Empowerment is one of Carefully's core values and guides all aspects of our work.
We believe that it's essential for families to become self-sufficient and confident in their ability to provide for their children.
That's why we've created a supportive community where parents can exchange ideas, seek advice, and build lasting connections. At Carefully, we understand the importance of social support and the need to feel connected to a community and appreciate members like Talia Kovacs who are making a difference.
Embracing Empowerment
If your kid has stomped off the field after they’ve missed a goal, crumpled their artwork out of frustration because they made a mistake, or given up quickly when something feels too hard, it might be time to take notes from Talia Kovacs.
Talia empowers parents to raise resilient kids.
She turns big meltdowns over small issues into a deep well of self-reliance and teaches a child to be comfortable with mistakes through her work at Calm Connected.
Talia focuses on taking kids from an inner monologue that says nothing is fair and no one cares about them, to an inner voice that tells them that they are smart, capable, and can take on challenges!
Talia Kovacs: Founder-Calm Connected
Talia Kovacs is the founder of CalmConnected, a children and family resilience organization.
Her work on building resilience in elementary-age kids, and the connection between social-emotional learning and literacy, has been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, Today, Scholastic, and many other news outlets.
Talia serves on the Board of Directors for LitLife and The Brooklyn Book Bodega.
She has previously served as a classroom teacher, a graduate-level education professor, and the CEO of LitLife, an international literacy consulting firm.
Talia's greatest mission is to equip parents with tools to foster a deep well of inner resilience in their kids, so that the whole family can live in calm, connected households where children thrive.
We love having Talia as part of our Carefully Community and appreciate her taking the time to talk about increasing connections, fostering independence, and how she’s found her community through Carefully.
What do you love the most about being a parent? What’s your biggest struggle as a parent?
Talia: I love, love, love the snuggles, the sweet words and watching my daughter learn new things. These are all the aspects I thought I’d love after spending my career working with kids and then becoming a mom.
I’ll tell you, though, that the hardest parts are the big “what do I do about this!?” moments, and the moments where I wonder if I’m missing a bigger issue.
For a lot of the parents I work with and for myself, it’s hard to distinguish when I need help from when I should let something be.
I’d say my biggest challenge is overcoming all the doubts I can have about whether or not I’m doing the right thing. I don’t think that will ever end. I work hard to remember that whatever decision I make at the moment doesn’t have to be a forever decision, and if I change my mind with more information later, that doesn’t make me wrong now.
What inspired you to develop your Resilience Framework, and what motivated you to focus on promoting resilience in children?
Talia: I came to work on resilience through my work in schools. I was the CEO of LitLife, a global literacy consulting firm teaching teachers to teach reading.
I traveled around the country working with every type of school, and I saw the ways that kids learned, and some kids stayed behind.
Do you know what’s always true about the kids who end up learning well? Aside from the quality of instruction, it’s their willingness to make a mistake and try again.
"We are at almost epidemic levels of childhood anxiety. Kids are afraid to make mistakes and deeply embarrassed when they do."
We are at almost epidemic levels of childhood anxiety. Kids are afraid to make mistakes and deeply embarrassed when they do. I work with families because there is just so much more of an impact that parents have on kids. Teachers are with them for a year, and parents are with them for their whole lives. My mission is to help parents empower their kids and work on systems and structures at home to promote resilience, and get out of the framework of fear around mistakes.
I developed the Resilience Framework after years of work with parents, and I’ve seen it work well for so many different types of families and so many kids. I wouldn’t be able to do this work without the hardworking and curious parents who I get to work with daily.
Get Exclusive Tips from Talia
Ready to learn how to build meaningful connections with your kids?
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She's sharing updates on her upcoming events, tips on how to talk to your child about reading, and exclusive resources to ensure joyful literacy at home on her channel on Carefully.
What’s one thing you love about the Carefully app or a challenge you overcame?
Talia: Ah, I love the Carefully app so much! I just love how we can find other local parents who are really looking to create a community around childcare. I love all the extras that Leslie puts into place for parents—the informative workshops, the helpful kid-play sessions, and all of the important ways that Carefully cares for the larger community.
How do you know when it’s time to reach out for help? What role does a community play in this?
Talia: This is such an important question!
All our kids want to feel a sense of belonging at home. So, it’s time to reach out for help if your child’s behaviors are getting in the way of the family dynamic. If their siblings (or parents!) are viewing them as the “problem child” or the one who is always stopping the action at home. Whenever there’s resentment or a defined role like that, it’s important to get help so that your child can be part of the family with a positive role steeped in their strengths, and not the default role of the one who is always messing up or causing a scene!
"Community is so important in this. I see this all the time in the course I teach, parents get together and really value feeling less alone with what they’re dealing with."
Community is so important in this. I see this all the time in the course I teach, parents get together and really value feeling less alone with what they’re dealing with. I think having other parents around you who “get it” and make you feel like you’re not crazy for getting annoyed or wanting something different for your kid is so important!
Parenting can get tough! As a resilience coach, how do you support parents in managing their stress and emotions while also nurturing their children's resilience?
Talia: This is a major part of the work. There are three parts to my framework, and the first part is for parents to really start with themselves when something is happening at home. And NOT because it’s your “fault” but because, luckily, emotions are contagious and the more we are able to stand in our power, the more our kids will feel empowered and safe too.
"There’s no perfect here. There’s no parent I work with who doesn’t lose their cool or get frustrated or want to stop everything and hide in the bathroom! That’s all part of it."
There’s no perfect here. There’s no parent I work with who doesn’t lose their cool or get frustrated or want to stop everything and hide in the bathroom! That’s all part of it.
What parents tell me they like about the work is that even with all these emotions, we’re following a framework and a system, so they can just plug back into what they’re working on with their kids. A core principle in my work is “flounder, forgive, forge ahead” – know you’re going to mess up, it will happen, just a question of when. So, when you do, forgive yourself quickly and move ahead!
At Carefully, we understand the importance of social support and the need to feel connected to a community and appreciate members like Talia who are making a difference.
Talia Kovacs and The Resilience Framework
Talia's Resilience Framework guides families through three key systems to support children in developing a courageous, independent, and resilient mindset. Want to learn more?
Join Talia’s channel to learn about her upcoming workshops, or book a clarity call with her.
Want to join the Carefully Community and help connect with other caregivers/parents? Download the Carefully app to get started.