SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
Week of March 25, 2024
"Testing season is upon us and the stakes are high, as state-mandated testing often determines whether students are promoted to the next grade. By understanding the purpose of the test and employing helpful tips on testing success, parents can do their part in preparing their children for these assessments.." Read the following article for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"No matter what your personal feelings on high-stakes testing are, there is no escaping the reality that these assessments will be an important part of your child’s academic experience. And, everyone wants to see their student experience success in the classroom. So, what’s the best way to help your child prepare for high-stakes tests—and keep a healthy mindset while doing so? Here’s eight simple tips for parents to help their student perform their best on testing days." Read the following article for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Integrity is having an uprightness of character or action. It implies trustworthiness. It is very important to develop integrity within oneself. When we lie, cheat, steal or deceive, we hurt ourselves. We damage our self esteem. We never want to do something that makes us view our self as someone without integrity. How can we like people who lack integrity? You, yourself, don’t like those kinds of people, so make sure that you aren’t one. Everything always comes down to liking yourself, so you can love yourself, so you can have confidence and be happy." Read the following article for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"And then came those dreaded words of an overtired preteen: “Ugh, Mom! I hate you!” and the bedroom door slammed. Standing there in the hallway, at first, I grouchily thought to myself, FINE! I do so much for you guys, and I left for only five nights so I wouldn’t be gone for too long, and I’m awake for you right now even though I’m jet-lagged and tired… I wanted to storm into my own room and not say a word so he’d feel bad and have to come find me — a dramatic approach I might have done to a friend back in high school. But then! Then!! I remembered ..." Read the following article for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"'Be kind.' Featured on bumper stickers and social media posts, dining room walls and bulletin boards, the phrase is a pithy yet vital reminder in a world that often feels … unkind. 'There’s so much exposure to violence and upsetting news that it’s especially important to foster positive qualities like kindness, caring, compassion, and empathy in kids from an early age.” Exhibiting kindness and empathy doesn’t just make us nicer people; it usually makes us more likable, able to make friends, and sustain healthy relationships. But like most catch phrases, 'be kind' is easier said than done." Read the following article for a list of ways you can start creating a culture of kindness at home and in the classroom.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Kids who persevere refuse to give up in the pursuit of a goal, even when it’s difficult. They see failure as a positive learning experience they can use in future endeavors. They choose to learn from their mistakes and don’t make excuses or blame others for failure. Perseverant kids believe in themselves and are willing to keep trying." Read the article below for information on how you can help.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"ThTeenagers, like adults, may experience stress every day and can benefit from learning stress management skills. Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope. Some teens become overloaded with stress. When this happens, it can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use. When we perceive a situation as difficult or painful, changes occur in our minds and bodies to prepare us to respond to danger. This “fight, flight, or freeze” response includes faster heart and breathing rate, increased blood to muscles of arms and legs, cold or clammy hands and feet, upset stomach and/or a sense of dread." Read the article below for information on how you can help.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The teenage years revolve around friends, school, family, sports, and events. Cancellation and social distancing may have real effects on the emotional health of teens. As parents we may not always recognize what could warrant disappointment." Read the article below for information on how you can help.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"How many times have you asked your child, “How was school today?” and been frustrated by the lack of response? As a parent, I’m guilty of asking my son this question all the time, even though I usually don’t get much in return. Sometimes (to be honest), I haven’t had the energy for a real conversation. Other times, I just can’t think of what to ask. As a teacher, I have often wished that kids would share stories of the awesome things we were doing with their parents, but I couldn’t figure out how to make that happen." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"New Year's resolutions for parents are just one step away from setting family goals that are realistic and achievable by doing this you can give your kids something inspirational and positive to work towards. The sense of achievement they'll have in reaching it will boost their self-esteem and confidence - great for mental health. Resolutions are a brilliant exercise in setting long-term goals (something most kids struggle with) and can help your little one to be more mindful in everyday life." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The winter holidays can be a very special time. Families gather, people give thanks or exchange presents, special meals are prepared, the streets and trees are decorated in lights. It can feel like a magical time, a time of good cheer. But, for some of us, this time of year is not a happy occasion—and can even be fraught or depressing. Family tensions or overly high expectations can make us vulnerable to feeling more down than elated. If we’ve suffered the loss of a loved one, we may feel that person’s absence more keenly. Or we may just feel like we can’t afford to make the holidays bright for our families." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Many adults love the idea of the holidays more than their actual experience of them—mostly because their list of holiday-related tasks and obligations outweighs the joy of it all. So that I can actually enjoy the holidays, I’ve devised a three-part plan." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Character development is complex. It’s an evolutionary journey of becoming that begins in our youngest years and evolves as we cultivate our values and beliefs through relationships, lived experiences, and our engagement in various systems. The places where we exist and the people who exist alongside us throughout our lives impact who we are and what we become. Our character will form without a map or a guidebook, and typically without our knowledge until we are faced with a situation, dilemma, or adversity that requires our intentional deliberation of thought and action." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The holidays can bring up feelings of anticipation and apprehension for anyone. That’s particularly true for tweens and teens, who already are in an emotionally charged stage. While they may count the days until winter break, many find that holiday fervor brings on seasonal stress. To help teens toward happier holidays, it helps to understand why they may feel angst during the most wonderful time of the year. Changes in routine, high expectations, family issues and painful associations are often to blame." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Thanksgiving is such a lovely time of celebration. It kicks off the holiday season with a focus on togetherness, hospitality, and, of course, gratitude. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving mark the perfect time to shift the focus in your home to an appreciation for the great abundance that you and your family enjoy and the many blessings in your life." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"That parenting tweens and teens is challenging is an understatement. We give so much to our kids, but they don’t always appreciate what they have. The good news is that there is an antidote. Gratitude. Cultivating a gratitude practice can do wonders. This is especially true as they approach and enter their teen years. The advantages of a gratitude practice are impressive. Many studies have shown gratitude to be strongly associated with a long list of benefits." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Saying thank you is one of the first social rules many parents teach their children, and for good reason. We want our kids to be appreciative and not take things for granted, and learning to be grateful can improve kids’ relationships, ability to empathize, and overall happiness. If you are looking for ways to reinforce the importance of gratitude or would like to find other meaningful ways your kids can show appreciation," read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Let’s face it. We’re all stressed, and our teenagers are no exception. They have higher expectations to perform better in school, excel in extracurricular activities and community service, and respond to social media. It’s no surprise that teen stress levels often rival those of adults. So how can parents help their teens manage it?" Read the article below for a few helpful techniques suggested by the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"My household hit a milestone this year: My youngest child started high school ... which means I have just four more years of parenting a minor. With only a few years of active child-rearing left, I’m finding myself in what I now refer to as the “lame duck” stage of parenting: I’m still technically in charge, but my constituents are already looking ahead to the future. I’m still trying to govern, but they’ve got one foot out the door. Sure, this is what should happen as we teach our children how to become more independent. But the transition for parents from all-important to more of an obstacle is often overlooked." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Are you experiencing an influx of eye rolls, annoyed sighs, and slammed doors? Have you repeatedly been told you know nothing, despite the fact that you’ve been around for decades? ... If so, chances are you have a tween or teen in your house. The tween and teen years are notorious, and not without reason. It can be a turbulent time for both you and your young adult, and your relationship may be continually tested ... Maneuvering through these new obstacles is all part of your child’s individualization process, and although it can be painful for all parties involved, it’s a necessary step towards adulthood. Knowing these growing pains are normal may not make it easier, but there are a few common parenting mistakes that unwittingly worsen the process." Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"A lot of parents dread thinking about the teenage years.What to do about the mood swings, the risky behaviors, the defiance, the disrespect, and the irresponsibility of this developmental stage? Here are the tips to help you navigate this phase with ease."
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"One of the biggest concerns parents have is how to help their children navigate social media. It’s not surprising this is a question front and center in our minds … [Jacqueline Nesi, professor at Brown University, a member of the National Scientific Council on Adolescence, and a member of the APA’s expert advisory panel suggests that social media isn’t always bad for teens. Nesi highlights parenting skills like having open communication, monitoring, setting boundaries, and modeling as ways to help our children navigate social media so that it can be a healthy part of their lives. What’s more, she explains how policymakers, technology companies, and researchers have major roles to play in prioritizing adolescent mental health within social media platforms." For more information, read the article below.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The teenage years can be among the trickiest times for a parent. You have been used to being your child's voice of reason. Then, all of a sudden, your authority is challenged by their peers, social media and huge developmental changes. But the good news is children aged ten to 12 are still more influenced by their parents than their friends. This makes it the ideal time for parents to establish parenting practices that will set the tone for when their child crosses over into adolescence." For more information, read the article below.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Today's precocious preteens often shock parents when they begin to act like teenagers. Don't be fooled, they’re still children. They’ll astonish you with their ability to conceptualize, to argue brilliantly, and then to do foolish things. The Middle School years are a time of magical blossoming, but like all huge transitions in our kids' lives, they’re filled with ups and downs. As with parenting toddlers, parents who don’t accept and constructively negotiate their child's blossoming independence invite rebellion, or even worse, deception. The biggest danger for tweens is losing the connection to parents while struggling to find their place and connect in their peer world. The biggest danger for parents is trying to parent through power instead of through relationship, thus eroding their bond and losing their influence on their child as she moves into the teen years." For more information, read the article below.
- Tweens: Ages 10-12 - Aha! Parenting
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"It’s typically between the ages of nine and twelve that our cute, cuddly little children, once so willing to climb into our laps and share their secrets, suddenly want little or nothing to do with us. A child in preadolescence is not the same person they were just a year or two ago. They have changed—physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. They’re developing new independence and may even want to see how far they can push limits set by parents. What they may not know is that they need you as much as ever, because a strong parent-child relationship now can set the stage for a much less turbulent adolescence. But it won’t be easy, because you as a parent need to respect your child’s need for greater autonomy in order to forge a successful relationship with this “updated” version of your kid." For more information, read the article below.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"“Adolescence is a period in which children may experience rapid growth in their bodies and brains, as well as heightened emotions. That’s because the emotional centers of the brain (the limbic system and amygdala) are maturing more quickly than the brain’s reasoning center (the prefrontal cortex), which helps with organization, problem solving, and understanding emotions. Reasoning doesn’t catch up with emotions until about age 25. As these changes occur, young people may express passions, joys, or sensitivities. Sometimes heightened emotions may lead them to feel greater sadness and anger, or to take risks. At the same time, parents might be playing catch-up as well—and they may feel at times like nothing they say or do matters. Dr. Ken Ginsburg, a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and founder of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, wants parents to know how much they do, in fact, matter during adolescence. He also wants parents to know how their attitudes and actions throughout adolescence can affect their children for the better, now and into adulthood.”." For more information, read the article below.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"It’s hard to overstate the importance of sleep for our well-being. When our sleep is disrupted, we become more susceptible to illness and more likely to suffer cognitive impairment, poor work performance, and withdrawal and loneliness. This is especially true for our children ... Children who get insufficient sleep can become irritable and grumpy, have problems concentrating in school and studying, and have poorer immune function. They may even experience delayed growth ... In teens, sleep is a time when certain neural connections are pruned back in favor of others so that energy is preserved for what matters most in adolescence. It’s probably not surprising, then, that sleep also affects mental health." For more information, read the article below.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"A new survey finds that only 14% of parents teach their kids the Golden Rule, and over a quarter don't even know what it is. Why? The Golden Rule, treating others as you want to be treated, is one of the oldest and most universally agreed upon moral principles in human history. What happened to the Golden Rule?" Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Adolescence is a period in which children may experience rapid growth in their bodies and brains, as well as heightened emotions. That’s because the emotional centers of the brain (the limbic system and amygdala) are maturing more quickly than the brain’s reasoning center (the prefrontal cortex), which helps with organization, problem solving, and understanding emotions. Reasoning doesn’t catch up with emotions until about age 25. As these changes occur, young people may express passions, joys, or sensitivities. Sometimes heightened emotions may lead them to feel greater sadness and anger, or to take risks." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Adolescence is a period in which children may experience rapid growth in their bodies and brains, as well as heightened emotions. That’s because the emotional centers of the brain (the limbic system and amygdala) are maturing more quickly than the brain’s reasoning center (the prefrontal cortex), which helps with organization, problem solving, and understanding emotions. Reasoning doesn’t catch up with emotions until about age 25. As these changes occur, young people may express passions, joys, or sensitivities. Sometimes heightened emotions may lead them to feel greater sadness and anger, or to take risks." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Goal setting is committing to achieve a target result in an activity. According to the goal-setting theory, a goal is the aim of an action. Conscious goals can affect one’s action, motivation and ultimately their performance. Goal setting is touted as one of the best ways to increase motivation and performance in children. But there are pitfalls and myths parents must recognize when helping their kids set one." Read the articles below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Lots of kids get stressed out by taking tests. This is especially true of kids who have anxiety, ADHD or learning disabilities, who may feel less confident in school. Worrying that they won’t do well can make it harder to focus in the moment, but learning strategies to manage anxiety can help. Reducing anxiety starts with preparing for the test by using study techniques that will boost their confidence. Reviewing the specific test format and taking practice tests, if they can, will make them feel calmer. So can guessing the questions that might come up and practicing answering them. Looking for big themes in the material is another active way of studying that can help kids remember information. It’s important to make a plan of attack for the test itself. Kids can remind themselves that it’s okay to skip questions and come back to them. Avoiding spending too long on one question is usually a good idea too. Calming techniques like using a stress ball or taking deep breaths can also help. Finally, encourage kids to remember that it’s okay if they don’t know the answer. Sometimes the best way to manage anxiety is to accept when they don’t know something and move on to the next question." Read the articles below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
Week of April 24, 2023
"Goal setting is touted as one of the best ways to increase motivation and performance in children. But there are pitfalls and myths parents must recognize when helping their kids set one. Goal setting is committing to achieve a target result in an activity. According to the goal-setting theory, a goal is the aim of an action. Conscious goals can affect one’s action, motivation and ultimately their performance." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Amusement and pleasant surprises — and the laughter they can trigger — add texture to the fabric of daily life. Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. But laughter, in response to funny events, actually takes a lot of work, because it activates many areas of the brain: ones that control motor, emotional, cognitive and social processing ... Researchers now appreciate laughter’s power to enhance physical and mental well-being." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"When you are a middle school teacher, people view you as either a saint or a masochist. When you are the parent of a tween, strangers offer sympathy. Middle schoolers are the most maligned and misunderstood age group ... So why do these years feel so hard for both adults and kids? 'Contrary to the negative cultural narrative, the hits your kid takes in middle school aren't inherently worse than the setbacks they experience at other points in their life. They just happen at a time when kids have little life experience or perspective, their hormones are fluctuating wildly, and they're still figuring out who they are and who they want to be.'" Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The same part of the brain children need to safely cross a busy road is the same part they need to regulate. This part of the brain is called the pre-frontal cortex, and it helps with all the things we humans love in other humans. It helps us make (good) deliberate decisions, think through consequences, problem-solve, plan, and calm big feelings. It’s development takes time and lots of experience. In girls, full development of the pre-frontal cortex will happen at early to mid-twenties, and in boys, closer to 30. In the meantime, we need to keep our expectations developmentally appropriate." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behavior is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen, and also by those around her. By contrast, weak or conflictual parent/teen relationships are correlated with early sexual activity, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, the teen's involvement in violence (as either perpetrator or victim), and suicide. How do you parent this blossoming person who sometimes seems to be becoming a stranger?" Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behavior is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen, and also by those around her. By contrast, weak or conflictual parent/teen relationships are correlated with early sexual activity, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, the teen's involvement in violence (as either perpetrator or victim), and suicide. How do you parent this blossoming person who sometimes seems to be becoming a stranger?" Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behavior is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen, and also by those around her. By contrast, weak or conflictual parent/teen relationships are correlated with early sexual activity, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, the teen's involvement in violence (as either perpetrator or victim), and suicide. How do you parent this blossoming person who sometimes seems to be becoming a stranger?" Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"It seems like only yesterday your child was looking to you for guidance and approval, and now you're more likely to get an eye roll from your teen than a smile. How did things change so fast, and how can you maintain positive discipline without turning every encounter into a power struggle? Stay positive. Parenting teenagers is challenging and finding the right type of teen discipline that works for your family is not always easy. Your child is growing and changing, and your parenting techniques must change with them. Building those techniques on positive parenting will help you find a path forward together." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"The teenage years can be among the trickiest times for a parent. You have been used to being your child's voice of reason. Then, all of a sudden, your authority is challenged by their peers, social media and huge developmental changes. But the good news is children aged ten to 12 are still more influenced by their parents than their friends. This makes it the ideal time for parents to establish parenting practices that will set the tone for when their child crosses over into adolescence." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Setbacks, problems and failures are an inevitable part of life. As your teen matures and takes on more challenges, they will experience more frustrations and complications. Teaching your teen resilience – the ability to recover, adapt and keep going – will help them excel in life, both personally and professionally." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Teens tend to be impulsive. After all, it’s hard not to be when they are young and have not had to deal with the consequences of bad decisions yet. But one strategy that can help is to practice simple mindfulness exercises that are designed for teenagers." The article below provides a quick definition of mindfulness as well as 17 mindfulness activities for teens.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
Week of January 23, 2023
"Setbacks, problems and failures are an inevitable part of life. As your teen matures and takes on more challenges, they will experience more frustrations and complications. Teaching your teen resilience – the ability to recover, adapt and keep going – will help them excel in life, both personally and professionally." Read the article below for more information." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Setbacks, problems and failures are an inevitable part of life. As your teen matures and takes on more challenges, they will experience more frustrations and complications. Teaching your teen resilience – the ability to recover, adapt and keep going – will help them excel in life, both personally and professionally." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"We’re taught from an early age that being kind to one another is key. However, as kids head back into classrooms and day-care centers and restart school socializing and recreational activities, some parents may be distressed to find that their child seems less than kind when around others. Whether there’s concerns about a kid’s ability to share or surrounding their treatment of their peers, parents can help children hone their kindness skills." Read the article below for tips to teach kindness skills to your kids.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Despite your best efforts to get into the spirit of the holidays, you just can’t shake the feeling of dread as you try to juggle festive events, last-minute purchases, and holiday planning with regular life, including school. This scenario probably sounds familiar whether you’re a parent, student, or teacher. The holiday season is notoriously stressful. Surprisingly, despite our adoration for the season, up to 45% of Americans dread the holidays more than they enjoy them. They’re willing to skip the season altogether if it means skipping the extra pressure. For some of us, the holidays even bring extra negative emotions, such as grief, anxiety, or depression, and some associate the season with higher addiction or health struggles. Happily, some great tips are available to help us navigate this holiday season and manage the additional stress!" Read the article below.
- 7 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress This Year - Noah Webster Educational Foundation
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"For many people, the winter months mean fun parties, festive food, and lots of extra time with family.However, the joys of the holiday season can also bring a lot of stress. If you are starting to feel anxious about the holidays, you are not alone. So how do you manage it?" Read the article below for 5 tips to survive and thrive during the holidays.
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"Anxiety is very common in the pre-teen and teenage years. This is because adolescence is a time of emotional, physical and social change, which is happening at the same time as teenage brains are changing. Pre-teens and teenagers are seeking new experiences and more independence. Anxiety in pre-teens and teenagers isn’t always a bad thing. Feeling anxious can help to keep teenagers safe by getting them to think about the situation they’re in. It can also motivate them to do their best. And it can help them get ready for challenging situations like public speaking or sporting events. It’s natural for teenagers to feel anxious about these changes, opportunities and challenges." Read the article below for additional information.
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"If you really think about it, so many of us should be in a perpetual state of gratitude. Which of these do you have going for you right now? Family. Friends. Love. Health. Imagination. Community. A roof over our heads. Favorite places. Days off work. Good weather. A good cup of coffee. You may not have everything you want, but that probably still leaves buckets full of tangible and conceptual items for which to be grateful. Things can always be better, but they can always be worse. It often depends on how you look at that proverbial glass of water.The trick is to find easy ways to count blessings more often than, say, over an annual turkey dinner. Keep your thankfulness boiling on the front burner of your mind, and you will increase your general appreciation of life. Try to be more grateful for the small, mundane things that give you joy and meaning, as well as the big ones. Acknowledging just a handful each day will benefit you, and there are ways to make that a habit." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Everyone can benefit from making an effort to practice gratitude every day. These 3 steps can help you start feeling more grateful, and appreciative of the good things in your life." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Anxiety in children and teens can make everyone feel helpless. It can come from anywhere and nowhere, and often it makes no sense at all. This is because anxiety is a primitive, instinctive response, not a rational one. Anxiety is driven by a strong, beautiful, healthy brain that is doing exactly what brains are meant to do – protect us from threat. Sometimes though, they can work a little too hard and have us avoiding the things that we’d be better moving towards. The part of the brain that keeps us safe from threat is the amygdala. Since the beginning of humans, the amygdala’s job has been to scan the environment for threat, and make lightning-quick decisions about whether to avoid or approach. It does this brilliantly. In less than one tenth of a second, the amygdala will decide whether something is a threat, and whether we should approach it or avoid it. This is much faster than the time it takes our brains to create a conscious thought or feeling, and is why anxiety can feel as though it has come from nowhere." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Stress is the body’s way of protecting itself from emotional and physical pressure and danger. Dr. Kimberly Bell, clinical psychologist at Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development in Ohio, believes that 'our memory of our teenage years may seem less stressful in retrospect. As adults, we face life with more emotional resources. Teenagers are confronted with many challenges that push the limits of their cognitive and psychological strengths. Stress is a personal and subjective experience.' Limited stress can be positive, motivating a person to do well. But too much stress can be debilitating to one’s body and mind. Why are teenagers stressed, how do parents know when the stress level is too high, and what can parents do to guide their teenagers who are stressed?" Read the article below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"So, what exactly are “soft skills?” They basically include all the ways in which we interact with other people as well as the character traits that enable someone to navigate their world and meet goals in an effective way. Some people simply call it common sense, but it’s a little more than that. Also, there is a myth that these are characteristics people are born with and that can’t be taught, but that is not true at all. Everything from increasing empathy to improved decision-making can be taught and grown with practice. There are plenty of ways we can nurture these skills in our children from toddlerhood to teenagerdom." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Parents worry that their children may become entitled, the opposite of grateful. Children who feel entitled often develop unreasonable behavior traits whenever they don’t get what they think they deserve. On the other hand, when kids are grateful, they show appreciation even for things they feel they don’t deserve. Here are a few ways to teach your kids to shun entitlement and favor an attitude of gratefulness."
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"From the time our children are very small, we try to teach them to be nice, to be kind. These lessons are straightforward enough when kids are little. We insist they share their toys. We teach them not to hit or call names. We make them play nice. But what about our big kids? Will the lessons we taught them when they were small carry them through adolescents and into adulthood? We expect our older children to be kind, but often we get so caught up in teaching the “big lessons” — the ones about drinking, drugs, sex, and safety — that it’s easy to overlook lessons in kindness." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Studies in both animals and people show pretty clearly that stress can affect how the brain functions, says Dr. Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Scientists have seen changes in how the brain processes information when people experience either real-life stress or stress manufactured in a research setting. (For the latter, researchers might challenge subjects to perform a difficult task, such as counting backward from the number 1,073 by 13s while being graded.) Either type of stress seems to interfere with cognition, attention, and memory." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Teaching emotional intelligence to teens is a monumental task given their raging hormones, a brain still under construction, school pressures, peer influence, cultural mixed messages, and tech addition. It's no wonder that teens can't seem to control themselves—so many challenges!" Read the article below for additional information:
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"I can’t say I feel old enough, but it’s true: we have a child in middle school. A new school. A new chapter. A whole new world. And as much as we sometimes feel like a deer in the headlights, thankfully, we’re not on our own during this transition to middle school. We have experts—parents, teachers, friends—around us who are already giving us insight into the middle school mind. They are people who’ve been there, know what we’re going through, and can help us along the way." Here’s some of what we’ve been learning.
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"So, you’re the parent or caregiver of a middle schooler. Welcome to the club! This can be one of the most challenging parenting tests you’ve faced so far. While your child is testing boundaries and limits, it may feel like what’s really being tested is your patience. Understanding what’s going on with your middle schooler can go a long way toward fostering healthy relationships and creating some peace in your home. While every child and family are different, here are some pointers to help you navigate the challenging middle-school years."
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"A bad grade. A forgotten assignment. A missed bus. An extracurricular screw up. Whatever it is, failure isn’t easy for the struggling middle school student. It’s pretty tough for the parents too. Still, learning to deal with life’s ups and downs is important. In fact, our adolescents must experience these challenges. Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, clinical psychologist and author, has advice. She knows how to guide parents to raise strong, savvy, and resilient children. Steiner-Adair offers three effective parenting tips for you to consider when it comes to middle school help." For additional information, check out the article below:
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"All kids and teens feel stressed at times. Stress is a normal response to changes and challenges. And life is full of those — even during childhood. We tend to think of stress as a bad thing, caused by bad events. But upcoming good events (like graduations, holidays, or new activities) also can cause stress. Kids and teens feel stress when there’s something they need to prepare for, adapt to, or guard against. They feel stress when something that matters to them is at stake. Change often prompts stress — even when it’s a change for the better. Stress has a purpose. It’s a signal to get ready." For additional information, check out the article below:
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"When our kids or teens mess up – which they will, because they’re humans, not robots – the way we respond can open them up to our influence or shut them down to it. It can expand the fight and the disconnection, or it can shrink it. In time they will learn to be more in control of their urge for fight or flight, but for now, we will need to lead the way. Of course, we are also human, and sometimes despite our biggest efforts to stay calm, we will step into the ring rather than wait for them to step out. We’re human. It’s going to happen. And that’s okay." For additional information, check out the article below:
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Videos from Meigs 101 (July 29, 2022)
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"For [my son], the end of the school year is exciting: It’s almost over! Summer is almost here! Freedom! For me, I always feel a bit of melancholy. Or a lot. Sure, I’m excited to slow down, give our busy schedules a break, and spend endless hours at the beach. But as I watch him walk up to school, wearing pants that are about five inches too short (the same pants that were dragging on the ground at the beginning of school), it’s a reminder of the days of yesteryear." For additional information, read the article below.
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"Lots of great music will fill the air during Middle Tennessee summer concerts in May, June, July and August of 2022. Live music’s a great way to connect with others, especially your own kids!" Read the article below and mark your calendars for some fun family summer concerts. Make sure to bookmark the page and check back in because Nashville Parent will be adding events and updating the page throughout the summer.
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"There are many ways parents can encourage emotionally intelligent behavior in their children. Check out [the] guide [below] to resources for learning more about character development."
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"It’s typically between the ages of nine and twelve that our cute, cuddly little children, once so willing to climb into our laps and share their secrets, suddenly want little or nothing to do with us. A child in preadolescence is not the same person they were just a year or two ago. They have changed—physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. They’re developing new independence and may even want to see how far they can push limits set by parents. What they may not know is that they need you as much as ever, because a strong parent-child relationship now can set the stage for a much less turbulent adolescence. But it won’t be easy, because you as a parent need to respect your child’s need for greater autonomy in order to forge a successful relationship with this “updated” version of your kid." Read the article below for parenting tips to help you keep the channels of communication open between you and your pre-teen—and have a smoother transition into the teen years.
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"Can joy be cultivated? And, if so, can we teach our kids how to be more joyful in their lives? The answer to both of these questions is yes, but it takes knowing what kinds of practices bring true happiness—and not just momentary pleasure—to your life. Once you’ve mastered that, it’s not too hard to introduce those practices to kids in a way that they can understand and appreciate." Read the article below for additional information.
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"You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behavior is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen, and also by those around her. By contrast, weak or conflictual parent/teen relationships are correlated with early sexual activity, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, the teen's involvement in violence (as either perpetrator or victim), and suicide. How do you parent this blossoming person who sometimes seems to be becoming a stranger?" Read the article below for additional information.
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"Whether it’s a desire for straight As, flawless skin, or athletic stardom, the quest to stand out as “the best” often drives teens to be relentlessly hard on themselves, which can lead to feelings of unworthiness and depression. Yet knowing that there is a way out—that they don’t have to relentlessly beat themselves up in order to be successful and happy—can be enormously relieving for teens." Read the article below for additional information.
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"No matter what your personal feelings on high-stakes testing are, there is no escaping the reality that these assessments will be an important part of your child’s academic experience. And, everyone wants to see their student experience success in the classroom. So, what’s the best way to help your child prepare for high-stakes tests—and keep a healthy mindset while doing so?" The article below contains eight simple tips for parents to help your student perform his or her best on testing days.
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"No matter what your personal feelings on high-stakes testing are, there is no escaping the reality that these assessments will be an important part of your child’s academic experience. And, everyone wants to see their student experience success in the classroom. So, what’s the best way to help your child prepare for high-stakes tests—and keep a healthy mindset while doing so?" The article below contains eight simple tips for parents to help your student perform his or her best on testing days.
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"So, you’re the parent or caregiver of a middle schooler. Welcome to the club! This can be one of the most challenging parenting tests you’ve faced so far. While your child is testing boundaries and limits, it may feel like what’s really being tested is your patience. Understanding what’s going on with your middle schooler can go a long way toward fostering healthy relationships and creating some peace in your home." Read the article below for some pointers to help you navigate the challenging middle-school years.
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"Though teenagers can be hard to parent, the good news is that parenting teenagers is, in many ways, a lot easier than raising little kids. For this to be the case, however, our parenting needs to shift." Read the article below for three big shifts that parents of teenagers need to make to survive their kids’ adolescence.
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"You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behavior is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen, and also by those around her. How do you parent this blossoming person who sometimes seems to be becoming a stranger?" Read the article below for additional information.
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"If it feels like your heart-to-hearts with your teen have ground to a halt, take solace in the fact that this is very much par for the course at this age and stage. Blame it on the teenage brain that’s going through incredibly important changes that ultimately help prepare kids to function in the adult world ... Get ready for these developmental changes to take several years to shake out ... To help us navigate through this awkward time, we asked top experts to sketch out what kids are going through at this age and then offer some key tips for getting your child to actually open up and talk about even the most uncomfortable of topics." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human. It’s a foundation for acting ethically, for good relationships of many kinds, for loving well, and for professional success. And it’s key to preventing bullying and many other forms of cruelty. Empathy begins with the capacity to take another perspective, to walk in another’s shoes. But it is not just that capacity. [It also] includes valuing other perspectives and people. It’s about perspective-taking and compassion.How can parents cultivate empathy?" The following [article outlines] five guideposts based on research and the wisdom of practitioners.
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"Do you remember what it felt like being a teenager? So many things seemed magnified. It seemed like everyone was watching you. Everything was a big deal. And when even little things didn’t go your way, it seemed like the sky was falling. ... When our kids are dealing with disappointments, they may not know how to respond. ... As parents, our job is to help them navigate through that disappointment. How we guide our children through trials today will shape how they handle trials in the future." Read the articles below for some tips to help you to help them handle disappointments."
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"Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on people’s mental health and well-being. Restricted movement, loss, and isolation have led to increases in depression, anxiety disorders, stress, sleep disorders, and more. The effects have been even harsher for teens. How can we help protect our well-being during this particularly difficult time? One way we might try to help ourselves this year is spending more time immersed in nature. In the last decade or so, research on the health benefits of nature experiences has exploded, confirming what many people know intuitively—that green spaces are good for mental well-being, whether you’re walking outdoors, looking at beautiful views, or even just seeing videos of nature." Please read the article below to learn more.
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"Teens and young adults today are more stressed, anxious, depressed and lonely than ever – at least in the United States. At first glance, it’s hard to wrap your head around this fact.No one really knows the root cause, but it seems to be a perfect storm of several factors. Given the situation, let’s consider how young folks can take care of themselves and cope with the many stresses they face." Please read the article below to learn some things that can be included in a toolbox to promote well-being.
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"The start of a new year is a great time to help your children focus on forming good habits. Making New Year's resolutions can be a fun way to do this! ... It is [important] to set healthy goals with kids – and to be realistic about those goals. Kids also love having something to work toward. They can have fun keeping track on sticker charts or getting praise or rewards as they reach these goals, depending on their age ... Sit down with your kids and, together, pick maybe one or two goals they want to set as their New Year's resolutions. If it's too overwhelming to think of them as resolutions, then just talk about them as goals and make it fun." Read the article below to learn more.
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"It can be isolating, confusing, and even exhausting when your child is having a hard time. As parents dealing with a range of our own emotions, we usually have few outlets and little time to get support . . . And let’s be honest, right now, and maybe even always, all children are struggling in some ways. There will always be difficulties, stress, struggles. So, this article is for all of us who love and care for children of any age . . . [with] a few nuggets and a bit of encouragement along the way." Read the articles below to learn more.
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"A 2016 study found that quality time with parents served as a better predictor of teenagers' academic aspirations than time spent doing homework or attending extracurricular activities. Parents who discussed books, attended cultural events, and brought teens on community outings raised their teen's aspirations. Giving your teen regular doses of positive attention will also help you maintain a healthy relationship, which can reduce behavior problems and set your child up for success later in life." Read the articles below to learn more.
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"In an increasingly fast-paced, technology-driven world, teen stress, depression and anxiety are on the rise. A survey by the American Psychological Association found that younger Americans report the highest level of stress among all age groups. In addition to peer, academic, social and family pressures, the holiday season can bring seasonal stressors." Read the article below to learn more about helping teens manage stress through the holiday season.
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"Excited for the holidays? Don’t assume that your teenager is just as excited as you. Some teens struggle with heightened feelings of anxiety and depression around the holidays, especially in a divorced household. Juggling the demands of family and the uncertainty of a less-structured day can put even the most calm-tempered teen on edge." Read the article below to learn about seven strategies to help teens manage stress through the holiday season.
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"We are reminded, every year at this time, how difficult holidays can be for people who are lonely or alone. But let’s be honest: even for families rich in children, holidays can be stressful—both for parents and kids.Why are holidays so fraught? Because expectations are heightened, and holidays can feel like a test of how happy and successful your family is. Even favorite traditions can turn into a test of stamina and patience. Here are some tips to help minimize stress and make the holidays more fun and fulfilling." Read the article below for additional information.
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"In a time when many middle school kids carry around $600 phones that they take for granted, teaching gratitude can feel like an uphill battle. But despite the challenges you might face in helping kids feel grateful in a world that seems to value overabundance, it can be worthwhile. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that gratitude is linked to happiness in children by age 5. This means that instilling gratitude in your kids at a young age could help them grow up to be happier people." Read the article below for additional information.
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"On its own, mindfulness is a practice of living in the moment. It means you’re aware of where you are in the world, what you’re thinking, and how you’re feeling on the inside and out. Not only that, but mindfulness is also about looking at the world — your world — with less judgment and more acceptance. The idea of mindful parenting . . . applies the principles of mindfulness to the many situations in your family that can feel a bit crazy at times." Read the article below for additional information.
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"We know that you have a busy schedule, especially if your family’s usual routine has changed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, mindfulness can be a helpful way to decompress. Just a few minutes spent focusing on and accepting your thoughts, sensations, or emotions can help you recharge and face whatever the day holds for you and your family." Read the article below for 30 activities that were selected with parents in mind. They are great for practicing a little mindfulness every day. Try a few by yourself or with your children to see which exercises work best for you.
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"Across all of my work and home forays into the intricacies of parenting, one truth shines through: the emotional pains of modern parenting are universal. ALL parents come up against significant surges of strong negative feelings and, unfortunately, many get mired in needless suffering as a result of what’s happening internally—how they’re reacting to these painful emotions. This truth has led me to the following conclusion: Parents need a new way to relate to the inevitable suffering and universal emotional pain of parenthood." Read the article below for additional information.
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"The Middle School years are a time of magical blossoming, but like all huge transitions in our kids' lives, they’re filled with ups and downs. As with parenting toddlers, parents who don’t accept and constructively negotiate their child's blossoming independence invite rebellion, or even worse, deception. The biggest danger for tweens is losing the connection to parents while struggling to find their place and connect in their peer world. The biggest danger for parents is trying to parent through power instead of through relationship, thus eroding their bond and losing their influence on their child as she moves into the teen years." Read the articles (from Aha! Parenting) below for additional information.
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"All children can behave in ways that are … not very adorable. Big behavior can be exhausting and maddening for even the calmest of parents. There’s a good reason for this. Children create their distress in their important adults as a way to share the emotional load when that load gets too heavy. This is how it’s meant to be. In the same way that children weren’t meant to carry big physical loads on their own, they also weren’t meant to carry big emotional loads. Big feelings and big behavior are a call to us for support to help them with that emotional load." Read the article below for additional information.
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"Middle school is an exciting time for a child and for the parents. Middle school students are on their way to becoming independent, developing their own interests, and preparing for high school and beyond." Read the article below to learn what you should know about today's middle school kids, and what you can expect during these transitional years.
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"I’ve learned over the years that 'boring' means something very different to each student, and I need to dig deeper. “Boring' is the tip of the iceberg—it’s what the student says on the surface, but the underlying reasons can be more complex. A recent study by Michael Furlong and his colleagues sheds some light on what students may actually mean when they report boredom at school. Instead of viewing boredom as being limited to a particular subject or classroom, they studied students who report broader unfavorable school attitudes, or a 'School Boredom Mindset.'" Read the articles below for additional information.
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"The word "should" adds stress, pressure, anxiety, and shame. It doesn't move you closer to your goal, it usually keeps you stuck.
Instead of "should" or "should not," I'd encourage you to rewrite your sentence in a way that is honest, productive, and positive." Read the articles below for additional information.
Instead of "should" or "should not," I'd encourage you to rewrite your sentence in a way that is honest, productive, and positive." Read the articles below for additional information.
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“Middle school isn’t easy, but with a little planning, preparation, and parenting you will help your children thrive throughout these important years. Most of all, we can simply offer our kids safe places to land. Sometimes they just need space to clear their heads. They need us constantly reminding them they have value and that we love them in spite of the crazy.'" Read the articles below for additional information.
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“As part of discovering their very important place in the world, our children and teens will often behave in ways that are, let’s say, wildly short of ‘adorable’. They will explore, experiment, push to find the limits, and exercise their independence. As parents, this can be triumphant and wonderful to watch. At other times, it can bring us to our knees. We might yell, say things we regret, or say reasonable things in ways we regret. We’re human. It’s going to happen. If we’re looking to support our children and teens towards a better way to be, the only way to do this is through connection." Read the following article for more information.
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“After another extremely frustrating day battling his son about everything from screentime to bedtime, a parent sat down with me for a parent coaching session. During our conversation, he noticed that he only called his child’s name in anger or frustration. He couldn’t think of a time recently that he used his child’s name to give a compliment or say something encouraging. The observation shocked him. So he decided to conduct an experiment. For the next two weeks, he challenged himself to use his child’s name only in positive ways. It wasn’t easy at first, but because he was focused on the experiment, he was able to interrupt his old pattern. The results were surprising." Read the following article for more information.
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“'It’s managing our own emotions that’s the big problem.' Indeed, this has been my own greatest parenting challenge, as it has been for the hundreds of parents I have worked with. I am solidly convinced after 30 years of practice that the single most important skill for “positive” parenting over the course of our kids’ lifetimes is our own self-awareness and self-regulation as parents." Read the following article for more information.
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Summer is in sight and our Move This World friends are offering an exciting Summer Series for our school community. Maintaining a social and emotional wellness routine is more important than ever. The MTW Summer Series offers unique access to video exercises for all grade levels (Early Elementary through High School) that build SEL skills all summer long! For additional information (and access to the series), please see the flyer below.
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"Practicing gratitude on a regular basis is instrumental in helping you become more optimistic. It also can have a huge impact on your overall mood and perspective. What's more, when expressed during challenging times, gratitude can help you recognize the goodness of life, which in turn helps you calm your fear and anxiety and maintain a positive outlook in an uncertain situation." Read the articles listed below for additional information.
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"'It’s managing our own emotions that’s the big problem.' Indeed, this has been my own greatest parenting challenge, as it has been for the hundreds of parents I have worked with. I am solidly convinced after 30 years of practice that the single most important skill for “positive” parenting over the course of our kids’ lifetimes is our own self-awareness and self-regulation as parents." Read the articles listed below for additional information.
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"All children are capable of working through challenges and coping with stress. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, failure, challenges, or even trauma. It’s not something that kids either have or don’t have; it’s a skill that kids develop as they grow. Resilient kids are more likely to take healthy risks because they don’t fear falling short of expectations. They are curious, brave, and trusting of their instincts. They know their limits and they push themselves to step outside of their comfort zones. This helps them reach for their long-term goals and it helps them solve problems independently." Read the articles listed below for additional information.
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"The teenage years are confusing and difficult years for child and parent alike. However, they are also critical moulding years – the behaviours and habits that your teenage child adopts now may affect their personality in future and shape their character in the long run. Many parents feel frustrated during this period of time. Frequent clashes in attitude may make you feel that you are slowly losing your bond with your once obedient child. However, you need to accept that your teenagers are likely just trying to find themselves and to push the boundaries of their values and what they can live with and accept in themselves and in others. Things need not be complicated and there are many ways for you and your child to manage a healthy relationship through mutual respect and love." Read the articles listed below for additional information.
- 10 Ways to a Better Relationship With Your Teenager - Families for Life - Inspiro Community Health Service
- Tips for Building Healthy Relationships with Your Teenagers - CAMH
- Building Your Relationship With Your Teen: Here's What to Know - Today
- 10 Ways to Build Relationships with Teen Children - Inspiro Community Health Service
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"We think of test anxiety as something that crops up when teenagers take the SAT or some other important exam, but the truth is that even very young children can experience it. With the increase in tests and assessments at the elementary school level, more and more young children are experiencing symptoms of test anxiety." Read the articles listed below for a few steps you can take to help your child tackle this problem before it becomes overwhelming.
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Read the article below for “a curated list of articles and videos for parents about fostering skills like kindness, empathy, resilience, perseverance, and focus in children."Three Items From the List:
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“'Whether it's called 'social and emotional learning' or 'emotional intelligence,' most people understand it's critical to pay attention to the development of the whole young person, including character education. Parents have a dual role to play in raising a self-aware, respectful child who knows how to manage his or her emotions, make responsible decisions, and resolve conflicts non-violently. At home, you should strive to create an environment of trust, respect, and support. Remember that modeling 'emotionally intelligent' behavior at home is the first step in nurturing emotionally intelligent children." Read the article below some specific steps you can take to nurture an emotionally intelligent child.
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“'Hope is certainly essential in the lives of all our kids but it is up to us to ignite it to light the flame that lives within.' Many educators and parents are concerned about children and youth becoming cynical about making the world a better place. [But] the hope is there. It resides within the hearts of the vast majority of our students. Adults must provide the spark that enables hope to flourish." Read the article below for additional information.
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“Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and behavior in accordance with the demands of the situation. It includes being able to resist highly emotional reactions to upsetting stimuli, to calm yourself down when you get upset, to adjust to a change in expectations, and to handle frustration without an outburst. It is a set of skills that enables children, as they mature, to direct their own behavior towards a goal, despite the unpredictability of the world and our own feelings." Read the articles below for additional information.
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“The teenage years are naturally full of angst as children move through adolescence to adulthood. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the stresses of that transition for many youth. The restrictions presented by the stay-at-home measures can make it hard for youth who long to test their independence. Being stuck at home and missing out on extracurricular activities can be tough. Attending school remotely can require an adjustment. Connecting with peers and friends at school is an important part of development for teenagers. Finding creative ways to help your teenager spend time with their friends is really important." Read the articles below for additional information.
- Teen Mental Health During Pandemic - Davia Gray - Stanford Children's Health
- Supporting Your Teen During the Pandemic | April Cox | Discovery Mood & Anxiety Program
- Managing Your Teen's Anxiety During the Pandemic | Jacqueline Sierzega, PsyD | Healthy Driven
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“Raising teenagers is hard. There are many parents that fear the teenage years. That fear may be merited because these are the years that the relationship between the kid and the family is being redefined. The importance of friends rises for them, while the parents and siblings fall. The fruit of your labor is not as easily seen as it used to be. In some cases, it may even seem like your influence is outright rejected. If so, hang in there. Your work is not in vain. This period can prove to be the most rewarding and most vibrant phase of parenting. Here are 10 keys to raising a great teenager."
- 10 Keys to Raising a Great Teenager | Mark W. Merrill | All Pro Dad
- Breaking Through the Walls of Teenagers | B.J. Foster | All Pro Dad
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“With the internet awash with child-rearing advice and theories, it can feel totally overwhelming being a parent. "Parenting Ideas" helps parents focus on the things that matter when raising kids. Here’s a potent formula written in plain language to help you focus on what really matters as a parent."
- A Simple Formula for Parenting | Michael Grose | Parenting Ideas
- Five Ways to Get Teens to Listen - Michael Grose | Parenting Ideas
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“While there are concerns about the negative impact of physical isolation is having on children’s learning, we should also be concerned about their mental health. Teachers and health professionals report that the strain of physical isolation is starting to show for many children and young people. Any anxiety and fear they experience is heightened by isolation from friends, lack of access to their usual sports and leisure activities and a lack of certainty about the future. In these challenging times kids’ mental health needs to be a high priority." Read the following article for additional information:
- Maintaining Kids' Mental Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic | Michael Grose | Parenting Ideas
- How to Talk to Your Child When They're Highly Emotional - Michael Grose | Parenting Ideas
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“Right from birth, kids learn new skills at a dizzying rate. And along with those new abilities, they also acquire the confidence to use them. As children get older, that confidence can be as important as the skills themselves. To thrive, kids need to trust in their own capabilities while, at the same time, knowing that they can handle it if they aren’t successful at something. It’s by experiencing mastery and rebounding from failure that they develop healthy self-confidence." Read the following articles for additional information:
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“In this unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many parents are left struggling with navigating a new, uncharted territory of challenges, while trying to grapple with and establish new norms in the household. Given the rapid and drastic changes in daily life that the world has witnessed recently, it is not uncommon for parents to doubt their parenting approach, whether they are doing enough, and/or wonder about what else could they be doing. Many parents are understandably feeling overwhelmed. While you’re very likely doing the best you can as a parent in these challenging times, if you’re looking for strategies for more effective parenting in the face of this pandemic," read the following articles.
- The Pandemic Parenting Guide: How to Improve Your Child/Teen’s (and Your Own) Emotional Well-Being in Times of COVID-19 - Richa Bhatia, MD, FAPA - ADDA
- Pandemic Parenting - Two psychologists, scholars and moms share science-based research to help all who care for kids navigate this challenging time.
Feeling Stressed or Anxious? Here are 12 more coping strategies for you to try:
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SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“'The main task for parents is to help their children grow into the best version of themselves.' This ... can be challenging for parents who want to raise their kids in their own image. Sure, parents want to share the best parts of themselves with their children but that doesn’t mean they should raise them in our own image. If excellence is a strong value, then in all probability this is a value you may like your child to share. That makes sense. However, if sport is your strength and your child doesn’t share that interest it’s wise to assist your child to develop their own strengths and interests rather than push them down a path of your making." Read the following articles for guidance in helping your child grow into the best version of themselves both socially and academically.
- Helping Children Grow into Their Best Selves - Michael Grose - Parenting Ideas
- We Grow Through What We Go Through - Michael Grose - Parenting Ideas
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“As our adolescents navigate their way from childhood to adolescence, they will wobble, fall and rise many times. They’ve done this before – as tinies when they were discovering their walking legs. We stayed close, held them up, and let go when we needed to. We knew they wouldn’t learn to walk if we didn’t let them fall ... Adolescence will work the same way, and the temptation to hold on tight to our teens and control the path that lies ahead of them will be bigger and more fierce than ever – but our response has to be different." Read the article below for additional information.
Feeling Stressed or Anxious? Here are 12 coping strategies for you to try:
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SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“The start of a new year is a great time to help your children focus on forming good habits. Here are some healthy and positive goal-setting ideas you can suggest to your children, depending on their age." Read the articles below for additional information.
- Healthy New Year's Resolutions for Children & Teens - American Academy of Pediatrics - HealthyChildren.org
- 6 Parenting Goals to Start the New Year - American Academy of Pediatrics - HealthyChildren.org
- Chores and Responsibility - American Academy of Pediatrics - HealthyChildren.org
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“We tend to recognize the fact that babies need lots of loving touches. We hold them against our skin. We carry them next to our heart. We soothe them by gently smoothing their hair or massaging their tiny hands and feet. But as they grow, we may not consider how often we touch, how we touch, and the importance of touch. In fact, there’s research that shows that positive touch can have powerful effects and those findings have significant implications for family life. Touch can deepen intimacy in any relationship creating safety and trust and a sense of well-being. It offers health benefits as well. A study found that those who hugged more were more resistant to colds and other stress-induced illnesses." Read the articles below for additional information.
Parents Together:
5 Things You Can Say to Your Kid |
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SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“I feel like there should be a warning for all parents around mid-November that reads: Caution. Self-regulation may be limited.As the season’s shift and the store shelves begin to burst with the latest toys and flashy gadgets, kids dream of candy and getting gifts for doing absolutely nothing. That’s a lot of excitement to manage. We feel it in ourselves – hurrying around, trying to get everything ready for the holidays – we’re running a little faster than normal. Unfortunately, our kids are at a disadvantage. They are still in the process of learning how to self-regulate." Read the articles below for additional information.
- Helping Your Child Self-Regulate During the Holidays - Nicole Schwarz - Imperfect Families
- How to Make Your Family Happy With Less - Kelly Holmes - Happy You, Happy Family
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“The coronavirus pandemic has canceled many things. But don't give it the power to cancel the holidays. Here are some safe ways to celebrate the season with your family in 2020. Talk honestly about your usual holiday traditions. Try to replicate the ones you can, allow everyone to mourn the ones you'll have to let go this year, and then commiserate about a few you're maybe not so sad to say goodbye to. You may even want to continue the trimmed-down traditions in future years." Read the articles below for more information.
- In a Pandemic Year, Here Are 50 Ways to Celebrate Holidays With Your Kids - Amy Schwabe - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- A Season of Good Health - Emerson Hospital - Tips for the Holidays in the Pandemic
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“The holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time for firming up plans. But with the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, those plans are going to look a lot different than usual. Because of factors like travel complications and susceptible family members, there will be plenty of rethinking plans and, possibly, canceling them altogether, adding more anguish to a period already filled with immense stress." Read the articles below for more information.
- Should You Cancel Your Holiday Gatherings This Year Because of COVID? - Health Essentials
- How to Help Kids Handle Holiday Disappointment During COVID19 - Amy Adolfo Signore, PhD, MPH & Emily Wakefield, PsyD - Connecticut Children's
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“Parenting teens can sometimes feel like a tightrope walk. It’s no small feat trying to balance providing support to help teens navigate the world and easing back in recognition of their growing independence. Despite all our attempts to show love and care, we can often end up in conflict with our teens. But a new study offers some insight into how to help teens feel loved." Read the articles below for more information.
- When Do Teens Feel Loved by Their Parents? - Maryam Abdullah - Greater Good Magazine
- What Are We Grateful for During Covid 19? - Emiliana R. SImon-Thomas & Jeremy Adam Smith - Greater Good Magazine
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“We have something at our fingertips, literally, which is so incredibly powerful that it can calm anxiety and gently open the way to brave behaviour. It’s touch, and when we use it in
ways that are safe, warm, and invited, it can soothe anxiety and help the brain and body come to rest. The magic happens in the amygdala, which is also the part of the brain where anxiety happens. The amygdala keeps us safe by constantly scanning the environment for threat and making lightning-quick decisions about whether to avoid or approach. It does its job beautifully, but sometimes it becomes a little overprotective and pushes too hard for avoidance. This is when anxiety can cause more trouble than it deserves to." Read the article below for more information.
ways that are safe, warm, and invited, it can soothe anxiety and help the brain and body come to rest. The magic happens in the amygdala, which is also the part of the brain where anxiety happens. The amygdala keeps us safe by constantly scanning the environment for threat and making lightning-quick decisions about whether to avoid or approach. It does its job beautifully, but sometimes it becomes a little overprotective and pushes too hard for avoidance. This is when anxiety can cause more trouble than it deserves to." Read the article below for more information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“Every evening at the dinner table, my husband and I used to fall into [the] age-old parenting trap [of asking questions with one-word answers]. But one-word answers don’t foster a good discussion, and they certainly don’t help us reconnect with our kids after a long day apart from each other. And yet, it’s absolutely essential that we do reconnect because if we don’t, we pay the price later. Read the article below for a list of questions for kids that will not only teach your child the art of conversation, but also give you a peek straight into his/her heart ... And most important of all, you’ll close any distance that’s come between you and your child during the day so you both end the day feeling connected, loved, and happy."
- The Best Questions to Ask Your Kid Instead of “How Was Your Day? - Kelly Holmes - Happy You, Happy Family
- 15 Questions to Replace 'How Was School Today?' - Elena Aguilar - Edutopia
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“You've lived through 2 a.m. feedings, toddler temper tantrums, and the back-to-school blues. So why is the word "teenager" causing you so much worry? When you consider that the teen years are a period of intense growth, not only physically but emotionally and intellectually, it's understandable that it's a time of confusion and upheaval for many families. Despite some adults' negative perceptions about teens, they are often energetic, thoughtful, and idealistic, with a deep interest in what's fair and right. So, although it can be a period of conflict between parent and child, the teen years are also a time to help kids grow into the distinct individuals they will become." Read the articles below for additional information.
- A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Teen Years - KidsHealth Medical Experts - KidsHealth
- Three Tips for Raising Resilient Teens - Theo Koffler - Mindful Magazine
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“... many teenagers tend to be either terribly disorganized, requiring constant nagging, or tightly wound, perfectionistic, and in need of constant therapy. There’s also all that new neuroscience showing, unfortunately, that the brain regions that help humans make wise choices don’t mature until kids are in their mid 20s, and that many potentially life-threatening risks become more appealing during adolescence while the normal fear of danger is temporarily suppressed. Knowing these things can make it hard for us parents to relax. Though teenagers can be hard to parent, the good news is that parenting teenagers is in many ways a hell of a lot easier than raising little kids. For this to be the case, however, our parenting needs to shift. Here are the three big shifts that parents of teenagers need to make to survive their kids’ adolescence." Read the articles below for additional information.
- Three Ways to Change Your Parenting in the Teenage Years - Christine Carter - Greater Good Magazine
- Seven Things to Understand About Your Teen, According to a Veteran Teacher and Father of Five - Braden Bell - The Washington Post
- 20 Questions to Help You Bond with Your Teen - Christin Perry - Parents.com
- A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Teen Years - KidsHealth Medical Experts - KidHealth
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“Although teens don’t have to worry about bills, a career, or holding down a household, they experience different sources of stress. They deal with issues like bullying, peer pressure, and academic issues which can be very stressful. Without appropriate support, stressed-out teens may be at a higher risk for mental health problems, academic problems, and health issues. It's important to be on the lookout for warning signs your teen is feeling stressed out. Then, you can intervene sooner, rather than later." Read the articles below for additional information.
- 10 Signs Your Teen is Stressed Out - Amy Morin - Very Well Mind
- A Parent's Guide to Helping Teens Understand and Cope with Stress - Jen Tramer - Your Teen Magazine
- Stress: It's Contagious - Arietta Slade - Yale School of Medicine
- Video: Kids and Stress: A Look at New Pressures Facing Teens Today - Video - Today (Yale Child Studies)
- Video: Helping Kids Cope with Stress During Coronavirus Pandemic - Denise Daniels - FoxNews (Scholastic & Yale Child Studies
Parents Together:
5 Questions to Get Your Kiddo's Brain Churning |
Move This World: Family Interview Activity
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Parents Together:
5 Questions That Will Make Your Kid Smile |
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SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“Before the pandemic, many of us found ourselves doing a little more parenting than we knew we ought to be doing ... many of our parenting decisions ... were informed by more "shoulds" than "coulds ... But now, the chaos and suffering brought on by Covid-19 have laid bare just how impossible our parenting standards are ... Two new books consider what perfectionist parenting does to the human brain, and what a relaxed, more compassionate parenting can look like for parents and kids. While both titles were written pre-Covid, their messages about privileging connection over perfection are more urgent than ever." Read the articles below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"'They teach everything differently,' ... said Jennifer Szot (parent) ... making her approach to such problems seem obsolete. And there are other challenges, she tells me while shushing the family dog, starting with the need to scatter everyone throughout the house so that the four simultaneous video conferences don’t clog the airwaves. She checks on her son while he’s in 'class' to make sure he’s not secretly playing video games. She calms her 11th-grade daughter who is taking three A.P. classes and worrying about how she’ll manage the exams. Most of all, she tries to lower the collective stress that everyone feels under their roof, including her husband and 9th-grade daughter. 'Nobody is sleeping well,' she said." Read the articles below for additional information.
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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“They teach everything differently,” ... said Jennifer Szot (parent) ... making her approach to such problems seem obsolete. And there are other challenges, she tells me while shushing the family dog, starting with the need to scatter everyone throughout the house so that the four simultaneous video conferences don’t clog the airwaves. She checks on her son while he’s in “class” to make sure he’s not secretly playing video games. She calms her 11th-grade daughter who is taking three A.P. classes and worrying about how she’ll manage the exams. Most of all, she tries to lower the collective stress that everyone feels under their roof, including her husband and 9th-grade daughter. “Nobody is sleeping well,” she said.
Parents like Szot who’ve been repurposed as teachers or managers of their kids’ schoolwork can benefit from the wisdom of experienced educators." In the article below, several teachers offer advice for mothers and fathers who need a hand.
Parents like Szot who’ve been repurposed as teachers or managers of their kids’ schoolwork can benefit from the wisdom of experienced educators." In the article below, several teachers offer advice for mothers and fathers who need a hand.
- How Parents Can Help Their Kids While Managing Distance Learning - Linda Flanagan - Mind/Shift
- How to Proactively Prepare for Distance Learning - Jenny Anderson - New York Times
- 22 Remote Learning Tips for Parents Helping At Home - Terry Heick - Teach Thought
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Social emotional learning (SEL) strengthens us as individuals and as communities, especially during uncertain times. When we practice and build our skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building and decision making, we are better equipped to navigate stressors, anxieties, and challenges. We can solve problems and work together to function at a higher level—in the classroom, at work and at home.
Regular practice is key, just as it is for any other skill like reading, math or shooting a basketball ... so how can we practice SEL at home? Here are ten tips that families can follow." Read the article below for additional information.
- 10 Ways Parents Can Bring Social-Emotional Learning Home - Sara LaHayne - EdSurge
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"School closures due to coronavirus have impacted at least 124,000 U.S. public and private schools and affected at least 55.1 million students, according to Education Week ... Of course, the burden of educating students falls first on teachers to create online classrooms, lessons, and activities. But to complete those activities, parental guidance will be necessary ... While this is a stressful time, it’s important to plan and not panic." Read the articles below for additional information.
- 9 tips for parents navigating online learning with their children due to Coronavirus - Jennifer Fabiano - Ladders
- How Parents Can Help Their Kids While Managing Distance Learning - Linda Flanagan - KQED
- How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone - Rebecca Branstetter - Greater Good Magazine
SEL for Parents - Meigs Memos -
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"Having teenagers confined to home during the coronavirus crisis may not be as labor-intensive as being holed up with small children, but it definitely has its challenges. While younger children may be thrilled at the prospect of having parental attention 24/7, adolescents are likely to feel differently." Read the articles below for some tips for parenting teenagers (and young adults suddenly home from college) during this time.
- Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults During the Coronavirus Crisis - Caroline Miller - Child Mind Institute
- Anxiety and Coping With the Coronavirus - Rachel Ehmke - Child Mind Institute
- How Mindfulness Can Help During COVID-19 - Rae Jacobson - Child Mind Institute