Research-based ideas for parents to connect and support your kids' development

What

Each weekly postcard covers a timely topic in one of these areas:

Cognitive Development

Build learning, analysis, and executive functioning. Cognitive strength helps kids feel empowerment and agency in the world, aiding with school and, later, job prospects.

Emotional Development

Learn to manage all the big feelings that come up in daily life. The ability to feel our feelings and maintain an emotional buoyancy is one of the most profound shapers of quality of life.

Social Development

Learn to navigate and build strong relationships. Being able to connect with others is one of the key sources of meaning and resilience throughout life.

Parent Self-care

In order to be available and supportive for our children, parents need to feel heard, supported and loved too. Parenting can be a profound journey of love, connection, and healing for parents as well.

Why

Don’t just manage crises – connect & thrive

Parenting is one of the most meaningful journeys of our lives.

It can also be the most frustrating, humbling, and terrifying journey. Most of us make it up on the fly. Often we do what our parents did – or the opposite – and only do research when an issue arises. The problem with this is that daily opportunities for better connection, communication, and emotional support often pass us by.

Have you ever wondered:

  • Is this behavior from my child normal?

  • What can I do to support their learning and development better?

  • Am I passing along dysfunctional behavior to my child?

  • How can we have more fun together?

Postcards for Parents aims to help with these questions and more, in real time, with science-based best practices.

Team

We’re parents too

Postcards for Parents was born on the playground in Portland, Maine, during conversations after school between Kate Howe, Dr. Liz Knake, and the 'mom crew' (shout out to Leska and Allison!).

"Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink."

It stemmed from the frustration that, despite the ocean of parenting info out there, none of it was presented in a 'drinkable' way. Most parenting books and resources are aimed at solving problems, rather than the ongoing practice of creating great relationships with our kids.

Our aim is to support parents at a manageable pace with the right info at the right time… to increase family joy and child wellness, and help avoid problems in the first place! We have personally experienced that the benefits for the whole family are priceless.

Kate Howe

Kate is a mom, designer, and creative entrepreneur. Kate is obsessed with creating design that improves the meaningful things in people’s lives, and has long worked with human-centered design for community and economic development. Prior to Postcards for Parents, Kate was Head of Graphic Design at the NYC Dept. of Design & Construction. She also founded and built a community outdoor market, created a psychology app, and wrote a blog about the psychology of shopping. Kate holds a BA Summa Cum Laude from Columbia University, and an MFA from Yale School of Art.

Dr. John Stewart

John is a clinical psychologist with 35+ years of experience working with children, adolescents and families based in the frameworks of attachment and interpersonal neurobiology. He founded and served as Clinical Director of the Maine Special Education & Mental Health Collaborative, a day treatment program serving students with Developmental Trauma, PTSD, attachment issues and High Functioning Autism. John is also an Assistant Clinical Professor Department of Psychiatry Tufts, School of Medicine, and the author of two books on treating children and adolescents.

Get in touch.

Join parents across the country who are increasing family joy & thriving.