This Week @Home

Monday, Nov. 21, 2016

Mindfulness is the act of simultaneously being focused and compassionate. Help your child practice concentrating on the person/task in front of them (mind) while encouraging them to be kind and more sensitive to others and situations (heart). Speak with them regularly about how mindfulness's two parts can be thought of as "wings" needed to fly, and ask them how they use their two wings in different situations. It all begins with awareness!

Monday, November 14, 2016

Learning to build and navigate relationships is a life-long skill. Have your child identify where he/she is at on the following list, and ask them to provide examples demonstrating their skills. Spend a few minutes discussing with your child how they'd recommend someone might move deeper down on the list.

Relationship "I Statements"

> With some support I can be part of a group.

> I am kind to others, can work or play co-operatively, and can build relationships with people of my choosing.

> I can identify when others need support and provide it.

> I am aware of how others may feel and take steps to help them feel included.

> I build and sustain positive relationships with diverse people, including people from different generations.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Orkidebarn is a Swedish term for “orchid child,” which stands in contrast to tomaskrosbarn, or “dandelion child". The idea behind the research On the Trail of the Orchid Child is simple: some children are highly sensitive to their environments (orchid children) while others are more resistant to the influences of their environments (dandelion children). For orchid children, the consequences they suffer from stressful environments are more severe, while the benefits they glean from healthy environments surpasses those of dandelion children. Dandelion children on the other hand are hardy or less influenced by both the good and bad of their environments but are able to grow almost any where. The question is: what is your child, an orchid or a dandelion? And what are the environments we build for all of our children?

Monday, October 17, 2016

"Adverse childhood experiences are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today."

~ Dr. Robert Block, former President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There is a strong correlation between childhood trauma and the late onset of health problems. Walking gently with the children we care for is profoundly important. The research is conclusive. See for yourself: ACE's at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, take the Ace quiz , and Got Your ACE Score.

Begin with a How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime.