Parenting Matters…..

          One thing that makes each of us unique is our fingerprints.  Each person’s fingerprint is one-of-a-kind, or unlike everyone else’s in the world.  NES students learned this past week how fingerprints are created while they were in the womb.  The three layers of skin on our hands are squished together into distinct patterns from two actions – the child begins exploring their world and pushing out with their hands, and at the same time, the walls of the womb (or their immediate world) gives them some resistance.  Out of this interaction, the layers of skin on their fingers are creased, swirled, looped and pressed into a unique design.  It is out of both (1) personal exploration and (2) resistance from our world that our unique story unfolds.  We are who we are because of our special experiences.

     During BrainWise lessons, students created colorfully painted hands complete with their unique fingerprints and then selected a Social Emotional Learning goal that they will work on this year.  They chose to either

a.      Increase their ability to Focus and Solve Problems, or

b.      Better understand and Regulate their Emotions, or to

c.       Increase their Understanding of Others. 

     Students also learned that they leave their fingerprints everywhere they go and on everyone they interact with due to the oil and sweat on their hands.  They were asked to reflect upon what kind of lingering impression do they want to make on their world?  This is a good conversation to pursue with your child at home.  Parents may also want to ask their children which Social Emotional Learning GOAL they selected and why they chose it?  Enjoy the colorful posters in the hallway and look for your child’s one-of-a-kind hand.  

Happy PARENTING!

Ann Sherman, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING Instructor and PARENTING MATTERS Coordinator at NES

ann@teensinc.org