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Here is a 30 minute video explaining some tips to manage emotions for you and your child. This is the same class that I gave during parent teacher conferences. It explains what's happening in the brain when we have strong emotions, tips for parents, and techniques to manage emotions. I hope this can be helpful for you and your families!
https://uetn-org.zoom.us/rec/share/rCotpSv0sfte_zBkpQ--jN1lFMA6At3hjMMzUp3vJeRnvgFI4z5Id064GG_9w_a2.9bRdo-vdQJQUiKRd?startTime=1604675884000 Passcode: c5.vGnbd 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.
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.
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:
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!
Everyone has different coping tools to help us feel better. Some are healthy, and some are unhealthy. It is important to understand what coping tools we like, so we can practice using them during hard times or when we are having difficult emotions. Below, are some coping tools and an action plan for kids. You can download the file below, print it out, and see how many different coping tools you already have! When you are angry, stressed, sad, or worried, you can practice trying these coping tools, and notice how they make you feel! It is also good to practice these tools when you are happy, so your smart brain will know what to do when your safety brain is making you feel bad. You can do this activity alone or with your friends and compare!
Often times when there is a stressful situation or unwanted emotion in our lives, we feel like we have lost our control, but there are still a lot of things that we can control in our lives, even if we feel like we can't. Here is a list 50 things you can control to help you stay grounded in your life, even during a stressful time, unwanted emotion, or a crisis. Parents, this is a good activity to do alone or with your kids to spark a conversation about what they can control in their lives. At the bottom of this page, you can download a checklist version of this picture, print it, and have your child check off the things they think they can control. Kids, see how many things you can control! If you would like to download a checklist version of this paper to use at home, click on the link below.
The Coronavirus is spiking anxiety all over the world for children and adults. Children can feel confused and overwhelmed at all the changes and the cancellations. Below are some resources to help you explain the coronavirus to your children. Here is a quote I found from a teacher to a parent, that puts all this into some perspective: "Don’t worry about them regressing in school. Every single kid is in the same boat and they will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct to meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this! Don’t pick fights with your kids because they are struggling to do their homework. Don’t scream at them for not following a perfect schedule. Don’t mandate learning, encourage it. If I can leave you with one thing, it’s this: at the end of all this, your kids’ mental health will be more important than their academic skills. And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during these weeks at home is long gone. So keep that in mind, every single day."
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