Resources
ADHD
ADHD Signs and Symptoms
It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue, can be severe, and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends.
A child with ADHD might:
daydream a lot
forget or lose things a lot
squirm or fidget
talk too much
make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks
have a hard time resisting temptation
have trouble taking turns
have difficulty getting along with others
Learn more about ADHD from cdc.gov
If you suspect your child might have ADHD, talk to your pediatrician.
Here are additional resources for students who struggle with ADHD and their families.
Anxiety
Video Series with Dr. Scott Cypers, an expert on treating anxiety and mood disorders in children, teens and adults.
More resources for managing anxiety:
Mindfulness helps kids focus on the positive
How To Help A Child Struggling With Anxiety (NPR Life Kit article and Podcast)
Book List (for grown-ups)
13 Things Emotionally Strong Parents Don't Do - Amy Morin
The Coddling of the American Mind: How good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure -Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt
The Gift of Failure: How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed -Jessica Lahey
Grit: The power of Passion and Perseverance -Angela Duckworth
Self-Compassion for Parents: Nurture Your Child by Caring for Yourself -Susan Pollak
UnSelfie: Why Empathic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World - Michele Borba
Calming Tools for Big Emotions
Calming tools for BIG feelings
The best calming skills are those that meet these 5 criteria:
It has to work (not all skills work for every person)
No Attention (can't be attention seeking or a distraction to others)
Safe
Portable (can use it anywhere)
Does not lead to avoidance (Work avoidance in particular. But we also sometimes want to avoid what makes us anxious and that's not always the best option. For more anxiety management tools see ANXIETY section above.)
Breathing - ask you student about any of the breathing exercises they have learned at school. Many of our teachers and learning specialists will use these to help students regulate their emotions.
Movement - this could include anything from taking a walk to the drinking fountain, standing up for a stretch or movement break in class, active play at recess, biking, swimming, dancing or any other form of activity... when the body is moving the brain benefits! Find out from your student what movement strategies they could use at home or school to manage big emotions.
Talk to a trusted adult
Talk to a friend
Sing, play or listen to music - rhythm is a natural way to regulate our brains
Read a book
Journal, draw, or color
Find a quiet space to be alone for a while - if your child is an introvert it just means they need to be quiet and alone for a time in order to recharge their batteries
Others? talk with your children about healthy tools you use to calm down or find out about others they may have learned at school
Create a Calm-Corner at Home:
Many of our classrooms have a place where kids can take a break and get reminders and a chance to practice using calming and coping strategies. If your student struggles to manage really big emotions (and resulting behavior that is unacceptable at home) you can try creating a space in your house where the child can be reminded of calming strategies we teach at school. Calm Down Corner Eventually, children should be able to regulate their own emotions without the use of a designated space. But as they learn and practice these strategies, the calming corner can be a big help for kids AND parents alike!
See also: Mindfulness & Calming section below
Conflict Resolution
Counseling & Wellness Newsletter
Grief & Loss
Growth Mindset and Resilience
Books, websites and more!
Big Life Journal - website, free printables, podcast for kids, and more!
Let Grow - Filled with information and resources for parents, schools and communities to boost childhood independence
Kid Confidence: Help Your Child Make Friends, Build Resilience, and Develop Real Self-Esteem - Eileen Kennedy-Moore
The Gift of Failure: How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed -Jessica Lahey
Grit: The power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth
The Coddling of the American Mind: How good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure. -Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt
13 Things Mentally Strong PARENTS Don’t Do - Amy Morin (We’ll be running a book study, Fall 2023)
Mindfulness & Calming
At Coyote Creek, teachers and staff use mindfulness as a self-awareness/self-regulation tool in our classrooms. What started primarily in counseling lessons over the past few years, has become a school wide focus and a foundational part of teaching all children Colorado Essential Skills.
Why incorporate mindfulness into every classroom? Neuroscience shows that when we learn to use mindfulness techniques such as mindful breathing, mindful listening, mindful thinking, and activating the senses, we create neural pathways in our minds that become easier to access over time for calming and improved focus. Research also shows that when we are taught how to be mindful during non-stressful moments we can use that practice during actual stressful events. Our overall goal is for students to practice and learn how to respond to situations rather than react both at school and at home.
The chosen curriculum is MindUp, a research based program that is thorough and easy to implement. MindUp is based on four pillars: neuroscience, mindful awareness, positive psychology, and social emotional learning. While this is not a stand-alone curriculum being added to their teaching load, each teacher can integrate the lessons, tools and resources from MindUp into their daily routine in a way that best fits their style and classroom needs.
Want to learn more or implement MindUp principles and practices at home? Click here.
Mental Health Counseling & Crisis Services
Colorado has an anonymous reporting system available at all times for the community to use. Anyone with a concern for someone’s well being or safety can use Safe 2 Tell (1-877-542-7233) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All children do better with a regular routine, predictability, and activities to manage downtime built into their schedules. Extended breaks and cancelled plans can be stressful for some people, especially those who are prone to mental health and behavioral challenges.
Below is a list of resources for parents, should you have a concern that your child may be experiencing behavioral changes, mood swings, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to your child or others
Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)
National Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
Let’s Talk Colorado (Douglas County Government and Tri-County Health campaign)
Below is a list of community centers in our metro area.
AllHealth Network: 303-730-8858 (serving all of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties)
Denver Springs: 720-643-4300
Highlands Behavioral Health System: 720-348-2800
Peakview Behavioral Health: 888-235-9475 (Lone Tree Location for adults now open)
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our children safe. The school district will continue to provide families with regular updates about how we are working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, please visit our district website at www.dcsdk12.org/coronavirus.org to stay informed. We hope you and your family have a safe and healthy summer.
Parent Support
Parent Support
If you are on my website reading this, you are already doing something to support yourself and your children. Asking for help is sometimes the hardest thing to do when our kids (or we as parents) are struggling. I won't have all the answers but I will drop ideas and resources for you here when I come across them.
Kid's Podcast, free printables and more!
At Big Life Journal, you'll find engaging resources that help kids develop a growth and resilient mindset so they can face life’s challenges with confidence. Subscribe to this website for weekly emails with FREE parenting tips. You won't be sorry!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jennifer Kolari at Connected Parenting shares techniques that therapists use to help parents soothe their child as well as enhance the parent-child bond and is based on the understanding that correcting and guiding behavior works best when it is preceded by and linked to empathy. If you have too many books to read and not enough time, try listening to Jennifer's Podcasts!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Check out their website for more about groups, parent support, individual, child, family counseling and more! It's a great, local resource.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At Let Grow, we believe today’s kids are smarter and stronger than our culture gives them credit for.
Treating them as physically and emotionally fragile is bad for their future — and ours.
Let Grow is making it easy, normal and legal to give kids the independence they need to grow into capable, confident, and happy adults.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Video Game Dilemma
2/11/2021
As a parent, I find that my relationship to my son's video game interest is usually an adversarial one. I'm primarily focused on limiting his time and the types of games he plays to what I think is best for him. My intentions are good; they are based on the fact that I can see how his mood changes after too much screen time and because research has been showing us for a long time how excessive video gaming and screen time affect brain development. However, my firm stance on gaming often ends in arguments and sometimes tears. I know that my family is not unique in this dilemma.
What if we started to be more curious about WHY our children play particular video games? Certainly, as a counselor and parent I still advocate for limits on screen time and content, especially for our youngest students. But I was given a fresh perspective on the subject after listening to psychotherapist Nick Thompson's podcast: A Helpful Way To Talk About Video Games With Your Child. Check it out!
Debbie Edwards, MA, LPC, School Counselor
The ZONES of Regulation
What Zone Are You In?
This is another way of asking kids how they're feeling. When we categorize emotions by color in this way it can be easier for young students, and the people around them, to understand where they are in relation to learning and in relationship with other people.
Zones of Regulation: A concept to foster self-regulation and emotional control.
Ask your child to tell you what zone they are in and talk about the different emotions they experience throughout their day. They are learning that all emotions are okay - it's what we do with them that matters. Find out what tools your child can use to help them get back to green where they are calm, focused, and ready to learn! (See Calming Tools For Big Emotions above)
... More
Douglas County Community Resources
DCSD Community Resource Guide-COVID 19.docxThe Genius of Play
Increase your child's Power of Concentration
This website is full of resources, like the one below, designed to help kids develop a growth and resilient mindset so they can face life’s challenges with confidence.
Treating today's kids as physically and emotionally fragile is bad for their future – and ours. Let Grow counters the culture of overprotection. We aim to future-proof our kids, and our country.
The Feelings Wheel can be used to help children and adults identify deeper feelings with which they might be struggling.
