Positive Thinking

This week’s Wellness Wednesday explored how positive thinking can help students feel calmer, more hopeful, and more ready to take on challenges. Students learned what positive thinking means, how to flip negative thoughts into more helpful ones, and how it connects to having a growth mindset. Families can practice this at home by noticing tough moments together and looking for something hopeful or encouraging in the situation.

💬 Family Discussion Question: What is one negative thought you could flip into a positive or more helpful thought today?

Wellness Spotlight: Practicing Gratitude

This month, we are highlighting Gratitude. Gratitude helps children (and adults!) notice the good moments in their day and build stronger emotional resilience. This article shares simple ways families can make gratitude a regular habit, through small conversations, daily reflections, or noticing acts of kindness together. Practicing gratitude regularly can help kids feel more connected, calm, and confident.

💬 Family Discussion Question: What is one thing, big or small, that you’re grateful for today, and why does it matter to you?

Body Scan: Mindful Check-In with Our Bodies

This week’s Wellness Wednesday invited students to slow down and tune in to their bodies through a Body Scan mindfulness activity. The video guided them to notice sensations from head to toe, helping them relax, focus, and become more aware of how their body feels. Families can try this calming activity together at home as a way to unwind at the end of the day.

💬 Family Discussion Question: What did you notice about how your body feels after slowing down and taking deep breaths?

How to control our emotions

This week’s Wellness Wednesday focused on developing a Growth Mindset; the belief that we can learn, grow, and improve through effort and practice. Students explored how mistakes help our brains grow stronger and learned six simple ways to build a growth mindset, like using the power of “yet,” embracing challenges, and celebrating effort. Families can watch the video together and talk about ways to practice a growth mindset at home.

💬 Family Discussion Question: Can you think of something you couldn’t do before, but learned how to do with practice and effort?

How to control our emotions

This week’s Wellness Wednesday focused on how to control our emotions. Students learned three simple steps for managing big feelings: noticing how they feel, choosing a coping skill, and taking action. We also explored four types of coping skills: relaxation, distraction, movement, and thinking. Families can watch the video together and talk about which coping strategies work best for everyone at home.

💬 Family Discussion Question: “What’s one coping skill that helps you calm down when you’re feeling upset or overwhelmed?”

Size of feelings

This week’s Wellness Wednesday focused on understanding the size of our feelings. Students learned that some feelings are small and easy to handle, while others can grow big and feel hard to control — and that all feelings are normal. Families can watch the video together and talk about ways to notice when feelings start getting bigger and what helps everyone calm back down.

Exploring What Feels Enjoyable

A really great way to do this is to explore with the intention of figuring out what is enjoyable!

This could be through doing things like a structured “sensory bin” or a questionnaire/checklist (like the Sensory Preferences Printable), or it could be much less formal.

Simply paying attention to what types of sensory experiences you, or your child, seem drawn to and which ones you stay away from gives you a lot of information about their sensory preferences.

Children encounter trauma despite our best efforts to shield them from life’s challenges. Instead of avoiding difficult topics, parents and caregivers are encouraged to talk openly with kids about troubling events in age-appropriate ways. This article offers practical tips to guide these conversations, including creating a safe environment, listening to children’s perspectives, sharing honest feelings, and providing reassurance. Engaging in these talks can help children feel more secure, supported, and better able to process difficult news.

Empowering neurodivergent children to advocate for their needs is a vital skill that supports their growth, confidence, and independence. This article explores practical strategies for parents, teachers, and therapists to help kids build self-advocacy skills, such as understanding their strengths, communicating needs, and making decisions. By fostering these abilities, caregivers enable children to navigate environments more successfully, preparing them to thrive at home, in school, and beyond.