Again, it is so important for us to stay connected with one another! Though we can't hug as usual in many settings, there are many things we CAN do! Make an effort to incorporate greetings and moments of connection with others throughout your day. We can wink at a friend, give an air hug or an elbow bump, bow or press our hands together in Namaste, and so much more! Check out this visual that offers several touch-free greeting options for children. These could be used with neighbors, friends, or family during safe, socially-distanced gatherings or virtual chats. Get creative - you and your children could even create your own touch-free greetings to use with others!
Big thank you to The Joys of Littles for the use of this image. You can follow this store at the following link: www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Touch-free-greetings-for-in-person-learning-5882303
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We know that connecting with our children is so important - possibly even the most important factor in helping them grow and develop. And we know that the most important elements of connection are playfulness, presence, eye contact, and touch. But the world is a little different right now... in many settings we are supposed to avoid touch and close contact to help keep everyone safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. So how do we make sure that we connect with our children in a while also avoiding close contact and keeping everyone safe? Well, one thing we can do is increase playfulness and presence. In a school setting, we can't increase touch because it wouldn't be safe, and we wouldn't necessarily increase eye contact unless it is something a child enjoys. But we can certainly increase the amount of playfulness and presence in our children's lives. Be intentional with this by setting time aside to play, and limiting distractions and multi-tasking that can interrupt being truly present with our children.
Another thing we can do in school settings is to introduce touch-free I Love You Rituals, like this one shared by Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Bailey Lewin! Click the link below to watch her "Wonderful Third Grader" video. This is available on the Conscious Discipline website, which also has many wonderful free resources to support connection in homes and schools. https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousDiscipline/videos/1896085753866048/ |
AuthorHi, I'm Brie Krentz, and I'm the School Psychologist at HGECC. I care about the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health of all of our children, and I believe in Conscious Discipline as a way to minimize behavior problems and to help children connect meaningfully with others. Archives
October 2021
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