The Science of Well-Being for Parents

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The Science of Well-Being for Parents

Instructor: Laurie Santos

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7 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

103 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

7 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

103 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

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Assessments

6 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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There are 7 modules in this course

Feeling overwhelmed by the unique challenges of modern parenting? Join Professor Laurie Santos in The Science of Well-Being for Parents— a free online course that explores science-backed strategies for happier parenting. Together, we'll tackle topics like rethinking time management, dealing with tough feelings like guilt and frustration, and navigating your child's academic stress and screen time. Through engaging lessons and parent Q&As, you'll learn how to reframe your thoughts, manage your emotions, and modify your behaviors in response to everyday challenges. We'll apply the latest research in psychological science to the joys and struggles of raising kids, helping you build more effective family dynamics and avoid the trap of overparenting. And you'll see that prioritizing your own well-being, you're not just helping yourself – you're also better equipped to show up for your kids and create a happier, healthier family life.

Curious to learn the science behind happier parenting? Browse to see if this psychology course is right for you.

What's included

6 videos4 readings

6 videos Total 31 minutes

Welcome to the course! 5 minutes
How the course was made 13 minutes
What's driving the teen mental health crisis? 2 minutes
How can we stop nagging our kids so they can learn on their own? 4 minutes
When should I stop protecting my child ? 2 minutes
Parents are busy 4 minutes

4 readings Total 30 minutes

What to expect 5 minutes
Stay updated 5 minutes
Measure your happiness 10 minutes
Free Access to the Course 10 minutes

Learn strategies to balance work and family life, explore ways to fight "time famine," and discover how to create more "time affluence" for yourself and your kids.

What's included

9 videos1 assignment

9 videos Total 41 minutes

Think: Value your time 8 minutes
Act: Prioritize free time 5 minutes
Feel: Make peace with limited time 10 minutes
How do you know if your schedule is too packed? 1 minute
How can I give myself grace when I'm taking time for myself? 3 minutes
Are some countries better at managing time than the US? 1 minute
Learn how happier countries prioritize free time and self-care 3 minutes
Let your kids fail in low-stakes ways 4 minutes
Give your child more freedom and responsibility 6 minutes

1 assignment Total 8 minutes

Managing Time Quiz 8 minutes

Understand why self-care isn't selfish, learn what effective self-care really looks like, and explore ways to bring more fun into your life.

What's included

11 videos1 assignment

11 videos Total 53 minutes

Parents need self-care 2 minutes
Think & Act: Find more fun 10 minutes
Think & Act: Practice real self-care 9 minutes
Feel: Build gratitude 4 minutes
Feel: Increase your self compassion 6 minutes
How can I practice self-care without feeling guilty? 4 minutes
How can I avoid forced fun? 2 minutes
How can I suggest self-care practices for my kids without nagging them? 4 minutes
Reparent yourself as you parent your kids 3 minutes
Rethink how you praise your child 4 minutes
Model a compassionate inner voice 6 minutes

1 assignment Total 5 minutes

Prioritizing Self-Care Quiz 5 minutes

Explore healthy ways to deal with guilt, recognize the value of identifying your emotions, and discover mindfulness techniques to boost your emotional well-being.

What's included

10 videos1 assignment

10 videos Total 48 minutes

Parents are struggling 5 minutes
Think: Use negative emotions as a guide 5 minutes
Feel: Accept negative emotions 5 minutes
Act: Build distress tolerance 6 minutes
How can I deal with my own sense of overwhelm? 3 minutes
How can I better handle my child's moments of emotional overwhelm? 2 minutes
How can I avoid teaching my child toxic positivity? 3 minutes
Validate your child's emotions while holding to your boundaries 6 minutes
Managing our kids' negative emotions 7 minutes
What swooping in tells our kids 6 minutes

1 assignment Total 5 minutes

Managing Negative Emotions Quiz 5 minutes

Learn about your body's stress response, discover breathing techniques to hack your nervous system, and explore ways to reframe how you think about stress in your daily life.

What's included

12 videos1 assignment

12 videos Total 48 minutes

Parents are stressed out 9 minutes
Think: Change your beliefs about stress 5 minutes
Act: Just breathe 4 minutes
Act: Destress with kindness 5 minutes
Act: Boost your hormetic stress 2 minutes
Feel: Accept the stressful things in life 3 minutes
What structural factors contribute to parental stress? 2 minutes
How can you a support your stressed out, anxious child? 3 minutes
How can you sleep better when you're stressed out? 3 minutes
Stress less by nipping rumination in the bud 5 minutes
Reduce your stress levels by labeling your emotions 3 minutes
Feel better by acting the opposite of your emotions 4 minutes

1 assignment Total 5 minutes

Managing Stress Quiz 5 minutes

Understand how to support your kids' learning without helicopter parenting, explore ways to focus on the process over grades, and learn collaborative problem-solving techniques to help your kids succeed.

What's included

12 videos1 assignment

12 videos Total 72 minutes

Why overparenting hurts kids 7 minutes
Think: Redefine success and failure 9 minutes
Act: Stop focusing on grades and other rewards 13 minutes
Act: Promote your kid's strengths 6 minutes
Act: Engage in collaborative troubleshooting 7 minutes
Feel: Regulate your emotions 5 minutes
Is helicopter parenting harming our kids? 3 minutes
How do I stop problem-solving for my kids all the time? 4 minutes
How can I be less anxious about the college application process? 4 minutes
Teach more effectively with collaborative troubleshooting 6 minutes
Never waste a crisis 7 minutes
Get the right balance between “nice and nasty” parenting 2 minutes

1 assignment Total 5 minutes

Navigating Children's Academic Pressures Quiz 5 minutes

Discover the "foundational harms" of excessive tech use, learn strategies to create tech-free zones at home, and explore ways to model healthier digital habits for your kids.

What's included

12 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review

12 videos Total 58 minutes

How technology can harm our kids 14 minutes
Social media usage is on the rise 5 minutes
Think: Prioritize IRL experiences 5 minutes
Act: Reset your tech habits 5 minutes
Act and Feel: Promote attentional hygiene 7 minutes
How can we talk to our kids about the harms of phone use? 2 minutes
How should we treat phone addictions? 3 minutes
How can my family develop shared norms about technology use? 3 minutes
How can I talk to my teen about how their smartphone makes them feel? 4 minutes
How to take collective action when it comes to our technology 3 minutes
Impact of different social media platforms 3 minutes
Develop a family media agreement 5 minutes

1 reading Total 10 minutes

Measure your happiness, again 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 5 minutes

Dealing with Technology and Social Media Quiz 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 10 minutes

Your Personal Parenting Experiment 10 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(53 ratings)

Top Instructor

Laurie Santos

Yale University

4 Courses 5,132,088 learners

Offered by

Yale University

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Reviewed on May 12, 2025

Brilliant science backed tips for parents. Would highly recommend.

Reviewed on May 27, 2025

Every parent should go through this course. We can learn here practically a lot of methods and techniques how to help our children and ourselves.

Reviewed on Sep 29, 2025

Was very useful. I have 90 pages of notes and many things to implement. Thank you for it,

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