Elise Belknap, PhD

06/12/2023

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/06/12/1180867083/tips-to-outsmart-dopamine-unhook-kids-from-screens-sweets

Dopamine is a part of our brain's survival mechanism. It is also part of why sugary foods and social media hook kids. The latest neuroscience can help parents help their kids manage behavior.

01/29/2023

Despite being well intentioned, telling someone they’re ok when they are upset minimises their distress and may actually stop them coming to us the next time they need emotional support. Here are some simple alternatives that don’t feed their distress but still acknowledge how they are feeling 💜

11/12/2022

When a human has uncontrolled, agitated movements, (including screaming, and running away), it's a probable sign of the activation of the fight or flight (Sympathetic) pathway of the nervous system. That's why it's not recommended to use harsh discipline when a child is agitated. What they need in the moment is compassion, and the adult's knowledge that the child has lost the ability to self-regulate.

11/12/2022

I talk with parents, teachers, and other caregivers about this frame, behavior is communication, all the time. I live the way Jake Ernst illustrates these four functions. 🫶🏻

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=434661118846721&id=100069085105719

11/02/2022

Kids are often blamed for being emotionally dysregulated and partly for good reason. While children's brains are developing they physically can't manage big emotions. But so often children are singled out for having emotional melt-downs when parents are completely losing control of their own emotions too. It's easy to blame the child as we as parents can feel justified in losing control because kids can be so frustrating. Lets face it, nobody can push your buttons like your child. The problem is, if we lose control of our emotions when our kids are out of control, then we set up a culture of dysregulation. Emotions feed off emotions, so if we are going to bring calm we need to learn to regulate ourselves.

More information on my blog

https://www.thetherapistparent.com/post/creating-a-self-regulated-family

09/28/2022

09/13/2022

Comprehensive, age-appropriate s*x ed has all kinds of social, emotional and academic benefits, researchers say. Here's what that looks like, from K through 12.

09/10/2022

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-easiest-person-to-fool/

In the United States, we often praise people with strong convictions, and look down on those who express doubt or hesitation. In this favorite 2021 episode, psychologist Adam Grant pushes back against the benefits of certainty, and describes the magic that unfolds when we challenge our own deeply-he...

09/07/2022

09/07/2022

True for students, teachers, administrators, parents.

Maslow....then students can BLOOM. 🌸