Give your child the emotional tools that change everything
Growing Up Smart walks kids ages 5–14 through exactly how to name what they feel, calm down before they melt down, and face worry, conflict, and change with real confidence — in language they actually understand.
I believe every child already has what it takes — my job is simply to help them find it, name it, and trust it.— Leigh Baumann
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Recognize their own emotions — including anger, worry, embarrassment, and frustration — before those feelings take over
- Use a personal calming toolkit (breathing, movement, self-talk, mindfulness) to regulate big emotions in the moment
- Handle conflict, teasing, and disappointment with calm communication and thoughtful decision-making
- Build genuine confidence and self-esteem by identifying personal strengths and practicing a growth mindset
- Reduce anxiety around school, change, and uncertainty by applying practical, age-appropriate coping strategies
- Know when to solve problems independently and when to ask a trusted adult for help — and feel proud either way
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 24 lessons
Understanding Emotions
Children learn to identify, name, and understand their emotions and the triggers and patterns behind them.
- 1.1What Are Emotions and Why Do We Have Them?Included
- 1.2Naming Your FeelingsIncluded
- 1.3What Triggers My Emotions?Included
- 1.4How Feelings Affect Thoughts and ChoicesIncluded
Managing Big Emotions
Children practice recognizing emotional escalation early and using calming strategies to regulate themselves before reacting.
- 2.1Reading Your Body's Warning SignsIncluded
- 2.2Pressing Pause Before You ReactIncluded
- 2.3Calming Techniques That Actually WorkIncluded
- 2.4Self-Soothing and Emotional RecoveryIncluded
Stress, Worry, Anger & Frustration
Children understand the roots of anxiety, stress, anger, and frustration and practice healthy, constructive ways to respond to each.
- 3.1Understanding Stress and WorryIncluded
- 3.2Coping with School, Change, and UncertaintyIncluded
- 3.3Understanding Anger and FrustrationIncluded
- 3.4Cooling Down and Responding ThoughtfullyIncluded
Confidence, Self-Esteem & Growth Mindset
Children build genuine self-respect by discovering their strengths, reframing self-doubt, and learning to grow through effort and mistakes.
- 4.1Knowing Your StrengthsIncluded
- 4.2Healthy Self-TalkIncluded
- 4.3Mistakes Are How We GrowIncluded
- 4.4Persistence, Effort, and a Growth MindsetIncluded
Gratitude, Perspective & Healthy Coping Skills
Children develop optimism and empathy while assembling a personal toolkit of healthy, go-to coping strategies.
- 5.1Gratitude and OptimismIncluded
- 5.2Seeing Things from Someone Else's Point of ViewIncluded
- 5.3Building Your Personal Coping ToolboxIncluded
- 5.4Choosing the Right Tool for the MomentIncluded
Conflict, Communication & Asking for Help
Children learn to handle disagreements, teasing, and disappointment with calm communication and to recognize when seeking adult support is the wise choice.
- 6.1Handling Disagreements and DisappointmentIncluded
- 6.2Responding to Teasing and Social DramaIncluded
- 6.3Communicating Feelings Clearly and KindlyIncluded
- 6.4When to Solve It Yourself — and When to Ask for HelpIncluded
Who it's for
Is this you?
Parents of anxious kids
Your child worries a lot about school, change, or 'what ifs' — and you're ready to give them real coping strategies, not just reassurance.
Families navigating big reactions
Meltdowns, outbursts, or shutdowns are a regular part of life, and you want your child to learn to pause, calm down, and respond instead of react.
Parents building early foundations
Your young child (ages 5–8) is just starting to understand feelings, and you want to give them a strong emotional vocabulary before challenges get bigger.
Tweens facing social pressures
Your 9–14 year old is dealing with friendship drama, teasing, or social stress, and needs tools to communicate feelings clearly and navigate conflict calmly.
Confidence-building seekers
Your child struggles with self-doubt, fear of failure, or negative self-talk, and you want them to discover their strengths and build a genuine growth mindset.
Homeschooling families
You're intentional about what your child learns, and you want social-emotional education woven into your curriculum alongside academics.
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
Leigh Baumann
If you're here, there's a good chance you've had one of those moments — the kind where your child is completely overwhelmed and there is nothing you can say that helps. You see them struggling, and you want so much to hand them something that actually works. I understand that feeling deeply. It's not helplessness — it's love looking for the right tools.
That's exactly why I created Growing Up Smart. I've worked with children and families for a long time, and the same truth keeps showing up: children who learn to understand and manage their emotions don't just feel better in the moment. They go on to make better decisions, build stronger friendships, bounce back faster from setbacks, and carry a quiet confidence that stays with them into adulthood. These skills are not extras. They are the foundation everything else is built on.
What I've tried to do here is create the course I always wished existed — one that speaks directly to children in warm, simple, real language, while giving parents the reassurance that what they're sharing with their child is genuinely meaningful. We start with the basics: what emotions are, why we have them, and how to name them. Then we build, step by step, through calming tools your child can actually use, through the big hard feelings like worry, anger, and frustration, through building real confidence and a growth mindset, all the way to navigating conflict, teasing, and knowing when to ask for help. Nothing is skipped. Nothing is rushed.
I won't pretend this is magic. Your child will still have hard days — that's not the goal. The goal is that on those hard days, they'll have something to reach for. A breath. A word for what they're feeling. A way to press pause before a big reaction takes over. That shift — from flooded to capable — is everything.
You've already done something important just by looking for this. I'm so glad you found it, and I'm honored to walk this road with your family. Let's give your child something that lasts.
— Leigh Baumann
Start your journey today
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- 6 modules, 24 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed