The Broken Brain Train Your Amygdala with Anna Housley Jester
13 snips
Nov 26, 2024 
In this engaging conversation, Anna Housley Jester, a mental health clinician and former Sesame Street Director of Content, shares her expertise in early childhood education and emotional regulation. She discusses her children's book, which personifies the amygdala in a lovable way, helping kids understand their emotions. Anna emphasizes the importance of honest communication, therapeutic play, and intrinsic motivation in classrooms. She also touches on neuroscience and strategies to calm anxiety, making complex topics accessible for both children and caregivers.
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Use Toys To Scaffold Feelings
- Use play and displacement toys to let children express feelings safely before naming their own emotions.
- Scaffold from toy-based feeling naming to children recognizing and labeling their own feelings.
Empathize With The Inner Alarm
- Anna chose a lovable, overzealous amygdala character to invite empathy rather than demonize anxiety.
- She argued collaborating with the internal alarm fosters teamwork instead of banishment.
Name The Brain To Gain Control
- Neuroscience is recent public knowledge; kids can learn brain words like 'amygdala' early if adults talk about them.
- Naming the alarm system gives kids control and access to regulation strategies.
