7 mins read

Packing More than Backpacks: What Psychologists Want You to Know is the Real Back-to-School Essential

Packing More than Backpacks: What Psychologists Want You to Know is the Real Back-to-School Essential
Across the U.S., schools have been back in session for anywhere from just a week to over a month. Parents have been doing what we always do this time of year: creating opportunities for our children to grow through experiences that reach beyond the classroom walls. We sign them up for sports, dance, music lessons, and tutoring. We make sure their backpacks are stocked with notebooks, water bottles, and snacks. But when it comes to their emotional health, too often we leave them to “figure it out” on their own — without the same preparation or tools we provide in every other area of their lives.

6 mins read

When Competition Crosses the Line into Toxicity

Last spring, something happened that really made me pause. I realized what happens when competition crosses the line into toxicity. My daughter came home unusually quiet. Not her usual after-school burst of stories and snacks and backpack chaos… just… quiet. I sat with her, and it took a while, but she finally told me what was going on.