Hello, Parents!

Parent Workshop RecapS

Cyber Safety - Parent Workshop

If you missed the workshop or would like a recap of the material covered you can download:

my notes from the presentation here
a resources sheet provided by the FBI here (in English and Spanish)

Please feel free to email me at amanda.corrigan@lausd.net with any questions or suggestions for upcoming workshops.

Building a Stronger Relationship with Your Child's Teacher

If you missed the workshop or would like a recap of the material covered you can download the slides here.

Coping with Uncertainty and Distance Learning

If you missed the workshop or would like a recap of the material covered you can download the slides here.

Encouraging Positive Behavior / Fomentar El Comportamiento Positivo

If you missed the workshop or would like a recap of the material covered you can download:

the slides (presentación) here (in English and en Español)
the video of the recorded session here (in English and en Español)
coping strategy ideas here

Stress Management and Emotional Wellbeing (4RF)

We completed our Stress Management and Emotional Wellbeing series, but if you were unable to join, here are links to the relaxation exercises that we enjoyed as a group. I encourage you all to download the script, record yourself reading it on your phone, and share it with your children!

Guided Imagery: On the Beach:

Script - English / Español
Audio Recordings - English / Español

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Script - English / Español

IF YOU MISSED THE WORKSHOPS, BUT WOULD LIKE TO VIEW ONES PREVIOUSLY HOSTED BY LAUSD, CLICK BELOW FOR THE WEBINAR VIDEOS:

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

WORKSHOP #1, EMOTIONAL REGULATION (English recording only, some translation in session)

WORKSHOP #2, STRESS MANAGEMENT - English / Español

WORKSHOP #3, RESILIENCY - English / Español

WORKSHOP #4, EMOTIONAL WELLBEING/PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID - English (TBD) / Español

Local Events

In this section I will post events happening in the community. This is informational only.

These events are NOT endorsed or sponsored by LAUSD.

For additional local events, visit LA Parent for their free event listings:

https://www.laparent.com/events/categories/free/

Links & Tips

Parenting & Self CARE

"Let's remind our children that these are normal feelings in abnormal times." -- Lynn Lyons, LICSW

National Parent Helpline (M-F, 10AM-7PM PST): 855-427-2736 (855-4APARENT)

Bereavement

OUR HOUSE Grief Support Center's resources page has many handouts that are helpful
OUR HOUSE main website
"After a Loved One Dies" brochure (New York Life Foundation): English and Español

How to Manage a Meltdown

Strategies from Dr. Lisa Damour

Coping with Distance Learning

15 Tips for Successful Distance Learning
How To Cope With the Stress of Homeschooling - Mental Health America
Back to School Toolkit - Mental Health America
Anxiety and Coping with Corona Virus - Child Mind Institute (in English and Spanish)
Supplemental videos for distance learning - Khan Academy
The Los Angeles Public Library allows you to get an E-Card virtually if you do not currently have a library card. With a library card or e-card, you and your children have access to thousands of digital books, magazines, songs, movies, etc. The library is also offering "Library to Go" for physical pick up.

Mental Health

Know the signs: Recognizing mental health concerns in kids & teens
Anxiety in children - Child Mind Institute
How Parents Can Help With Child Anxiety - UCLA CARES Center (video)
Additional resources for anxiety - UCLA CARES Center
For specific referrals to community mental health agencies or if you feel like your child is experiencing mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, etc.), please contact me or have a teacher submit a referral.

Social Justice

Talking about race with young children - NPR
CNN/Sesame Street Racism Town Hall

Relaxation

Talk to a friend. Identify who is in your support network
Practice gratitude. It's more powerful than you think! Read about studies here. An easy way is to think of 3 good things that happened during the day or you are grateful for before going to sleep. Find an easy worksheet here.
Guided Meditations (English and Spanish) - UCLA
Headspace is still free for Los Angeles residents
Journal. If you're nervous about having a book that could be found, you can type it and privacy protect your documents. There are online sites like this one that also promote their privacy policies
Color a mandala coloring page
Listen to a podcast or music
Dance, sing, laugh, go for a walk or run
Take a bath
Try aromatherapy. You can diffuse essential oils, put a few drops on a cotton ball and smell it, add a few drops to a bath
Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation (tightening your muscles and then relaxing them) with your children

Parenting a Child With Attention Issues

Set consistent boundaries for children and maintain them
Be very specific when giving your child instructions
Help your child break down large tasks and set small, achievable goals that, over time, add up to more substantial accomplishments
Minimize distractions in the room when they are attempting to do their work (no pets, siblings, television, etc., while student should be focused)
Use charts and visual aids to relay rules and reward positive behavior
However, you can allow them a small fidget toy or something to write or draw with
In person in class, they may need to sit in the front of the class/close to the board
Seat them away from distracting kids (siblings at home or other students in-person)
While learning from home, do not let them play on their iPads/internet/phone. You may have to download an app that blocks them from accessing other sites while in class
Students may need additional instruction in case they could not focus during original lesson (i.e.: tutoring)
Some students with ADHD focus better while using colored note pads, color-coding notebooks to different subjects, or using a clear, colored piece of plastic as an overlay on their books
When appropriate, get a diagnosis and discuss options with your pediatrician. ADHD is often managed through parenting strategies, behavior management, and medication.
With ADHD, behavior management is a key component to regulating the child’s symptoms, which means implementing a structure at home of consistency. Many parents opt to attend Parent Behavior Management Training (which is called by various names including Parent Management Training [PMT], Parent Behavior Therapy, etc.), but essentially it’s a course that teaches how to work with and incentivize your child with ADHD and other conditions that impact behavior. As the parent, you have the most influence on your child’s behavior and the most opportunities to help them course-correct

Additional ADHD resources:

How to Manage the Holidays

Holidays During the Pandemic - Child Mind Institute
5 Self-Care Tips During the Holidays

Divorce and/or Domestic Violence

How to tell kids about divorce: an age-by-age guide - Today's Parent
How to talk to children about divorce - Healthy Children
Use children's books as a way to discuss it and invite questions. If you search the title and "read aloud" in YouTube, many books are available online for free. You can also borrow from the public library - many downloads are available digitally and for free. 10 Children's Books That Help Explain Divorce - Parents magazine
Talking to Young Children About Domestic Violence - Breaking the Silence Against Domestic Violence
Listening and Talking to Your Child About Domestic Violence - The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

How-to-Manage-Stress-Under-COVID-19-English-1.pdf

Tips & Tricks

These tips come from evidenced-based parenting skills, but you are the expert on your child. Change takes time. If you are trying to correct multiple behaviors, it's better to focus on only 1 or 2 at a time. If you'd like more information or connection with parenting classes, please contact me.

Keep calm and consistent. This isn't always easy to do! As parents, we need to emotionally regulate ourselves first in order to emotionally regulate our children. Apply relaxation strategies (deep breathing; stepping away when safe) when you feel yourself becoming activated.
Make clear and consistent rules: what is expected, when it is expected, how often it is expected. You may choose to have Mandatory Rules (rules that you declare, like "No running into traffic") and/or Discretionary Rules (rules you develop as a family)
Develop a routine. Routines let children know what to expect and increase feelings of safety. This is especially important (and can be more challenging) during distance learning. Encourage kids to get up and ready for the day: put on clothes, brush their teeth. Create a designated area for them to do their school work everyday.
Supervise your children when they are completing a task you've required until they are responsible enough to follow through on what you've asked them to do on their own. This may take a while, but overseeing the job can be more effective in the long run than punishing them after
Consistently follow through with consequences. Do not threaten a consequence that you don't enforce
Be firm, but do not engage, yell, or argue over misbehavior. By staying calm and "not taking the bait," you are depriving your child of the attention (reward) they are seeking. Instead, praise, compliment, encourage, and engage your child when they are exhibiting positive behavior
Use timeouts effectively. Timeout should occur in a quiet, under-stimulating room, and should only last for a few minutes (may correlate with child's age). Consistency and predictability are critical. The child should understand what kinds of misbehavior result in timeout, where they need to stay during time out, and how long the timeout will last. Do not lecture during timeouts. Timeouts should be a deprivation of attention, otherwise they will not be effective. Do not let them out early for good behavior. If the timeout does not need to last as long as you originally set, shorten the next timeout, so you are following through with the consequence you stated
Affirm for children that their feelings are valid and they are entitled to them, but they still have to follow the rules
If your child is becoming frustrated with distance learning, go over coping skills with them. They can:
- - take deep, slow breaths, in through nose, out through the mouth. Imagine they are inflating their bellies like balloons
  - take a quick break to cool down
  - encourage them to talk about their feelings with whoever is supervising them instead of acting out
  - get a drink of water
  - if learning asynchronously, take a brain break. Color, draw, journal, take a walk, or play outside, then come back to their schoolwork
Tell your child that you love them, that they matter, that their well-being is important to you. Communicate that even if you are frustrated, you still care
When complimenting children, do not add a criticism or "but." For example, "I love you but you drive me nuts." "Great job doing the dishes -- was that so hard?" "Why can't you always act this way?" These statements invalidate the praise.
Offer children choices when you can
Encourage your child to exercise and be outdoors (when safely possible)
Take time for yourself. This can be challenging to find, but even 15 minutes before bed to engage in a calming activity (like those listed above) can be beneficial. These same activities that help our children are helpful to adults!

For additional community resources, please click on the "Community Resources" tab in the upper right corner of this site.

Page updated

Report abuse