Mission Statement: To empower children with the knowledge and skills needed to manage their mental health, build empathy, and lead balanced lives through education and engagement.
Social Emotional and Mental Health Learning
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Social, emotional, and mental health learning is crucial for kids. It equips them with the tools to navigate their emotions, build strong relationships, and manage stress effectively. These skills promote resilience, empathy, and self-awareness, ensuring that children not only excel academically but also thrive in various aspects of their lives, ultimately leading to healthier and more fulfilling futures.
Through trial and error, research, and on the job training, we have found that the 5 Core Competencies of Social Emotional Learning can be learned at home through Adventure, Kindness, Reading & Learning, and Creativity. When mom first started working in the environmental field in the late 1900's, simple ideas took on complex nomenclature at a dizzying pace throughout the early 2000s. Awareness and education led to a radical change in perception. As we struggled with big feelings and mental health strategies, we became aware of the same shift in education. During the pandemic, educational researchers looked at the mental health implications of stressors and the effect on learning. Some of us have known for years (without all the fancy names and organizational strategies) that stressors and emotions play a huge part in childhood development and have strides in applying these strategies in bits and parts at home. We are ECSTATIC that educational establishments and non profits are doing this work. It makes our job of harnessing the research and applying it at home much, much easier. |
About the site
We started with the goal of involving our socially anxious but constantly seeking a challenge daughter in a project using all the things she loves. But we realized this is a roadmap of our priorities as parents. In addition to social emotional skills, we prioritize the following elements for the following reasons:
AdventureOutdoor adventures provide opportunities for physical activity, exposure to nature, and the development of essential life skills. These experiences encourage a sense of curiosity, resilience, and appreciation for the natural world, promoting both physical and mental well-being while fostering a lifelong connection to the environment.
Reading & Learning GamesFree time reading and learning games stimulate intellectual curiosity, improve critical thinking skills, and enhance cognitive development. These activities foster a love for learning, expand vocabulary, and promote problem-solving abilities, all while making education enjoyable and empowering children to become lifelong learners.
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KindnessDaily kindness behaviors and involvement with community organizations foster empathy, teach valuable social skills, and instill a sense of responsibility toward others. These experiences not only promote positive relationships and emotional well-being but also nurture a strong sense of community and social connectedness, which are essential for personal growth and a more compassionate society.
CreativityHobbies offer a creative outlet for self-expression, a means to develop new skills and interests, and a healthy way to unwind and relax. Creativity helps children build self-confidence, explore their passions, and develop a sense of identity outside of academics or other obligations, contributing to their overall personal growth.
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A note about Social Media
Oh social media how we despise you.
We purposefully don't have social media (except Pinterest) for this Maddy Set Go. We believe our children (3, 9, & 12 years old) don't need the FOMO (fear of missing out), unhealthy opinions, and misinformation that is social media.
We realize this cripples us as a business (hello free marketing and promotion), but mom also has social anxiety and knows all too well the pitfalls of engaging too much online. Anyone who reads comments or is a person in the world knows the dangers of social media and mental health. We just won't do it.
Our 12 year old loves TikTok and YouTube, and is very technologically savvy. So we found this site to meet that social media short videos desire:
Weare8.com: (from the site)
WeAre8 is all about making a BIG impact on the world through small daily actions! Connect with your friends, share pictures and vids and follow inspiring creators who are changing the game. Plus, you can earn rewards for watching videos that support social and environmental causes.
You can find us at maddysetgo on weare8!
We purposefully don't have social media (except Pinterest) for this Maddy Set Go. We believe our children (3, 9, & 12 years old) don't need the FOMO (fear of missing out), unhealthy opinions, and misinformation that is social media.
We realize this cripples us as a business (hello free marketing and promotion), but mom also has social anxiety and knows all too well the pitfalls of engaging too much online. Anyone who reads comments or is a person in the world knows the dangers of social media and mental health. We just won't do it.
Our 12 year old loves TikTok and YouTube, and is very technologically savvy. So we found this site to meet that social media short videos desire:
Weare8.com: (from the site)
WeAre8 is all about making a BIG impact on the world through small daily actions! Connect with your friends, share pictures and vids and follow inspiring creators who are changing the game. Plus, you can earn rewards for watching videos that support social and environmental causes.
You can find us at maddysetgo on weare8!
Van Etten Books:
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A compilation of work composed over 12 years by a mom who wants her kids to be happy, good people.
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