Making the Most of Family
Togetherness over Winter Break.
The younger kids (K-1) have been learning
to identify their emotions by listening to the messages their bodies are sending them and observing the facial
expressions of others. Developing self-awareness
is crucial before we can put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and respond
compassionately to them. Ask your child
where in their body they feel an emotion when they are frustrated,
disappointed, excited, or scared. A
converted game of Candy Land taught students skills of emotional
self-regulation while practicing wise Wizard brain responses this week. Please contact me at an@teensinc.org if you
would like a copy to play over the winter break.
The older students in 2nd -5th
grade have been developing collective “Acts of Kindness. Ms. Ness’ class is doing chores for family
members, or perhaps serving them breakfast in bed. Ms. Lee’s class is performing jokes for the
preschoolers. Ms. Albright’s class is showing
gratitude to their teachers and celebrating with a party. Ms. Vosteen’s class decorated the school with
positive and inspirational messages. Ms.
Beauvineau’s class is expressing gratitude to kitchen staff/office
workers/custodians/ and community members.
Ms. Theodorakos’ class is serving as reading buddies for the first
grade. Ms. Forrest’s class is decorating
the cafeteria into a winter wonderland.
The excitement of creating and planning an activity that benefits others
filled the school. Helping children
learn the joy of giving is a powerful lesson in empathy. Kindness is infectious. Compassion is contagious. See if your children can continue to find
ways to “give of themselves” over the break.
As we enter winter break, kids (and
adults) may suddenly be left with either tons of unstructured time or
overstimulating environments. Many
children begin to melt down and act out.
Here are some suggestions that may ease your family through the festivities
and long days:
1.
Encourage
your children to breathe slowly and deeply when they are feeling
overwhelmed. Take 5 minutes to practice pushing the RESET button
before plowing ahead into the next activity.
Breathe with them – you’ll love how it calms yourself down too.
2.
Help children check in with their bodies to see if they are tired or hungry. Late night festivities and lots of sweets can
leave children grouchy. Try to keep a
regular routine for healthy eating and sleeping so their bodies and emotions
aren’t taxed to the limit.
3.
Take time to lay on the floor and do a whole body relaxation exercise with
your children. Tighten each muscle from
toe to head for 7 seconds and then release while breathing out. Then tighten your entire body and release it
by shaking your arms and legs as you walk around. It is amazing how much tension we all carry
around with us that can be lessened with intentional practices.
4.
Set time limits for using technology. Don’t let technology babysit your child for
more than an hour or two per day.
Endless screen time creates crabby children. Being “bored” forces children to come up
with creative and imaginative activities. Provide suggestions and materials to
stimulate their creative side.
5.
Find ways to nurture yourself. Exercise. Plan a date night. Connect with other families. Laugh and share while you ignore the piles of
laundry, layers of dust, and accumulating emails.
6.
Schedule some down time each day to read, listen to music, color a mandala, do a
family puzzle together. Too much
interaction can be overstimulating. We
all need time to refuel and refill our cups.
Enjoy!
We can’t wait to see you and your children again in the New Year!
Ann Sherman, Social
Emotional Learning Instructor and Parenting Matters Coordinator
720-561-4861 ann@teensinc.org
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