Why Confidence is so Important for Teens

Here’s a cool, little-known fact about the word confidence: it comes from the Latin fidere, which means “to trust.” If you’ve used the Lucero App, you might have seen this word before. Hint: It’s the title of Island 2 because the 28-day experience is designed to help improve your sense of confidence. You could say […]
Tips to Reduce Teen Anxiety

Butterflies in your stomach. Sweaty palms. The unshakeable feeling of worry or dread. Everyone has some experience with anxiety, but statistics are skyrocketing among teens. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in three adolescents between the ages of 13-18 will experience an anxiety disorder. If you think your child may have an […]
Turning Negative Self-Talk into Confidence

“I can’t believe I missed that goal. I suck at hockey.” “I’m so fat. Nobody will ever like me.” “I’m going to bomb my algebra test… and probably the whole semester.” If you\’re the parent of a teenager, chances are, you hear more than your fair share of negative self-talk. All teens (and let’s face […]
Raising Your Teen to Have Self-Compassion

“In this incredibly competitive society of ours, how many of us truly feel good about ourselves?” asks author and self-compassion researcher Dr. Kristin Neff. It’s a sobering question, especially when we’re talking about teens. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry identifies “negative thoughts or feelings about themselves” as one of the top causes […]
3 Mini-Meditations for Teens

Teens today have a lot of reasons to feel stressed. Mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment – is one of the best ways to deal with stress, but kids, like adults, often find it challenging to adopt new habits, especially when stress levels are already high. We recommend starting small with strategies that […]
Raising Your Teen to Have a Growth Mindset

After decades of groundbreaking research Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck discovered the simple but groundbreaking concept of mindset. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Information about what a growth mindset looks like […]