The Science of Well-Being for Parents
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The Science of Well-Being for Parents
Instructor: Laurie Santos
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There are 7 modules in this course
Feeling overwhelmed by the unique challenges of modern parenting? Join Professor Laurie Santos in The Science of Well-Being for Parents— a free online course that explores science-backed strategies for happier parenting. Together, we'll tackle topics like rethinking time management, dealing with tough feelings like guilt and frustration, and navigating your child's academic stress and screen time. Through engaging lessons and parent Q&As, you'll learn how to reframe your thoughts, manage your emotions, and modify your behaviors in response to everyday challenges. We'll apply the latest research in psychological science to the joys and struggles of raising kids, helping you build more effective family dynamics and avoid the trap of overparenting. And you'll see that prioritizing your own well-being, you're not just helping yourself – you're also better equipped to show up for your kids and create a happier, healthier family life.
Curious to learn the science behind happier parenting? Browse to see if this psychology course is right for you.
What's included
6 videos4 readings
6 videos•Total 31 minutes
- Welcome to the course!•5 minutes
- How the course was made•13 minutes
- What's driving the teen mental health crisis?•2 minutes
- How can we stop nagging our kids so they can learn on their own?•4 minutes
- When should I stop protecting my child ?•2 minutes
- Parents are busy•4 minutes
4 readings•Total 30 minutes
- What to expect•5 minutes
- Stay updated•5 minutes
- Measure your happiness•10 minutes
- Free Access to the Course•10 minutes
Learn strategies to balance work and family life, explore ways to fight "time famine," and discover how to create more "time affluence" for yourself and your kids.
What's included
9 videos1 assignment
9 videos•Total 41 minutes
- Think: Value your time•8 minutes
- Act: Prioritize free time•5 minutes
- Feel: Make peace with limited time•10 minutes
- How do you know if your schedule is too packed?•1 minute
- How can I give myself grace when I'm taking time for myself?•3 minutes
- Are some countries better at managing time than the US?•1 minute
- Learn how happier countries prioritize free time and self-care•3 minutes
- Let your kids fail in low-stakes ways•4 minutes
- Give your child more freedom and responsibility•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 8 minutes
- Managing Time Quiz•8 minutes
Understand why self-care isn't selfish, learn what effective self-care really looks like, and explore ways to bring more fun into your life.
What's included
11 videos1 assignment
11 videos•Total 53 minutes
- Parents need self-care•2 minutes
- Think & Act: Find more fun•10 minutes
- Think & Act: Practice real self-care•9 minutes
- Feel: Build gratitude•4 minutes
- Feel: Increase your self compassion•6 minutes
- How can I practice self-care without feeling guilty?•4 minutes
- How can I avoid forced fun?•2 minutes
- How can I suggest self-care practices for my kids without nagging them?•4 minutes
- Reparent yourself as you parent your kids•3 minutes
- Rethink how you praise your child•4 minutes
- Model a compassionate inner voice•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 5 minutes
- Prioritizing Self-Care Quiz•5 minutes
Explore healthy ways to deal with guilt, recognize the value of identifying your emotions, and discover mindfulness techniques to boost your emotional well-being.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment
10 videos•Total 48 minutes
- Parents are struggling•5 minutes
- Think: Use negative emotions as a guide•5 minutes
- Feel: Accept negative emotions•5 minutes
- Act: Build distress tolerance•6 minutes
- How can I deal with my own sense of overwhelm?•3 minutes
- How can I better handle my child's moments of emotional overwhelm?•2 minutes
- How can I avoid teaching my child toxic positivity?•3 minutes
- Validate your child's emotions while holding to your boundaries•6 minutes
- Managing our kids' negative emotions•7 minutes
- What swooping in tells our kids•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 5 minutes
- Managing Negative Emotions Quiz•5 minutes
Learn about your body's stress response, discover breathing techniques to hack your nervous system, and explore ways to reframe how you think about stress in your daily life.
What's included
12 videos1 assignment
12 videos•Total 48 minutes
- Parents are stressed out•9 minutes
- Think: Change your beliefs about stress•5 minutes
- Act: Just breathe•4 minutes
- Act: Destress with kindness•5 minutes
- Act: Boost your hormetic stress•2 minutes
- Feel: Accept the stressful things in life•3 minutes
- What structural factors contribute to parental stress?•2 minutes
- How can you a support your stressed out, anxious child?•3 minutes
- How can you sleep better when you're stressed out?•3 minutes
- Stress less by nipping rumination in the bud•5 minutes
- Reduce your stress levels by labeling your emotions•3 minutes
- Feel better by acting the opposite of your emotions•4 minutes
1 assignment•Total 5 minutes
- Managing Stress Quiz•5 minutes
Understand how to support your kids' learning without helicopter parenting, explore ways to focus on the process over grades, and learn collaborative problem-solving techniques to help your kids succeed.
What's included
12 videos1 assignment
12 videos•Total 72 minutes
- Why overparenting hurts kids•7 minutes
- Think: Redefine success and failure•9 minutes
- Act: Stop focusing on grades and other rewards•13 minutes
- Act: Promote your kid's strengths•6 minutes
- Act: Engage in collaborative troubleshooting•7 minutes
- Feel: Regulate your emotions•5 minutes
- Is helicopter parenting harming our kids?•3 minutes
- How do I stop problem-solving for my kids all the time?•4 minutes
- How can I be less anxious about the college application process?•4 minutes
- Teach more effectively with collaborative troubleshooting•6 minutes
- Never waste a crisis•7 minutes
- Get the right balance between “nice and nasty” parenting•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 5 minutes
- Navigating Children's Academic Pressures Quiz•5 minutes
Discover the "foundational harms" of excessive tech use, learn strategies to create tech-free zones at home, and explore ways to model healthier digital habits for your kids.
What's included
12 videos1 reading2 assignments
12 videos•Total 58 minutes
- How technology can harm our kids•14 minutes
- Social media usage is on the rise•5 minutes
- Think: Prioritize IRL experiences•5 minutes
- Act: Reset your tech habits•5 minutes
- Act and Feel: Promote attentional hygiene•7 minutes
- How can we talk to our kids about the harms of phone use?•2 minutes
- How should we treat phone addictions?•3 minutes
- How can my family develop shared norms about technology use?•3 minutes
- How can I talk to my teen about how their smartphone makes them feel?•4 minutes
- How to take collective action when it comes to our technology•3 minutes
- Impact of different social media platforms•3 minutes
- Develop a family media agreement•5 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
- Measure your happiness, again•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 35 minutes
- Dealing with Technology and Social Media Quiz•5 minutes
- Your Personal Parenting Experiment•30 minutes
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Reviewed on May 25, 2025
Everyone should take this class. Like the information is presented short to the point with back up information based on researches.
Reviewed on Sep 29, 2025
Was very useful. I have 90 pages of notes and many things to implement. Thank you for it,
Reviewed on Jul 1, 2025
Great course. I felt a huge positive change, which was also reflected in my PERMA results.
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