a vital role while designing the playroom for your kid. You need to make sure that the room gets enough light so that the child doesn’t get fatigued or tired and continues with his/her creativity flowing all over the room. It is best to have large sized windows so that the natural light can come in, keeping the environment refreshed. In fact, you can also add light fixtures to brighten up the room.

Don’t neglect the flooring

If you want to guarantee a comfortable and safe room for your child, it is suggested that you shouldn’t neglect the floor. Despite the presence of carpet on the floor, adding more plush down can keep the floor safe for the kids and is also comfortable for the kids. The plush area rug is the best option because they are soft in texture, apt for the kids and are also easy to clean, especially with the liquid spills.

Considering a storage space

Since it is your kid’ playroom, the floor will be covered with scattered toys here and there. This not only makes the room look messy, but can be dangerous as well as there is every possibility of toppling down. It is where the storage space comes into the scene so that all the toys can be placed in one particular space. Cut my plastic can be an excellent option for making storage boxes for kid’s toys and other materials.

Creating an art gallery

Have you ever thought of displaying your child’s drawings and paintings on the walls of your home? How about considering a separate art gallery on your kid’s playroom? Sounds a great idea, isn’t it? Creating an art gallery can encourage your kid to continue being innovative and creative. Choose a wall on the room and add some fancy frames. In fact, you can also hand two or three strings and place hanging frames. It will also give a new texture to the whole room.

The above mentioned are some of the creative ideas to design your kid’s playroom. Have a look at them and try to include the same.