The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was big for us. Even bigger was the night before, when they would blow up the balloons. Every year, I'd make a thermos of hot chocolate and we'd walk with the kids. It was just so much fun to see Snoopy come to life in the street.Collection: Thanksgiving
I always start my day with two things that really ground me. One is a book of daily inspirational readings called 'The Book of Awakening.' Basically, it talks about having the life you want and being present in the life you have. I also write three things I'm grateful for in a gratitude journal.Collection: Inspirational
Sending a note of appreciation, gratitude, or encouragement can go a long way in showing someone you care.
Mastering tools and strategies to flourish emotionally provides a solid foundation that can last a lifetime.
Kindness is not a nice-to-have, it's a must-have - for ourselves and for others.
There's immense power in being kind to others and to ourselves.
For me, I always like to be on the lookout for small ways to be there for someone - saying hello to a neighbor and asking honestly how their day is going, calling my mom in West Virginia to check in, or treating a stranger in the cafe line behind me to a cup of coffee.
As a mother, May always reminds me of the end of the school year and the excitement, uncertainty, anticipation, and accomplishment that my girls experienced. This season marks milestones for our children as they move into new phases in their lives.
Our goal is to do our part to help make the world a 'kinder & braver' place by empowering and inspiring youth around the country, and hopefully others who want to stand up for kindness, acceptance and love.
We're already using digital tools to teach phonics and arithmetic. Let's use them to teach kids how to manage their emotions and relate more effectively to those around them.
As a family, we always emphasized giving back to society and instilled that value in our children.
Always remember, especially in the face of struggle, that you matter, you are loved.
I've raised two strong women to be champions of kindness and I'm so proud of them for that.
As a mom, it's difficult to watch your child struggle.
Whether the obstacles your child faces are physical, academic, or social, you want to do everything you can to help. But too often as a parent, you feel like you don't have the tools you need to guide your child through the difficult experiences we all encounter growing up.
When my daughter Stefani - who most people know as Lady Gaga - was a child, she had to learn painful lessons about the dangers of cruelty and the importance of kindness.
We heard from young people around the country, and around the world, who felt like their voices weren't being heard and their feelings weren't being respected.
While we rightly stress common core subjects such as science, math, and reading in our education system, these tools for emotional literacy are equally impactful on a young person's long-term well-being and success.
From physical health to academic and professional success, how someone feels has a tremendous impact on many key aspects of his or her life.
Through the Born Brave Bus Tour and other initiatives, we have provided youth with a safe space to tell their stories and, through partnerships with more than 50 like-minded organizations, with access to resources and services in their communities when talking is not enough.
I was raised differently, where you just have to be tough and not talk about your emotions.
I didn't always understand the difference between normal biological teenage development and a real problem.
When Gaga started emerging, when she was in her bikini performing 'Lady Starlight' and decided that night to actually light hairspray on fire. And some people left when that happened - a lot of people stayed and thought it was cool. But her father and I were like, honestly, he said, 'I think she has a screw loose.'
Any effort to support the wellness and empowerment of young people has to start with an understanding of the challenges they face and the conditions they need to thrive - genuinely listening to what youth have to say, both individually and collectively through quality research.
We're going to do our best to help youth feel safe and accepted, so that they have the skills to effect change and recognize opportunities in their communities where they can make a difference.
We believe if young people felt empowered to make a difference and experienced the bravery of self-confidence and of knowing they can achieve great things, not only would we address the issue of bullying, but we would also lay the tracks for transformative change that fosters the ultimate goal of a kinder and braver world.
Here at Born This Way Foundation, we believe that everyone has the right to feel safe, and to have the skills and opportunities to be empowered and to make a difference in the world.
Both of my girls are grown now, but I remember those years when my husband and I did our best to shield them from content we thought would set a bad example. But back then that usually came in the form of R-rated movies or racy song lyrics - not from our leaders.
What are kids learning through osmosis when our representatives flaunt the very rules of behavior that we teach our sons and daughters to uphold? How can we teach them to be accepting and respectful of others when the role models they see on TV refuse to show even a modicum of civility?
I cared deeply about raising my children to be kind - and the majority of American moms and dads share that priority.
We must remove this double standard between the values we say we want to teach our children and those we model for them on a public stage.
A young person's capacity to understand and manage their emotions and their ability to relate effectively to others will influence nearly every aspect of their lives, from their capacity to learn in the classroom to their decision-making and success in relationships.
Technology and the digital world it creates will play an increasingly integral role in our lives and economy, but the need for robust social and emotional skills will remain a constant.
When my daughters were young and would try to tell me they were struggling emotionally, that they were feeling down or anxious, I would usually try to reassure them that everyone feels like that sometimes and that they would get over it.
I mistook the depression and anxiety my children were experiencing for the average, if unpleasant, moodiness we all associate with teenagers. I was drawing on the lessons I had been given myself growing up and passing on those same tools, without understanding their inadequacy for the specific challenges my children were facing.
I know, as a family, we'll continue to learn from one another, making each other wiser and stronger by sharing lessons not just from one generation to the next, but between generations.
We all walk with the same two feet.
Kids live online, but love and support don't.
It's inspiring to be aligned with an organization that envisions health equity.
We just set an example as parents by giving back.
Stefani was very unique and that wasn't always appreciated by her peers and, as a result, she went through a lot of difficult times. Humiliated, taunted, isolated. When you're a young woman, this really severely impacts you.
When I was growing up, times were different. The way that we would deal with things is what I learned, and that's what I resorted to... I relied on getting a grip. I relied on the generational grit of just sucking it up and getting on with it.
I think as parents, our natural instinct is to go into problem-solving mode.
I encourage parents to be vulnerable. Talk about your current or past struggles, so it really models healthy conversations and good behavior.
I hope that ultimately, we can help people develop much stronger respect for their fellow man.
Generally, I was pretty independent and driven myself. We're like that as a family. Our mentality is to be strong.
I spent over 25 years in corporate America.
One thing that was really important in our family was family dinners and nothing was really off limits, but I have to say, looking back, I don't think we ever talked about mental health.
Some of the reasons people don't approach their parents is they're afraid of being judged. And also their parents don't share their own struggles with them, which I didn't do.
I felt like as a parent, I had to be tough and strong and keep it all together, but I wasn't actually always all together.