Cultivate… COMMUNICATION with The Power of Pause

Did you know that taking a moment of silence in between statements is actually an important skill to mindful communication? Children (and adults) who don’t have the skills to control their impulsive behaviors tend to be more reactive (immediate and without conscious thought) than responsive (longer, thoughtful action) in a stressful situation. So when kids…

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Cultivate… COMMUNICATION by Sharing Feelings Through Art

Are you curious to how your child is feeling but he or she struggles with communication? This can be very frustrating to parents and caregivers to not know how their child is feeling during difficult times such as experiencing a loss in the family, stay-at-home orders due to the pandemics, or even bullying situations. That…

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Cultivate… COMMUNICATION and Talk To Kids About The Dangers of Marijuana and Illicit Drugs

National Prevention Week incorporates daily themes to focus on substance abuse topics and today, we will be talking about preventing illicit drug use and youth marijuana use. Did you know individuals between the ages of 12-25 years who use marijuana could potentially experience opioid misuse, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episodes (SAMHSA 2019)? As…

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Cultivate…COMMUNICATION with Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week!

This week is the perfect week to cultivate communication with a teacher because it’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Not only does this help your child keep connection with an important adult in their life, but it also fosters gratitude. We’ve talked about the science of gratitude before: https://okptacultivate.com/2019/11/28/cultivate-knowledge-by-understanding-the-science-of-gratitude/ If you need some ideas for how to…

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Cultivating… COMMUNICATION with Self-Empowering Mantras

Everyone knows that self-care is important and having a self-care routine can reduce our anxiety and restore our energy (physically and mentally). But sometimes, we lack the motivation to practice self-care. So what do we do if once we lose motivation and energy to continue our self-care routines? The answer: positive self-talk. We’ve mentioned before…

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Cultivate… COMMUNICATION with “Words To Live By” Activity

Art has many benefits to our mental health using art in a therapeutic way can help us develop self-awareness and self-confidence. In fact, art therapy is also used to help children develop social skills and achieve their sense of well-being. No matter how creative or experienced you are, there are many art therapy practices which…

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Cultivate… COMMUNICATION with SAMHSA’s Tips for Talking with Children During COVID-19

Supportive adults such as parents, caregivers, and teachers have an important role in communicating with children and providing them with support to help them manage their responses to COVID-19. The Substance Abused Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released their talking tips to help parents and other supportive adults to communicate effectively with children and…

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Cultivate…COMMUNICATION during Stress

More than ever, there is a need to have important conversations and make important decisions with family members concerning changes to routine and other life adjustments. At the same time, one or more family members may be experiencing elevated levels of stress on a given day. Talk about a recipe for potential conflict! If you…

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