Social-Emotional Support

"Dearly beloved. we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." - Prince

Do you have a specific question(s) about ways to support your child at home?

You can use this space to request specific resources that address a need that is not listed here. Or you can describe a situation you are having and we can do our best to respond and help.

Our Student Support Director, Angela Spayde, would also be more than happy to set up a live Zoom meeting with you, or a phone call, for some live problem solving. If this is something you're interested in, please write that in the comment box, and she will get in touch with you to set up a time.

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Self-Regulation Resources:

Daniel Tiger for parents

PBS has a free app called "Daniel Tiger for Parents". It provides easy access to all of the awesome songs from Daniel Tiger, songs about processing different feelings, responsibility, kindness, confidence, and self-control.

The self-control songs (anger, frustration, calming down, waiting) have been particularly helpful in not only diffusing and redirecting strong feelings in our house, but also in empowering my son to process his emotions in a healthy way.

It is helpful to watch the songs together in a moment of calm, and talk about each song together afterwards. Saying to your child, "I feel that way sometimes!! Like when __________. Do you ever have that feeling?"

Then in a heated moment, you can calmly say, "Hey, do you remember that song we listed to about ______? I wonder if that might help right now? Should we listen to it together?"

In heated moments, it is helpful to calm yourself down first if necessary. Give yourself permission to walk out of the room, and take some deep breaths so that you are able to approach the situation calmly. Remaining calm helps your child feel like you are on their team in helping them process their strong feelings. And ultimately empowers your child to cope with their strong feelings and empowers you to feel effective and supportive as the parent.

How to Destress with Your Kids (Great video resources for kids from PBS here!)

Create a Cool Down Space in your home

Self-Regulation Tool Cards from Sound Discipline

Helping Kids Understand:

Germs will Go Away...from Daniel Tiger

Talking to Your Kids about Coronavirus (PBS)

How to Talk to Your Kids about Coronavirus (from New York Times)

A Coronavirus Social Story

Aaron from Sound Discipline (he trained our entire staff in Positive Discipline!...he's amazing!) has some great information to share about how helpful Family Meetings can be. You can read more about Family Meetings, as well as access a wealth of other resources Sound Discipline is creating here.