RESOURCES | Donna Jackson Nakazawa

 

Thank you for joining us for Kids on the Brink: Raising Emotionally Healthy Youth with Donna Jackson Nakazawa and Christy Keating of The Heartful Parent Collective. We thought the call was a great discussion, and we’d like to thank those of you that submitted questions to help guide the conversation!

Donna and Christy opened the conversation by sharing important insights into the current state of youth mental health, highlighting notable differences between the experiences of girls and boys. Donna spoke thoughtfully about the many challenges young people face today and offered practical, meaningful ways for parents and caregivers to strengthen connection with their children. She provided approachable strategies for navigating difficult conversations in ways that build trust and encourage kids to keep coming back for future dialogue. Drawing from her work interviewing thousands of teens across the country, Donna shared what young people truly want to hear from the adults in their lives. She also explored the concept of the “safe in-between years” and how these formative stages can be rich with opportunities to create positive, lasting memories.

Some major takeaways from the call that our PNW Parent Education team wrote down:

  • Chronic stress slows the immune response

  • Our children are being robbed of exploration years. The precious years to explore nature, friendships, etc. internally without external evaluation and performance pressures.

  • Let kids figure out who they are and let them be who they are — tell them “You get to be who you are”

 
 
 

Here are some resources shared by Donna and Christy that pertain to the conversation we had with them:

Twelve Neuroprotective Steps for Talking to Kids & Teens

Building Resiliency Through Curiosity, Deliberate Attention, and Quiet Listening

Donna shared 12 steps on how to talk to our kids in ways that help them open us and talk about their feelings. Be sure to click through to view all 12 tips, but here are a few highlights:

  • Acknowledge that some things are hard to talk about

  • Be a GOOD LISTENER. STAY QUIET (they’ll talk more if you stay quiet!)

  • Stay calm

  • Validate their feelings

  • Be patient. They may not be done even if they’re quiet

  • Practice “looping” - reflecting back what you hear is the most important thing they’re sharing

  • THANK THEM for sharing

Resources based on questions submitted by community:

Q: How do I keep the connection with my teen strong? How does a parent help their child open up and talk about their feelings?

I would love to hear more about how to help our kids feel connected to us and how to support them to feel safe to share with their parents about themselves, how they're doing, what their struggling with etc

Q: How may we address misogeny that is increasingly found in our societies? Its a concern in respect to our children. They are exposed via influencers and through other sources all around them.

Also mentioned in relation to tech in our daily lives

The Amazing Generation book by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price

  • Inspired by the #1 New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation, this new book for tweens is a handbook for living a happy and exciting life that isn't hijacked by a smartphone.