Elementary
Hotlines
Call 911 if you or the person you are helping is in immediate danger
24-hour Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 (TALK) or Text “Hello” to 741741
24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
24-hour Michigan Mental Health Hotline: 1-888-535-6136 Press "8" to talk to a Michigan Stay Well counselor
Welcome!
If you need additional resources, please reach out to your school counselor. We are here to help!
Create a Calming Space
Creating a calm area in your home promotes well-being, independence, and coping skill development. You and your family can work together to identify where to create a space and what is important to include.
Calm Down Corner.pdfCircle of Control
When we help students deal with major life stressors, we ask them to identify aspects of the situation that they can control and those that they can’t. Now might be a great time to explore this concept, which we call the “circle of control,” with your child at home. This tool is great for adults as well. Click here for a template to complete, or simply draw the circles on a piece of paper.
Circle of Control.pdfCoping with Worries
While your child may not be exhibiting significant changes in mood or behavior, they may be experiencing a great deal or worry these days. Here are some resources and tools you can use to help your child cope with worries.
This workbook guides children and parents through cognitive-behavioral techniques most often used in the treatment of anxiety. It includes metaphors and illustrations that make the concepts easy to understand, and clear how-to steps and prompts to draw and wrote that help children master new skills related to reducing anxiety.
Worry Eaters
Worry Eaters are a fun little tool we use at school to help students deal with worries. Children are invited to write or draw their worries and place them in the Worry Eater’s mouth, so that the Worry Eater can hold onto them. The Worry Eater will hold on to that fear, so they can focus on school work, getting a good night’s sleep, etc. Search for "Worry Eater" on Amazon OR have your child make his/her own Worry Eater at home!
Goal Setting
If you don't know where you're going, how will you get there? WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Transforming a personal vision into an achievable task
Developing a plan for achieving the goal
Following through with the plan until your goal is met
HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD
Make SMART Goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time/resource constrained.
Model it! Children learn in a variety of ways, including the behavior they see modeled by adults in their lives. Set a goal, go after it, and show them how it's done!
Goal Setting.pdfGrowth Mindset
Mistakes help me grow! 
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Embracing challenges
Giving your best effort
Learning from feedback and mistakes
Believing that intelligence can change if you work hard
Mindfulness
The practice of focusing on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, is a powerful tool that you can practice daily with your child. Below are some resources and activities that you can use to promote your child's mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness with Mind Yeti
Your mind is filled with all kinds of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. We call these thoughts, feelings, and sensations "hubbubbles." Sometimes, the hubbubbles can get pretty distracting, and make everything harder than it needs to be. The good news is, YOU can settle the "hubbub" with Mind Yeti! Listening to Mind Yeti can Strengthen your mind and settle the hubbub. Learn to calm your mind, focus your attention, and connect better to the people and world around you. Get your mind ready, with Mind Yeti!
Mind Yeti Worksheet
What kind of hubbubbles are filling your brain? Think about the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that are on your mind throughout the day. Write them down on a piece of paper OR print and complete this worksheet.
Mind Yeti Worksheet.pdf
Meditation can empower kids to feel resilient and strong. Use these meditations and Sleep Stories to bring some peace to the kids in your life.
Organization
A place for everything, and everything in its place! WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Planning each day the night before
Making a "To-Do" list and sticking to it
Consistent routines for morning and night
Putting everything where it belongs
HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD
Set routines. Make checklists so that your child can take responsibility for everything they need to do throughout the day.
One in, one out rule. It's impossible to be organized when there is too much stuff. Each time your child gets a new toy, have them choose an older, less played with toy to donate.
My Organization Plan.pdfSelf-Care
Self-care is an activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it's a simple concept in theory, it's something we very often overlook. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety.
Here are some activities that you can do with your child or as a family to focus on self-care.
Other Activities and Resources for Elementary Students
Cosmic Kids (videos to help children improve their self-regulation skills, focus, and empathy)
CATCH Health at Home (health, nutrition, and physical education resources for parents and educators)
Gopher Sports (at-home equipment replacement list for Physical Education)
The Surprising Benefits Your Kids Get from Playing Board Games (article from Scholastic)
The 14-Day Family Bonding Challenge (article from Susan Newman, Ph.D.)
List of 98 Kid-Approved Indoor Activities for Kids on School Break/Closure (article from The Pragmatic Parent)
Make a Kid's Cookbook (free printable activity)
16 Printable Art Activities for Kids (The Artful Parent)
Printable Indoor Family Night Scavenger Hunt Cards (Look! We're Learning)
Active Kids Do Better (videos to help motivate and energize your kids so they can achieve more)
Virtual Museum Tours (virtual tours famous museums from around the world)
How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism (Ted Talk video 10:48)
Resources_Anxiety Workshop.pdf