Resilience is built in the rain.
Raising kids is hard. Our job as parents is not to rescue our children from every bit of rain life brings their way. Instead we want to learn to pay attention, walk alongside them and support them in developing the umbrella of skills they will need to love, live and dance in the rain of life.
We’re here to help you and your child strengthen your UMBRELLAS with positive coping skills.
New to the whole ‘positive coping skills’ thing?
Start with you!
Whether you’ve got kids of your own or you’re an administrator or educator in a school, you’ve probably seen kids get tired of everything being about them and their issues. They check out, get frustrated, and push back when they’re under pressure to change or improve.
When you understand your umbrella and actively work on your skills, kids will notice you growing alongside them and setting an example they want to follow. We invite you to share the Umbrella Assessment with them, too!
About Dr. Jen Forristal
Through parenting my three kiddos and studying pediatric mental health as a Naturopathic Doctor, I discovered a core set of principles and skills that have been proven to increase well-being, adaptability, and emotional intelligence in kids.
The results of my work have been published in the Canadian Journal of School Psychology and I have earned a Health Promotion Canada Award in recognition of my contribution to mental health promotion in youth.
AND…
I’m still a human who has tough parenting days, gets grouchy sometimes, and has to work on my own Umbrella consistently!
The beauty of parenting and life is that nothing is ever truly ‘perfect.’
We get to enjoy each day and prepare ourselves for the mysterious weather of the next.
As the Founder and CEO of The Umbrella Project, I have developed positive coping skills training for parents and educators in the form of courses, curriculums, individual sessions, workshops, and an easy-to-reference book that are used internationally by thousands of parents.
I don’t believe for a minute that I’ve invented these skills or uncovered some mysterious, never-before-known wisdom…I believe that these skills are simply inherent to a healthy, thriving lifestyle. I also believe we can learn them anytime, at any age and that they’re just as important for parents to learn as they are for our kids!
Looking for a simple place to start?
Sign-up now and receive FREE resources every month!
You will receive Dr. Jen’s Top 5 – an incredible curated resource filled with practical ideas and actions you can take as a parent or caregiver. You’ll also receive our Umbrella Skills Lunch Notes related to the skill of the month ready to print, cut, and put in lunches.
As a bonus, you’ll instantly receive our FREE 25-day Umbrella Skills Challenge making it simple for you to add skill-building activities into your daily life!
Get Your Copy Today
You can also check out Dr. Jens new book for simple strategies and conversations to start improving your childs mental health right now.
The 18 Umbrella Skills you’ll find inside our book, course and lessons: Empathy Gratitude Growth Mindset Mindfulness Kindess Intrinsic Motivation Authenticity Grit Self-Efficacy Resilience Purpose Autonomy Cognitive Flexibility Self-Compassion Realistic Optimism Integrity Healthy Lifestyle Mastery
How Kids Benefit From Learning About Well-Being
This parent-child synergy creates kids who become rich participants in their communities, schools, and homes.
Kids who develop positive coping skills face life challenges with confidence. Taking risks is exciting to them, and they’re more likely to take responsibility for the consequences and results of their actions.
From healthy relationships to a healthy body image, well-being touches every area of a child’s life and predicts the quality of life and success they’ll have in the future.
When positive coping skills increase, stress decreases.
Parents who foster their child’s autonomy and authenticity find that their children focus less on external ‘achievements’ meant to impress others or prove something. They also focus more on creative thinking, problem-solving, and courageously overcoming obstacles.
Kids who feel in control of their actions take personal pride in the things they work hard for, things that matter to them.
This parent-child synergy creates kids who become rich participants in their communities, schools, and homes.
How Parents Benefit From Learning About Well-Being
Most of us weren’t given well-being on a silver platter when we were kids, which means there’s so much for parents to learn.
This can be exciting instead of daunting — because you’re not alone on your journey!
Many parents feel a little uncomfortable learning new skills when they’ve already got kids of their own, yet there’s no better way to learn than with your child. Social and emotional coping skills will all be new to your kids, too.
Open, honest, and authentic communication is required to connect with kids in a way that encourages Umbrella Skill building. You can get curious, take risks, and explore together.
There’s also no such thing as being ‘behind’ when it comes to improving your well-being and developing your positive coping skills. Parents often find that they become more in tune with their thoughts and emotions through Umbrella Parenting and even feel encouraged to take deeper personal responsibility for growth in other areas of their life.
We love to see how parents with strong Umbrellas not only keep their kids safe and cared for, they take better care of themselves, too.
