I came across this breathing activity that I really love! This is adapted from the Choose Love Movement (which I also recommend checking out!) The Choose Love Movement calls this "the brave breath", but it is simply a way to breathe slowly and deeply. This can calm your nervous system (or your child's), can activate the higher centers of the brain, and can help all of us to respond, rather than react, to people or events around us. It goes like this: place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Breathe in deeply and slowly, like you are smelling warm chocolate chips cookies just coming from the oven. Breathe out through your lips like you are blowing bubbles. I think visualizing those two things - cookies and bubbles - really helps to position your body and your breath in the most beneficial way. And if you used visuals, it could also be a really helpful image to help coach our littles through some deep breathing. Breathe in, breathe out, and enjoy!
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I have posted about this topic before, but it is worth repeating. It is so important to have some healthy limits when it comes to children and screen time! The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended very limited amounts of screen time for young children, as too much screen time can negatively impact language development, movement and active play, sleep, creativity, cognitive development, executive functioning, impulse control, social interactions, and so much more! But screens are a part of our lives - they can be found in waiting rooms, airports, restaurants, and even schools! So I think the goal should be to find balance. Avoid using screens to replace other important activities, like learning and playing face to face with others. Avoid distracting your child with screens, or soothing them with screens. And rather than imposing strict time limits (especially during these pandemic times, when we are often stuck at home), make sure your child balances screen time with other healthy activities including free play, social interaction, and active play, outdoor play, and exercise. These recommendations from Cari Ebert are WONDERFUL! Please take a moment to check them out! Just click on the link below.
www.cariebertseminars.com/uploads/2/8/9/0/28903483/establishing_healthy_screen_time_habits.pdf High Grove Early Childhood Center will be hosting a free, virtual Conscious Discipline training opportunity specifically designed for our HGECC parents! Please join us to learn more about this social-emotional learning approach that is so beneficial for children and their families. Register using this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpw2sc18UCkMMyNPAINjMUgeUn6ppzWj-uI1WfsRm44lA9Uw/viewform In Conscious Discipline, we often make a daily commitment. This helps us to be mindful and to focus on something we want - it can be a behavior that we want, a perspective that we want, or a goal we want to set for ourselves. What you focus on, you get more of! So today I offer this as a daily commitment: Today, I am willing to take deep breaths before I respond to the behavior of others.
We cannot control others, and we cannot control circumstances, but we can control our own responses. So choose to respond from the higher centers of your brain! How do we get to the executive part of our brain? That really good part where learning and problem solving occur? By breathing. So when in doubt, just breathe! Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many families are socially distancing from loved ones, including grandparents and other family members. This is hard for us as adults, but may be particularly hard for our children to understand. This wonderful social story from Conscious Discipline is appropriate for young children, and can help them understand the reasons why we stay away to keep others safe. It can also help young children understand their own feelings about being away from loved ones, and can create a moment of connection and discussion between a parent and a child. You can access the free, printable story on the Conscious Discipline website. Just sign up for a free account!
Conscious Discipline website: https://consciousdiscipline.com I Miss My Grandparent story: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/i-love-my-grandparent/ Children (and adults) may have scared feelings more often because, let's be honest, there are many scary things in the world these days! Children may have feelings of fear because of the ongoing pandemic, because of recent news events, and even because of normal childhood experiences. When our children feel scared, let them know it is okay to talk with us, and it is okay to ask for help. We can respond by actively listening, being present with them, comforting them, and spending extra time together. We can also teach them active calming strategies, such as these breathing activities from Conscious Discipline. Breathing calms our nervous system and helps us to manage these normal feelings. Follow the link below, and check out the pictured breathing and calming activities for more information! https://consciousdiscipline.s3.amazonaws.com/Free-Resources/Printable-Posters-Tools-Activities/FREE-Printable-Managing-Scared-During-COVID-19.pdf The holiday season can be a busy season of shopping, buying, and over-emphasis on material things. It can also be a time of togetherness, family time, play, and special memories. If you have young children in your family, remember that the very best gift a child will ever have is a parent who plays and gives them undivided attention. So this season, we should try to put our focus on PRESENCE, rather than presents! And just watch as the positive benefits unfold for you and your children!
Conscious Discipline teaches us that "what we focus on, we get more of". Research also indicates that practicing gratitude helps kids to be healthier and happier, to have better social relationships, and to have stronger resilience when faced with adversity. So if we focus on the things we are grateful for, there are many benefits for children, and also for us as adults!
There are many ways to teach children about gratitude, including a family gratitude jar or having a daily "I'm thankful for..." conversation or prayer. You could also try getting the kids involved in making a Gratitude Tree like this one! Cut leaves from paper, gather twigs from outside, and use yarn or any other materials you have available. Kids may choose big things to be grateful for, like family, or little things, like candy or toys, and anything they choose is okay! Practicing gratitude is a meaningful part of the Thanksgiving holiday, but also a beneficial part of our lives throughout the year! I love Sesame Street (and I always have!) I also love to teach children about culture, diversity, and kindness. So for me, this is the perfect special, and a perfect opportunity for parents and children to engage in conversations about equality and kindness in our communities. I encourage families to watch this together, to discuss using the discussion guide, and to look for ways to grow kindness in your family and community!
Check out this description from the discussion guide, available on the Sesame workshop website at www.sesameworkshop.org. The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special centers on four friends: Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Gabrielle, and Gabrielle’s older cousin, Tamir. With other Sesame Street neighbors and celebrity guests, the friends explore their own identities and skin and fur colors and come to understand what it means to be color-proud—to have pride in your own culture, identity, and race. In age-appropriate ways, the friends learn what each of us can do to stand up to racism for ourselves and one another through one powerful little word: we. This wonderful special is now available on HBO Max and PBS kids. Check your local listings for dates and times, and enjoy! 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 |
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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