Mission
Heart-centered teaching and parenting
Help children build a foundation of happiness through mindful and intentional skill building practices.
Provide practical techniques for raising emotionally intelligent, socially responsible, kind, optimistic, resilient and empathetic children (KORE).
Hi, I’m Kristina.
I am a certified teacher with a Master’s degree in education.
But to really know me…Here is a brief summary of how KORE came to be:
After a decade of pretty difficult challenges: my father leaving, losing a child, devastating health challenges, the betrayal and abandonment of a spouse, then divorce and remarriage—I felt like my children and I had nothing but rise and fall moments. (The pictures below are “rise” moments!) Am I good at it yet? Haha. NO! But I’m trying. And I’ve learned A LOT! During my most difficult moments I wondered if I could ever get back up, succeed, be happy, move forward…but I did! There was anxiety and depression, which still rears its ugly head in different and sometimes unexpected ways. But, we are moving forward, sometimes a little backwards, but mostly forward.
Two of the most important things I learned from the challenges in my life:
1. The value of challenges in the development of empathy.
2. The value of learning to learning to RISE back up.
A big turning point:
Three of my five children struggle with anxiety and depression. When one of my kids described to me how they had on multiple occasions considered the exact method of taking their own life because they couldn’t bear the pain anymore, to say my heart fell out of my chest doesn’t even cut it. This is a loss I was not, am not, and hope never to be prepared for. I thought I had been an example of resilience. I thought I was aware of my children and their needs! And maybe I was. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is this moment and what I’m doing now—which is trying more systematically and directly to teach rewiring and resilience skills, while loving and supporting and guiding deeply. I know there are a million things to do as a parent, and there are a million ways to be successful, but for me, this is a priority, and I know I’m not alone. It is my goal to provide social and emotional resources and information to anyone who wants to journey with a child: mothers, fathers, teachers, counselors, psychologists, caregivers. #liftandbuildkids
What I believe:
I believe that resilience can be trained and taught. This is what the research suggests and I have found it to be true. It’s a long process to be sure, but worth it. I believe we can retrain and rewire our minds from trauma and scarcity to a state of abundance and joy. I don’t think life will be without adversity, but the negative experiences do not exist in a vacuum. In my darkest moments I found enough beauty and goodness to survive until I could thrive. At times it didn’t seem possible, but it was worth it. I love soul-searching and mindfulness (kindred spirits, unite!). I believe in gratitude. I believe in forgiveness. I believe in making an active attempt to develop empathy. I believe we will fall, but that we can learn to rise, and if we do, we need to bring others with us. (Note: All of the above should be used in alignment with, and not replace the advice of other needed professionals.)
The things I value most:
My children: they are my inspiration
My husband: he is a light and a support
My faith: it is my guide and foundation
Teaching and writing: they are my conduits for doing good
Lifting and building others: this is the mantra I want to live by
