Grief can be experienced with the loss of a loved one, divorce (see below), school closure, moving, or any loss in someone's life. There are different stages of grief that we experience. These stages can be mixed together, and aren't always in the same order as someone else. No one experiences grief the same way, and there is no time limit on grief, but there are ways to cope and feel better. You can check the "Grief" and "Mindfulness" sections of this blog for some helpful tips and ideas to cope with grief.
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Many times with anger, there is something more going on. You can use this anger iceberg to understand what might really be going on when you or your child feels angry. Talk with your child about their anger and help them identify any other feelings that are going on underneath their anger.
Here are some fun kid-friendly jokes to start the day off, read together as a family, read for a homework break, put in lunches, or just to use if you need a laugh!
Here are some great tips to help change your child's behaviors. These wins are helpful for any type of negative behavior that a child may have.
This is a reward chart you can use with your child for behaviors. Every time your child hits a star, they can get a small reward. When they finish a big block, or all 4 big blocks, they can get a bigger reward. You can use this chart for bad habits, emotional behaviors, potty training, and more!
Although we often think that suicide is for teens and adults, there are children who also struggle with suicidal thoughts. Here are some things to look our for and some resources to help if someone you know (child, teen, or adult) is struggling:
Here is a tool kit from The National Alliance of Grieving Children to help kids, teens, and parents respond to life changes or loss.
When we hear the word grief, we often think of death. Although these two words are associated, there are many other events that can lead to grief in a child; Moving, loss of a parent's job, school closures, a friend moving, a teacher moving or unable to complete the school year, and death are just a few example of events that can bring grief to a child. Below are 10 ways to help a child cope with grief from The National Alliance of Grieving Children (There are many other helpful resources on their website).
Here are 40 Positive things you can say to kids to pump up their self-esteem and happiness. The more true kind things we say to each other, the better we will feel.
Here are some fun mindfulness exercises for kids to help with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and any other emotions!
Fox News gave a time capsule for kids to be able to look back in a positive way during this unique time. You can do this with your kids, and you can think of your own ideas to add to your time capsule! A downloadable version is also available for you at the bottom:
Although social distancing/quarantine may be boring or discouraging at times, there are lots of things we can do with our children during social distancing/quarantine to make the best of this unique situation. Below is a list of websites with fun ideas of things to do. If you would like more ideas, check out 55 Fun Activities to do During Social Distancing on this blog.
During this time of uncertainty, confusion, job loss, illness, ect. There is an increase in depression and anxiety. This is a normal reaction to very stressful situations. It is important to reach out and ask for help if you or anyone you know is struggling with anxiety or depression, even during social isolation. Mental health providers are offering services via phone and internet. Throughout the State of Utah there are several resources being offered for both adults and children who may be needing mental health assistance. Please remember if a person is life threatening to call 911 or take them to the nearest emergency department. Below are some of the resources available during COVID-19:
Here are some daily questions to maintain mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, quarantine, and really any stressful situation.
Here is a fun twist to the game Candy Land. You can also modify this with other colored games. This is a fun way to help your child understand and communicate their feelings. You can play together as a family whether your child is struggling with their emotions or not!
This is a fun game to play as a family or with friends to help children understand their feelings and feel more comfortable talking about them. You can use the questions provided here, or you can think of your own!
Below is a calendar with a daily feel good challenge for each school day left in the school year. Each challenge is a small thing that you can do to improve your mental health. Many people are under a lot of stress with all the changes due to COVID-19, and these daily challenges can help. You can work with your child and give them a reward when they finish so many challenges, or when they finish them all. You could also make it a fun challenge to do together as a family and see who can get the most challenges done.
When families spend time together during dinner time, evenings, or any family fun time, it increases a child's mental well-being, creativity, healthy relationships, sense of safety, self-esteem, and more. It also decreases anger, depression, and anxiety. Here are some fun chit chat cards from Parents Empowered to do as a family during dinner or other family times. These cards are a great way to know each other better and increase a child's ability to communicate and empathize with others. You can download the file below in English or Spanish.
Self-Care is one of the best ways to feel good emotionally. There are many types of self-care, and you can read more about it here. Here is a fun activity for adults or kids to practice self-care. You can download the poster or the bingos below, or you can think of your own activities for self-care!
Here is a fun dice game to connect with others and connect with our emotions. You can make and color your own dice (below), or just play with normal dice. You can play it together as a family, one-on-one, or with friends. See how many connections you can make!
I often use these workbooks in the office with kids, but they are also great tool for parents! They have many tips to help with specific topics. There are a wide variety of subjects to choose from. There are many workbooks out there, and you can find others that you like, but these are the ones I prefer the most:
Using I feel statements are a great way to practice communication with kids for resolving conflicts with friends or family.
I feel__________ because________ I need you to please___________. |
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