Parenting With a Kind Mind: Exploring Kindness as a Potentiator for Enhanced Brain Health.

A growing body of research has suggested that high levels of family functioning-often measured as positive parent-child communication and low levels of parental stress-are associated with stronger cognitive development, higher levels of school engagement, and more successful peer relations as youth age. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous disruption to various aspects of daily life, especially for parents of young children, ages 3-5, who face isolation, disconnection, and unprecedented changes to how they engage and socialize. Fortunately, both youth and parent brains are plastic and receptive to change.