When I feel... I can...

• (K-2) Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood - Daniel Uses His Words - All Aboard!

• (K-4) The Color Monster - ‘The Color Monster’ is here to teach children about feelings, as each beautiful color leads to an emotion. It will also help children build understanding and empathy towards others, as in the story the emotions are attached to deep descriptions of how the little furry Monster feels inside and how he is able to cope.

• (K-4) Zen Den Cosmic Kids Yoga - Mindfulness and Feelings - Your feelings come and go. If you are the pond, let the scary feelings swim by like the fish.

• (K-4) The Invisible String Read Aloud - The Invisible String is a very simple approach to overcoming the fear of loneliness or separation with an imaginative flair that children can easily identify with and remember.

• (K-6) Even Superheroes Have Bad Days - Sometimes superheroes are not in very good moods. However, they always seem to make the right decisions.

• (K-12) The ABCs of Gratitude - you can say these out loud or write them down.

  • Write something you are grateful for for each letter of the alphabet.

    • Ex.

      • A - AirPods

      • B - Basketball

      • C - Comics

• (K-12) The G.L.A.D. Technique - you can say these out loud or write them down.

  • Grateful - What is something you are thankful for today?

  • Learned - What is something new you learned today?

  • Accomplished - What is one thing you accomplished today?

  • Delighted - What is one thing that made you laugh today?

• Remind your children of big changes that they have gone through in the past.

o Identify ways they got through those changes in the past.

o Focus on the positive outcomes from previous changes.

• Watch for signs of stress in yourself and your children.

o For those who communicate stress through behavior.

• When you notice behavior changes in your child have them identify what they are feeling.

  • Behavior changes to look for

    • Increased frustration or anger, Increased silliness and hyperactivity, Withdrawing from family, Increased drama and exaggeration, Unable to make decisions, Negative self-talk, Complaining of stomach aches or headaches, Bed wetting, Difficulty sleeping, Sleeping all day

For those who communicate stress through words.

• When your children say they are “stressed” have them identify the emotion they are feeling.

o This is not a natural activity and may take time for your children to get used to.

• If your child says “I don’t know” tell them “I would really like to know how you are feeling. When you figure it out please let me know”.

• For younger children you may have to give them examples of feelings words –

• Use your own stress during this time as an example.

  • When I said I was “stressed” yesterday what I was really saying is “I’m tired and feeling overwhelmed at the moment”.

o Being able to communicate what we are really feeling allows us to process those thoughts and emotions.

• Parenting with wisdom and not through fear.

o Identify wise steps to take during this time of change.

• Creating fun new ways to say “Hi”, “Goodbye”, “I love you”, etc., Singing the ABC song with your child while washing hands, Coughing into our elbows, Spending time at home engaged in family activities

o Avoid using fear statements –

• Instead of saying “wash your hands or you will get sick” say “we should wash our hands regularly for good hygiene”.

o Limit exposure to news media (including social media) and be aware of the sites your child is visiting.

• Establish a New Normal

o Implement a schedule that works for your family.

o Normalize things as much as possible.

o Focus on the positive things of the New Normal.