Children/Adolescents

It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog. But last night, when I was having trouble sleeping, I decided to be both productive and find the silver lining by writing down the thoughts circulating in my head. I know there has been a lot of fake and disturbing news, but here are 3 things I know are true about coping effectively with the new upside down world of coronavirus. Be Productive with Your Worry: It is understandable that both adults and children can feel overwhelmed during these times. However, did you know that some worry is good? Worry [...]

View Original Article >> p. 16 Volume 46 Issue 3 It's the day of the state math test at Harrison Avenue Elementary School in Westchester County, New York, and Persee, the perseverant puppy mascot, sits on top of the smart board, a visual reminder to students of the instruction they have been given throughout the school year that "perseverance pays off!" When faced with a challenging question, Persee reminds these third graders to exhibit an optimistic mindset, use flexible strategies in the face of obstacles, and to treat themselves with kindness and compassion. Understanding and Framing the Problem Persee is [...]

If you missed my talk at Edgemont on The Keys to Student Success here is your opportunity to watch it.

Business consultant and camp guru, Sarah Kurtz McKinnon, interviews psychologist, writer, and fellow EOT faculty member, Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman, about selecting staff with grit and cultivating their on-site perseverance. https://youtu.be/7Udg56gp2Ek  

Join Sarah Kurtz McKinnon and Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman as they discuss, "Getting Staff To Be Gritty", on Tuesday, Jan. 16 @ 1pm EST! Register Here: https://events.genndi.com/channel/EOT_Webinars_Gritty  

Psychologist Caren Baruch-Feldman offers 10 crucial strategies to help you stick to it, whatever “it” happens to be. Being gritty, having self-control in the face of temptations, and rebounding from failure are not easy. However, there are ways that we know from science that make it easier for us to have stick-to-it-ness. The question is, what are some ways that can put you in the driver’s seat, as opposed to being driven by your temptations? Here are my top ten strategies (secret recipe) based on the latest scientific research in helping people change in general that can be applied to [...]

When was the last time you modeled Cousin Vinny and asked your kids: How do you like your grits: regular, creamy, or al dente? Sure, french toast with crispy bacon, a slice of tasty pizza, or a Big Mac (or two) might be their preference but if you want to feed them the stuff that will help them achieve their goals, feed them healthy portions of grit.

Part three of a three-part series on fostering grit in teen clients. Read part one and two. So far, I have suggested ways teens can grow their grit by focusing on changing themselves—their mind-set and behavior. As important as this internal work is, it’s equally important that teens build a community of grit—a grit team. When I speak to teens, they often tell me that connections to other people are what helps them persevere in the face of obstacles. Here are some ideas and concepts you can share with your teen clients to encourage them to create a community of [...]

Click to View Original Article Congratulations to Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman who was awarded School Psychologist of the Year by the New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) for Westchester/Rockland/Putnam Counties.  Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman works with students at Harrison Avenue Elementary School. "I believe that my work in teaching the importance of growing character strengths led to this award," Dr. Baruch-Feldman said.  "I have worked on developing the character strengths of kindness, flexibility, and grit with students at Harrison Avenue for the last few years.  Across the grade level and peer-to-peer, we have been working on explicitly teaching character [...]

Part two of a three-part series on fostering grit in teen clients. Read part one here. While developing a gritty mind-set is important, if that mind-set is not accompanied by a change in behavior, you will not get the results you want. So, how can you help your clients create gritty behavior? Set Effective Goals Help your teen clients establish goals that are specific and measurable—and then stretch them. Encourage them to write their goals down and place them where they will see them every day, for example, on their bathroom mirror or as a daily reminder on their phones. [...]