Communication Archives - UPower Presentations - Sara Westbrook

Naming ‘the elephant’ Builds Connection

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 03:18:53 +0000

Last week, I walked into my presentation with a bandage on my forehead. Before I started, I told the students what happened: I had tripped, hit my forehead, and ended up with a small cut. Why did I start there? Because otherwise it would have been the elephant in the room and kids always notice […]

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Why Kids Need Space after School?

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 03:00:31 +0000

It doesn’t matter if your child is usually a chatterbox or more reserved—sometimes, getting them to open up after school can be tough, at least for me. 😊 Your child arrives home, and you can’t wait to hear every detail. You ask, “How was your day?” And you get… “Good.” (That’s my son’s go-to response) […]

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Who Your Kids Hang Out with Matters

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:05:59 +0000

Kids don’t always realize that the people they spend time with influence their choices, behaviour, and how they’re perceived — by peers, adults, and even authority figures. Friends influence choices in ways that can affect a child’s confidence and sense of self. That’s why it’s so important to have conversations about who they’re choosing to […]

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Kids: Talking Back or Speaking Up?

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 28 May 2025 15:58:27 +0000

We say we want our kids to be resilient.To have confidence.To take a stand. But what happens when they talk back, disagree or express frustration to us, our first reaction might be: “That’s disrespectful!” What if it’s not talking back…what if it’s speaking up? Since they’re still learning how to express themselves, their words won’t always […]

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How to Help Kids through Anxiety

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 15 May 2025 00:32:34 +0000

Help kids through anxiety- and remember – it doesn’t just affect kids— it shows up in all of us when life feels uncertain, overwhelming or just too much to handle. The night before a school presentation, my son was feeling really anxious. He was quieter than usual and snapped at me over something small. Instead of […]

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Pausing – Your Secret Super Power

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:50:08 +0000

Sometimes kids say things that hurt—words that feel disrespectful. In those moments, it’s natural to react. But here’s something to consider: When we don’t react—when we take a pause instead of reacting—a shift can happen—our kids reflect on what they’ve said. And in that reflection, they often come back with something like, “I’m sorry I […]

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Teaching Kids the Emotional Impact of Their Actions

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:03:53 +0000

My son was getting ready for school, but not at the pace he needed to in order to catch the bus. I started noticing a pattern – every time I reminded him to do something, he responded with, ‘I’ll do it. Just give me a minute.’ The minutes kept passing and nothing was getting done. […]

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What is the Impact of Sharing Your Experiences?

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 29 May 2024 20:03:20 +0000

Opening up about our experiences can feel scary. I can empathize with that feeling. It took me a long time to share the challenges that I faced in my life, especially the ones I perceived as my imperfections. I was afraid people would judge me and think I wasn’t good enough. I worried about being […]

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Empowering Youth in the Digital Age: Important Insights

Linda Westbrook — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 01:04:15 +0000

Since technology is a dominant force in most young people’s lives, it’s important to make sure they learn to navigate this digital environment responsibly because they don’t yet see the impact technology has on their life. Here’s 4 tips to support your efforts to help kids navigate technology responsibly: 1. Enhanced Emotional Well-being Reducing exposure […]

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Tired Child: Building a Bridge of Understanding

Linda Westbrook — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 21:09:26 +0000

The other evening, my son was really having a hard time listening. I don’t know about you, but when my child isn’t listening, it can trigger lots of different emotions, such as frustration, annoyance and even anger. In these moments, since it’s easy to interpret his lack of listening as a form of disrespect, I […]

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