How do you help your kid build a sense of determination to achieve their lifelong dreams and goals? How do you help them see when they might want to ease off and take a break?

This week we explore the polarity of bearing down and easing up, in line with our member lesson on grit. Use the lesson to explore the concept in your home:

https://upliftkids.org/lessons/grit

How do you help kids find the inner courage to act on their values without spilling over into recklessness? How do you help them practice caution without spilling over into paralysis?

In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon give practical insights about striking a blend between courage and caution — helping kids and parents find wisdom.

At Uplift Kids, we talk about learning how to align with our inner compass and helping kids do the same. But how do we balance our inner authority with useful insight from external authority — from people who are experts in their field or who have lived long lives and have something to share from it?

This conversation pairs with our lesson on listening to your inner compass:

https://upliftkids.org/lessons/inner-compass

"Actions may speak louder than words," writes the psychology professor Angela Duckworth, "but actions and words *together* send the clearest message of all."

Uplift Kids helps families helps families strike a balance of warmth and structure — a balance that parenting researchers says is critical to familial wellbeing. In this episode, we explore why talking about values at home matters and different ways you can do it.

In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon share ways to approach the holidays that can transcend and include a variety of beliefs and approaches. If you find yourself wondering how to make Christmas work when so many people disagree about beliefs, get some ideas here and in our Christmas mini-lesson:

https://upliftkids.org/lessons/christmas/

Setting aside time to reflect on the year creates space for gratitude, celebration, and growth. This episode helps listeners prepare for our new year-in-review lesson in our lesson library, which gives families simple activities to remember the successes and failures of the year.

https://upliftkids.org/lessons/looking-back

The ancient philosophy of Stoicism urges us to focus on what we can control and to not worry about what we cannot control. It's an insight that has tremendous value in therapy, counseling, and at home. Listen to this episode to see how to put this insight to use.

"Rituals play very important functions in human societies," writes Dimitris Xygalatas, author of Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living. "They help individuals through their anxieties, connect to one another. They help people find meaning in their lives.”

In this episode we explore how rituals can help kids feel a sense of stability and connection.

How do you navigate potential disagreement with family members during Thanksgiving? How do you create an atmosphere of gratitude? We explore these questions and also demonstrate how you can use sentence stems during the Thanksgiving meal — found in our Thanksgiving mini-lesson:

https://upliftkids.org/lessons/thanksgiving/

Regardless of belief or disbelief, having regular time to express intentions, gratitude, and awe can deepen wellbeing. In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon explore different ways to approach prayer and meditation, including attuning to your wisest self, and how the essence of prayer can be helpful for spiritual health — again, regardless of belief or disbelief.