Alex Anderson-Kahl Of Healing Little Hearts Blog On The 5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School
First, parents can protect their kids sleep. Sleep is one of the most underrated tools for school success. The research is overwhelming: when children are well-rested, their focus, behavior, memory, and emotional regulation improve significantly. A child who is sleep-deprived will struggle to stay engaged, handle frustration, or retain new information.
I’ve worked with students who seemed constantly “off” in class. They look tired, emotional, or unable to sit still. It often turns out they were simply exhausted. Once their families put consistent bedtime routines in place, their school performance and behavior changed dramatically. Shutting down screens an hour before bed, sticking to a regular bedtime, and using calming routines like reading or soft music can make a world of difference.
School is really not easy these days. Many students have been out of school for a long time because of the pandemic, and the continued disruptions and anxieties are still breaking the flow of normal learning. What can parents do to help their children thrive and excel in school, particularly during these challenging and anxiety-provoking times?
To address this, we started a new series called ‘5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School.” In this interview series, we are talking to teachers, principals, education experts, and successful parents to learn from their insights and experience.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure to interview Alex Anderson-Kahl
Alex Anderson-Kahl is a nationally certified school psychologist, mental health advocate, and founder of Healing Little Hearts, a platform dedicated to helping parents raise emotionally strong, connected children. With over a decade of experience supporting families through grief, anxiety, and big emotions, Alex combines evidence-based psychology with compassionate, practical tools that empower parents to lead with calm and confidence. His mission is to equip families with the strategies and support they need to build homes where children feel safe, seen, and resilient. You can learn more at AlexAndersonKahl.com
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us a bit about your “backstory”?
Absolutely, and thank you for having me. My journey into this work began as a summer camp counselor, which led me to a role as a youth specialist at a residential facility for abused and delinquent youth. After a few years, I took a hiatus from that work and began supporting adults with severe mental health needs in a different residential setting. That experience sparked my love for mental health, but I quickly realized I missed working with children. School psychology became the perfect blend of both passions: mental health and supporting kids in meaningful, long-term ways.
One thing I’ve come to believe deeply is what I call the “school psychology paradox.” I got into this field to help children directly, but the most impactful work I do is actually with the adults around them. I spend much of my time equipping parents, caregivers, and educators with the tools they need to support children more effectively. That is what led me to start the Healing Little Hearts blog, to extend that support beyond the school walls and reach parents in a more accessible and empowering way.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with a wide range of communities, from rural areas in South Dakota to urban school districts in Colorado and Georgia. What unites them all is the shared desire to see children thrive, and it is an honor to be part of that process.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It’s hard to choose just one story, because this work is full of moments that stay with you. But early in my career, I worked with a third-grade student I’ll call Steve. He had been expressing suicidal thoughts and showing signs of emotional distress well beyond what most adults were prepared to handle. His parents were terrified and his teachers were at a loss for what to do.
As a young school psychologist, I spent a lot of time one-on-one with him, trying to help him process the emotions he was carrying. One day, I tried something new. I gave him a ball and asked him to bounce it off the wall while we talked. He had to focus on throwing, catching, and breathing, all while naming what he was feeling. I could see it click. This wave of relaxation washed over him. It didn’t “fix” everything, but it created space for healing to begin. That moment helped remind me that sometimes the breakthrough comes not from talking more, but from engaging the whole child, body and mind, and creating a sense of control in the chaos. Because emotional regulation is something that kids really need help with.
That belief has only grown stronger over the years. I now see every evaluation and every session as a chance to understand the whole child. I remember a case where a child was being called “stupid” and “unable to learn” by the people around him. He had been written off. But when I did a full evaluation, I realized he wasn’t unintelligent. He was almost completely deaf. He couldn’t hear the lessons, the directions, or even the tone of the people speaking to him. Of course learning felt impossible! That discovery didn’t just reframe the school’s view of him. It reshaped how his parents saw him too. What they once saw as defiance, they now understood as frustration. That insight was life-changing for the family and deepened my own understanding of how much context matters in evaluating behavior.
I’ve also learned hard lessons. Like many school psychologists, I’ve had large caseloads, and it can be easy to fall into routines and overlook important observations. I remember one case involving a student diagnosed with ADHD who was reportedly “zoning out” in class and not listening to directions. I did almost all of my evaluation without observing him in the classroom. Toward the end, I finally went in to observe, and I noticed something concerning. He wasn’t just distracted. He was having absence seizures. I shared my observations with the parents, and they took him to a neurologist who confirmed the diagnosis. He was able to get the treatment he needed, but that experience reminded me that no checklist or rating scale replaces actually seeing the child in their natural setting. We cannot shortcut curiosity.
Then there are the moments that remind me why I do this work. It’s the look on a child’s face when they finally realize they’re not “dumb.” They just learn differently. When I can explain to them, and their families, that their brain simply works in a unique way, it’s like watching a door open. They begin to see themselves differently. The shame starts to fall away, and they begin to believe they can succeed. That moment of empowerment is why I keep doing this, even when the work is hard.
Some of my most successful moments have come from simply being creative and meeting a student where they are. I once worked with a child who would scream, kick, and cry for hours, to the point where classrooms had to be evacuated. Most adults believed he was beyond help. One day, instead of confronting the behavior directly, I walked into the room and calmly started reading my grocery list out loud. I ignored the behavior completely and simply existed in the space without judgment. The student became curious and started asking why I wasn’t trying to stop him. That curiosity opened the door to dialogue, which led to understanding, which eventually led to growth. It was a reminder that sometimes the most effective intervention is simply presence. Being calm, being curious, and refusing to give up.
Each of these stories taught me a version of the same lesson. Children are never the problem. The problem is often that we haven’t yet understood what they need. Whether it’s emotional support, a different learning environment, medical care, or just someone who sees them clearly, every child wants to succeed in their own way. Our job as adults is to slow down long enough to figure out how to help them do that.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have so many life lesson quotes that resonate with me, but one I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately is the Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” It’s a powerful reminder that we always have the ability to create change, even if we wish we had started sooner. That mindset is especially important in my work with children.
As a school psychologist, I often get called in when things feel like they’re falling apart. A teacher is overwhelmed. A parent is in crisis. A child is struggling, and people are hoping for an instant fix. While I can usually provide strategies that lead to real improvement, I also remind the adults in that child’s life that we’re not just trying to solve today’s problem. We’re helping this child grow into the kind of person who thrives five years from now.
I often use a river analogy. Most people are busy pulling kids out of the water just before they go over the waterfall. I want to be the person who builds a net further upstream, so they never get close to the edge.
So that Chinese proverb reminds me and the parents and teachers I work with that today is always a good day to start planting something that will grow.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The three traits that have shaped my success most are listening, curiosity, and empathy. They aren’t flashy, but they are powerful when practiced consistently.
Listening is the first and most important. I work with a lot of angry parents. Most of the time, that anger comes from feeling unheard or believing their child’s needs are being overlooked. One strategy I use is to arrive early before team meetings and meet the parent in the office. I sit down with them, one-on-one, and simply listen. I hear their story before we ever walk into the formal meeting. That small gesture dissolves 90% of the tension in the room. Often, I learn their frustration has nothing to do with the people sitting at the table, but instead with broader school policies or previous experiences. Once they feel heard, they are more open to collaboration. And that only happens because I made time to listen. The truth is the people at the table in that meeting all want to help the kid succeed. The parent just needs to know that they will be heard and that we want to help their kid as well.
Curiosity is another essential trait. There’s a saying, “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” I believe in curiosity as a professional tool. Children are naturally curious, and I think one of the greatest tragedies in education is when we dampen that curiosity instead of feeding it. That same curiosity is what has helped me get to the root of so many student struggles. I had a student once, we’ll call him Timmy, who seemed happy on the surface. But his grades had taken a steep drop, and everyone was jumping to solutions. Teachers were wanting interventions, tutoring, and a psychological evaluation. All good things. But no one had actually asked Timmy what was going on. When I sat down with him, I found out his grandfather had passed away, and he had started using drugs as a way to cope. That changed everything. Instead of just treating the academic issue, we created a real support plan to meet his emotional needs. When he came back to school, he was back to himself. That never would have happened without curiosity.
Empathy is the third trait, and it’s at the heart of how I lead. One of the guiding principles I live by is “connect before correct.” Kids need to feel seen before they’re open to change. Think about your own life. If someone is constantly correcting you but you don’t feel respected or understood by them, you have no motivation to take their advice. You might even double down in defiance. Children are no different. Empathy helps me build the kind of relationships where behavior change becomes possible. When I’m called into a classroom after a major behavioral escalation, the first thing I do is check in with the adults. Because here’s the truth: a dysregulated adult cannot regulate a dysregulated child. I say that phrase constantly, and if someone takes only one thing away from this interview, I hope it’s that. Adults must model calm before asking children to calm down. So let me say it one more time, “A dysregulated adult cannot regulate a dysregulated child.” That’s how connection creates the conditions for growth.
Together, listening, curiosity, and empathy allow me to be both a support system and a leader. They help me de-escalate crisis, understand the whole child, and build trust with the families and teams I work with every day.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, I’m actually working on something I’m really excited about. I’m currently going through the Jai Institute for Parenting to become a certified parenting coach. This program is giving me even more tools to help parents build stronger, healthier relationships with their children. My goal is to bridge what I’ve learned in school psychology with practical, heart-centered strategies that families can use at home.
So much of the work I do centers around helping adults understand what children are really communicating through their behavior. This certification allows me to go even deeper, supporting parents not just with strategies, but with mindset shifts that reduce conflict and increase connection. I believe every parent wants to do right by their child, and sometimes they just need a guide to help them feel more confident and supported. This training will help me serve in that role more effectively and reach even more families through coaching, courses, and digital resources.
Ultimately, I see this as part of a larger mission to create homes where children feel seen, safe, and emotionally secure. When we get that right, everything else like academic success, behavior, and resilience starts to fall into place.
For the benefit of our readers, can you tell us a bit about why you are an authority on how to help children succeed in school?
I’ve spent my entire career helping children navigate the emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges that impact their ability to succeed in school. As a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, I’ve worked with students from all walks of life, from rural communities in South Dakota to urban districts in Colorado and Georgia. My job has always centered on understanding the whole child and helping families and schools work together to meet each student’s needs.
What sets my work apart is that I don’t just look at academic performance or behavior in isolation. I help teams understand the “why” behind a child’s struggles and then build practical, compassionate plans to support growth. Whether it’s conducting psychological evaluations, coaching parents through emotional outbursts, or training teachers to use more reflective language, I take a whole-child, systems-level approach to support lasting success.
On top of that, I’m expanding my work through Healing Little Hearts, a platform I created to bring trauma-informed, evidence-based strategies to parents and caregivers. I’m also currently becoming a certified parenting coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting, which allows me to go even deeper in helping families build strong emotional foundations at home.
Helping children succeed in school isn’t just my profession. It’s my purpose.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. Can you help articulate the main challenges that students face today that make it difficult to succeed in school?
Definitely. Children today are facing more challenges than ever when it comes to school success, and many of those challenges have little to do with intelligence or effort. As a school psychologist, I’ve seen that when students struggle, it’s often not because they don’t want to succeed. It’s because something is getting in the way. Most children want to do well, but we have put some tough obstacles in place. Here are four of the biggest barriers I see every day.
The first one is emotional dysregulation and mental health struggles. Almost every student I work with who is struggling with behavior at school is, at the core, emotionally dysregulated. That simply means they are unable to manage their feelings, behaviors, or energy levels in a way that helps them function well. Once these students are supported in regulating their nervous systems, everything starts to change. We see shifts not just their behavior, but their ability to focus, participate, and feel successful. More importantly, they begin to feel happier and healthier. They build confidence in themselves and start learning life-long skills to manage big emotions.
I use all sorts of tools to help students regulate, but movement breaks are often a game changer. Another one of my favorite strategies is a breathing technique I turn into a game. With younger children, I’ll raise my hand high and have them hold their breath until I lower it. They breathe in rhythm with the rise and fall of my hand. This lets me guide their breath and, by extension, their nervous system. Because I’m regulated, I can help them regulate. And that is the heart of co-regulation. When adults can remain calm and grounded, they can guide a child back to calm too.
The second one is lack of emotional connection. Another huge barrier is the lack of emotional connection at school and at home. In today’s fast-paced, screen-saturated world, meaningful connection is becoming rare. Kids are growing up surrounded by devices, and it’s affecting their ability to bond and trust. The truth is, children cannot learn from someone they don’t feel connected to. Relationships are not optional in education. They are essential.
One strategy I recommend to educators is called Banking Time. It’s a simple but powerful technique where the teacher spends 5 to 10 minutes one-on-one with a student, just following their lead and being fully present. No correcting, no teaching, no praise. Just noticing and reflecting. Saying through your presence, “I see you, I’m here with you, and you matter.” It’s like making deposits into a relationship bank account. And when that emotional bank account is full, the student is more resilient, more open to redirection, and more willing to try, even when learning gets tough. I can be hard for teachers to find the time to do this, but if they put in the effort upfront, not only will the student have a more positive school experience, but the teacher will as well. They will feel more connected and have a happier, more successful school year with more learning taking place.
The third one is executive functioning. Executive functioning skills are one of the most critical predictors of long-term success, and yet they are rarely taught explicitly in schools. These are the mental tools that help students plan, stay organized, manage their time, shift between tasks, and regulate impulses. I see so many middle school students start to struggle when these skills haven’t developed properly. They become overwhelmed and start to fall apart under the pressure.
Some recent research even suggests that executive functioning is just as important as IQ when it comes to future success. But many students are never taught how to manage a planner, break tasks into steps, or regulate their thinking. We, as adults, need to model and teach these skills deliberately. A child who loses every assignment or forgets homework every week might not be unmotivated. They might just be lacking a system. And that is something we can fix with the right supports.
Lastly, I’ll talk about pressure to perform without the tools to succeed. This is one I think gets overlooked far too often. Kids today are under immense pressure to perform, and they often don’t have the developmental tools or emotional skills to handle that pressure. I’ve had parents request IEPs for children because they are getting B’s in math. I’ve worked with high-achieving students who are absolutely riddled with anxiety, afraid of making even one mistake. There’s a cultural message being sent to kids that they must be exceptional at all times or they’re falling behind. That’s an impossible standard.
I try to take the pressure off these students. With older kids, I’ll often ask, “What would actually happen if this assignment didn’t turn out the way you wanted?” Many of them immediately catastrophize. So we roleplay it out. And they quickly realize that missing a homework assignment is not the end of the world. It doesn’t define their worth. The problem isn’t just the test scores. It’s the pressure cooker we’ve created with constant assessments and performance metrics that treat every student the same. We need to redefine success in schools to include emotional well-being and growth, not just academic output.
Emotional dysregulation, lack of connection, underdeveloped executive skills, and toxic performance pressure are all interconnected. When we address them with empathy, structure, and support, we give children not only a chance to succeed in school but the tools to thrive in life.
Can you suggest a few reforms that you think schools should make to help students to thrive and excel?
Absolutely! That’s one of the main reasons why I am here. I want to share 5 practical and easy to implement, evidence-based reforms that schools can begin to implement right away to help students thrive.
First, let’s build emotional check-ins into the school day. One of the easiest and most impactful reforms schools can make is to start the day with emotional check-ins. This can be as simple as asking students to rate how they’re feeling on a scale from 1 to 5, using mood colors, emojis, or even hand signals. These quick moments help students build emotional awareness and give teachers valuable insight into how their students are doing before diving into academics. A child who’s shut down, anxious, or angry is not in a headspace to learn, and if we don’t ask, we might miss it. When students feel seen and acknowledged, they’re more regulated and more available for learning. This can be done on sticky notes, whiteboards, mood meters, or digital platforms like Google Forms. The key is consistency and building this into the routine makes emotional literacy part of the school culture. It also is an instant indicator for which students might need help in co-regulation which is our next reform.
Second, let’s train staff in co-regulation and de-escalation. A dysregulated adult cannot regulate a dysregulated child. This is one of the most important lessons I teach in schools. Children feed off the emotional tone of the adults around them. If a student is in meltdown mode and the adult is frustrated or reactive, the situation often escalates. But when the adult can stay calm and grounded, they can guide the child back to regulation. This is why training staff in co-regulation strategies is essential. These skills don’t need to be complicated. Deep breathing exercises, calm scripts, and grounding techniques like mirroring breath or movement can go a long way. As I mentioned earlier, one strategy I love is using hand signals to guide a child’s breath. Raising a hand to signal when to inhale, lowering it to signal when to exhale. When used consistently, these tools help students feel safe, understood, and in control. A simple 45-minute professional development session on co-regulation can have ripple effects throughout the building.
Third, let’s embed executive functioning skills into everyday teaching. Executive functioning is often the missing link in student success, especially as students get older. Skills like time management, organization, task initiation, and impulse control are essential for learning. Unfortunately, many students struggle with them, particularly those with ADHD, trauma histories, or learning differences. Again, these skills are rarely taught explicitly. We assume kids will just “pick them up,” but the truth is that many don’t. A reform I recommend is embedding executive function coaching into everyday classroom routines. Teachers can model how to break tasks into smaller steps, use visual checklists, or plan backwards from a due date. Even a one-minute “executive skill spotlight” during class transitions can make a huge difference. The earlier we start building these habits, the more prepared students are to navigate school and life.
Fourth, is implementing Banking Time with at-risk students. While I’d love for teachers to do this with all their students, they absolutely must do this with their at-risk kids. One of the most effective ways to reduce behavior problems and increase engagement is to focus on building strong, trusting relationships with students. Banking Time is a simple but powerful strategy that involves setting aside 5 to 10 minutes of non-instructional, non-corrective one-on-one time with a student a few times a week. During this time, the child leads the activity and the adult follows, giving full attention, narrating observations, and showing interest. It’s not about praise or discipline. Instead, it’s about presence. It’s a way of telling the child, “I see you. You matter.” These moments build trust and make later corrections or redirections more effective because they are coming from someone the student has a relationship with. Schools can implement this by assigning staff to rotate through students who may need that extra connection. The returns on this small time investment are enormous.
Lastly, let’s shift our language from “behavior management” to “skill development.” Dr. Byron McClure says we need to shift from “what’s wrong to what’s strong.” Language shapes culture. When schools talk about “managing behavior,” it frames the child as the problem and compliance as the goal. But when we shift the language toward “building skills,” we start to view behavior as a form of communication. Often, students who are disruptive or defiant are struggling with emotional regulation, social skills, or unmet needs. By approaching these challenges through a lens of curiosity rather than control, we open the door to real change. I encourage schools to stop asking, “How do we get this child to behave?” and start asking, “What skill does this child need to succeed in this situation?” This mindset shift helps educators respond with empathy and intentionality, rather than punishment. Small language changes like saying “He’s having a hard time” instead of “He’s being disrespectful” can reshape how we interpret and respond to students. That shift can change everything.
Can you please share your “5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School?” Please share a story or example for each.
Yes! In my work as a school psychologist, I’ve seen over and over again that the small things parents do consistently have the biggest impact. Academic success isn’t just about intelligence or test scores. It’s about emotional well-being, daily routines, relationships, and mindset. Here are five things parents can do, starting today, to help their children truly thrive.
First, parents can protect their kids sleep. Sleep is one of the most underrated tools for school success. The research is overwhelming: when children are well-rested, their focus, behavior, memory, and emotional regulation improve significantly. A child who is sleep-deprived will struggle to stay engaged, handle frustration, or retain new information.
I’ve worked with students who seemed constantly “off” in class. They look tired, emotional, or unable to sit still. It often turns out they were simply exhausted. Once their families put consistent bedtime routines in place, their school performance and behavior changed dramatically. Shutting down screens an hour before bed, sticking to a regular bedtime, and using calming routines like reading or soft music can make a world of difference.
Second, parents should reward effort, not just results. We live in a culture that often praises achievement over effort. But real growth happens when children learn to value persistence, problem-solving, and resilience. When parents celebrate effort, kids learn that mistakes are part of learning, not a reason to give up.
I worked with a student who became paralyzed by perfectionism, breaking down when she made even small mistakes in math. Her parents began shifting their praise away from outcomes and focused instead on her persistence. Instead of saying, “Great job, you got it right,” they started saying, “I noticed how you kept trying even when it got hard.” Over time, she grew more confident, more willing to take risks, and less afraid of failure. Her academic success followed, but more importantly, she began enjoying the learning process again. This is not a one-off incident. Parents that implement this will see major payoff throughout their kids’ lives.
Third, I highly recommend communicating regularly with the teachers. Strong parent–teacher communication builds a support system around your child. When parents and teachers work together, children benefit from consistency, clarity, and shared understanding. Communication shouldn’t just happen when something is wrong. Proactive check-ins foster a team mentality.
I’ve seen powerful outcomes when parents keep teachers in the loop, especially around medication changes or big life events at home. For example, if a child starts a new medication, teachers might observe side effects like changes in focus or mood that parents don’t see at home. Early communication allows for quicker adjustments and better support. Even small things like sending a heads-up about a rough morning can help a teacher offer extra patience or encouragement.
I once worked with a student who was prescribed ADHD medication but didn’t take it consistently. It was always obvious which days the medication had been taken based on the student’s focus and behavior in class. Of course, the decision to use medication is entirely up to the family, in collaboration with their doctors. However, when schools are informed ahead of time about whether the medication was taken, it can make a big difference. Teachers can adjust accordingly. It may mean providing more one-on-one support, offering flexible seating, or simply extending a little extra patience and understanding that day. This helps the student succeed. This is what collaboration can look like.
Fourth, parents can help teach their kids how to name and manage their big emotions. School is full of emotional challenges, including peer conflicts, academic stress, disappointment, and frustration. Helping children navigate these emotions is one of the most valuable things parents can do. Emotional intelligence is just as important as academics for long-term success.
A powerful tool is reflective language. When parents say things like, “You seem really frustrated” or “It looks like that made you sad,” they help children build emotional vocabulary and feel understood. Over time, kids who can name their feelings are better able to manage them. I’ve seen children go from hitting or shutting down to calmly asking for breaks or expressing their needs because at home they are practicing this skill regularly. In fact, it is one of the main skills I teach and work on with parents.
Lastly, parents can make sure they are showing genuine interest in their kid’s world. Children thrive when they feel known. Taking time to ask about your child’s day and really listen builds trust, strengthens your relationship, and helps them process what they’re experiencing at school.
The way you ask matters. “Did you have a good day?” usually gets a one-word response. But “What made you laugh today?” or “What was the hardest part of your day?” opens the door to richer conversations. I’ve seen students completely shift in their willingness to talk when parents ask better questions. One student who rarely shared at home started opening up more once his dad began asking specific, curious, and compassionate questions each night at dinner. This led to him opening up more at school. Raising his hand in class and showing what he knew and was capable of.
These five strategies are simple, powerful ways parents can support their child’s success. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be present. With small, intentional changes, you can create the kind of home environment that helps your child thrive not only in school, but in life.
As you know, teachers play such a huge role in shaping young lives. What would you suggest needs to be done to attract top talent to the education field?
That’s a little outside my realm of expertise. But thinking empathetically and listening to my educator colleagues, I would say that we need to start by showing that we truly value educators. That has to go beyond lip service and be shown with action. Teaching is one of the most emotionally demanding, intellectually complex, and socially important professions that exists. And yet, we continue to underpay, overburden, and undervalue the people we’re asking to do this incredibly important work. That has to change. If we want children to thrive, we need passionate, talented educators leading the way. And if we want passionate, talented educators, we need to build a system that respects, rewards, and retains them.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
If I could sit down for breakfast or lunch with anyone, it would be Brené Brown. Her work has had a profound impact on the way I think about children, families, and schools. The ideas of vulnerability, courage, and wholehearted living show up in classrooms every single day.
In my work, I see how much children need the safety to be vulnerable. They need to know that it is okay to make mistakes, that their worth is not tied to perfection, and that connection matters more than performance. Brené’s research has given language to what so many of us instinctively know but sometimes struggle to put into words.
I would love the chance to talk with her about how her insights on shame and courage could be woven even more deeply into the way we support kids. Imagine a generation of children who grow up already knowing that vulnerability is strength, that self-compassion matters, and that connection is the foundation for success. That is the kind of world I want to help build.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I’d love to connect with readers who are passionate about helping children grow into emotionally healthy, resilient humans. You can follow my work through my website, where I share resources for parents, educators, and caregivers: alexandersonkahl.com. That’s also where you’ll find my blog Healing Little Hearts, upcoming programs, and free guides on supporting kids through big feelings, grief, and behavior challenges.
You can also follow me on social media for regular tips, reflections, and encouragement:
Facebook: facebook.com/AlexAndersonKahl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-anderson-kahl/
Instagram: @alexandersonkahl
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or mental health professional, my goal is to help you feel more confident, compassionate, and equipped to support the children in your life.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Alex Anderson-Kahl Of Healing Little Hearts Blog On The 5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.