Parent Resources During the COVID-19 Outbreak

May 11, 2020

Hello,

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been hearing from lots of families about children and adolescents having increasingly intense emotional reactions.  Some of these children struggled to regulate their emotions even before the quarantine, and other families have reported previously calm, mellow children who are suddenly being overwhelmed by feelings of frustration, anger, and sadness.  If you find yourself in this situation, know that you and your family are not alone.

 

When people experience big emotions, more primitive parts of the brain have taken over and often reactions escalate quickly, going from 0 to 100 seemingly in a moment.  As I have noted before, when children or adolescents become overwhelmed with strong emotions, often their reactions trigger frustration, anger, or desperation in parents.  It can be so helpful to think about a ‘plan of attack’ so that you have some go-to strategies to fall back on next time your child is flooded with strong emotions.

 

• The first goal in these moments is ensuring the physical safety of everyone in the home.  Make sure the child who is upset is in a safe space and that siblings and parents are safe, as well. 
• Briefly express empathy: label your child’s strong emotions and let them know that you understand how upset they are.  For example:
  • “I can see that your body is filled with frustration”
  • “Looks like you’re so, so upset right now”
  • “You’re crying so intensely, this is really hard”
• Keep in mind, though that a key strategy when children or adolescents are melting down is to keep conversation to a minimum.  When children’s brains are flooded with emotion, often they cannot process language effectively.  Therefore, when parents talk it only serves to fuel the fire and increase or prolong the outburst.  I can’t stress this point enough – if you are a very verbal person or tend to process your experience through language (which is true for many adults), come up with a cue to remind yourself that there will be time for conversation later.  For example, say to yourself, “This is a meltdown moment – remember, talk less!” or just “Red flag – I need to use fewer words.”
• Once you have (briefly) expressed empathy, provide physical strategies to help your child discharge the negative emotions in a safe way.  For younger children, that may mean doing 20 jumping jacks, throwing nerf balls in a yard or basement, squeezing a stuffed animal or some clay or putty, or yelling into a pillow.  For tweens and teens, discharging emotion may involve going for a run, kicking a soccer ball, ranting to a caring friend or adult, or listening to intense music.
• So often intense emotions follow a pattern of rising like a wave, cresting, and then subsiding.  After your child has discharged tension, it’s useful to identify calm down strategies for self-soothing and helping return to a calm state of mind.  I recommend using a peaceful moment of one-on-one time with your child to brainstorm a list of self-soothing strategies.  Post the list somewhere prominent so that your child can refer to the ideas independently, or ask teens to keep a list on their phones.  I have attached a sample for use with younger children – you can add or delete ideas depending on your child’s preferences.  Tweens or teens might like to write in a journal, take a bath, read, listening to soothing music or a calm audiobook, work on a project such as artwork or knitting, play music, meditate, or do yoga. 

 

This week’s webinar will be on Wednesday, May 13 at 3:30pm (please note the afternoon time slot):

Let’s Talk About Sleep: Tips and Strategies for Managing Challenges and Promoting Healthy Habits

 

As always, there will be ample time for questions and answers, and a recording of the webinar will be posted on my website on Wednesday evening.

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85968020173

 

Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know who might find it useful.

I hope you have a peaceful weekend and a Happy Mother’s Day,

Rachel

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May 4, 2020

Good morning,

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy.  Over the past couple of weeks I have been hearing about sleep disruption from lots of families.  From young children crawling into bed with their parents in the middle of the night (then squirming so much that the adults can’t sleep) to tweens and teens who are having difficulty falling asleep, I know that many families are struggling with these issues, so I thought I would share a few thoughts in writing today, then devote my webinar on May 13 to talking about sleep.

 

For today, I want to provide a few reminders about the importance of establishing good sleep hygiene – that is, employing evidence-based strategies to develop healthy sleep habits:

 

• Establish a regular bedtime and wake up time and be mindful of the total amount of sleep your children need:

 

 

 

• Establish a calm, predictable bedtime routine.  Parents of younger children often have a well-established routine – bath or shower, brush teeth, pjs, stories and/or songs, then lights out.  Bedtime routines are actually helpful for people of all ages – you can explain to tweens and teens that having a routine helps soothe and relax their bodies and prepare them for sleep.  If your tween or teen doesn’t currently follow a routine at bedtime, brainstorm together about soothing activities for before bed such as reading, listening to soft music, meditating, or doing some gentle bedtime yoga.
• Turn off devices 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime.
• Ideally, remove phones, tablets, and other electronic devices from bedrooms.  Preferably, children and younger adolescents should park their phones with parents 30-60 minute prior to bedtime.  If you have an older adolescent and you have decided to allow devices in the bedroom, they should be turned to silent or do-not-disturb mode 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime.
• Provide a quiet, comfortable space for sleep. 
• Remind your children that beds are for sleeping.  Ideally beds should not be used for activities such as reading, doing school work, or using devices.  We want the body to associate being in bed with sleeping. If your children typically like to study or use devices in bed, brainstorm with them to find other cozy, quiet places at home where they can comfortably engage in these activities.
• Exercise every day – and, if possible, spend time outdoors every day.  If your children like to be active or rough house after dinner, be sure that dinner is early enough to allow ample time between energetic activity and transitioning to a calm bedtime routine.

 

Realistically, even families who are following the guidelines above have children and adolescents (and adults) who are having difficulty sleeping – the stress, chaos, and anxiety surrounding the pandemic have understandably caused a lot of sleep disruption.  If someone in your family is struggling at bedtime or showing other signs of sleep disruption, know that you are not alone, and please plan to join me on May 13 to discuss some strategies and solutions.

 

This week’s webinar will be on Wednesday, May 6 at 10:30am

Parenting During the Pandemic: Building Resilience and Optimism 

As always, there will be ample time for questions and answers about any and all parenting topics, and a recording of the webinar will be posted on my website on Wednesday evening.

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88937978850?pwd=YjQzUmt5c1FHT0pudmk2blA2NWF6QT09

Password: 672004

 

Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know who might find it useful.

Warm regards,

Rachel

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April 27, 2020

Good afternoon,

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy.  In Massachusetts this week, the governor announced that schools will be closed for the rest of the school year.  While many (if not most) adults knew that this news was likely to be coming, it still felt incredibly shocking to hear the definitive announcement.  While many parents were prepared to take on the challenge of a middle distance race in regards to supporting children learning at home, we’re now in the process of shifting to the reality that this process will be a marathon.  A key component of that shift will be learning how to pace ourselves, and that topic will be the focus of my webinar this week (see below).

 

Children and parents are feeling so many things right now – frustration, worry, disappointment, deep sadness, and grief.  Some may be grieving over a traumatic loss such as death of a loved one, but others are grieving about the loss of milestones such as prom or graduation, loss of time with a beloved teacher, or loss of the freedom to move about freely in the world..  Much has been written recently about coping with loss and grief.  My intention is not to overwhelm you with more material to read, so I’m going to summarize a few bullet points about helping children and adolescents cope with the losses involved in the pandemic.

 

• Begin by considering the losses you have experienced due to the pandemic, and think about how you allow yourself to process and experience that grief – are you able to talk with a family member or close friend?  Write in a journal?  Create art or music to express your feelings?

• Now consider the losses your child is experiencing.  Acknowledge the loss as well as the accompanying grief and sadness (“Sounds like you’re so deeply sad that ______ has been cancelled”).  If you feel overwhelmed by your own sadness, remember that saying, “This is so hard,” can feel very supportive to a sad, frustrated child or teenager.
• Use words to help children identify what they are feeling.  You can model putting feelings into words by either asking a question (“I wonder if you’re feeling lonely?”), sharing what you are noticing about your child’s physical response (“Your voice is getting so loud, I wonder if you’re frustrated?”), or making a general comment about feelings (“Looks like you’re having a big wave of sad feelings”).
• While it may be useful for adults to think about loss in a relative way and to consider how lucky we are in relation to many others, this reasoning may not be useful for children and adolescents.  I’d suggest you resist the urge to talk about people who are coping with more serious losses and focus instead on what your child is feeling right now.
• After allowing your child some time to sit with the difficult feeling – perhaps crying, hugging you, spending time alone, or ranting about a cancelled event – try to shift the focus to finding a positive coping strategy such as playing a game together, going outside, getting some exercise, or listening to a favorite playlist or audiobook.
• Keep in mind that a useful strategy for coping with negative feelings about losses during the pandemic is to shift the focus to what your family can do to support other people in the world who are struggling: pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor, reach out to a friend or family member who lives alone, or send a card to teacher who’s working hard to teach online classes.

 

A couple of other resources that may be useful:

• In my webinar last week I talked about using a glitter jar as a mindfulness tool – making a DIY glitter jar could be a good project for this week.
• The National Child Stress Institute collaborated with an author and an illustrator to develop this downloadable picture book for young children.  The book is long (more than 40 pages) but does a nice job portraying some of the experiences and feelings young children and families might be having during the pandemic.
• The Yale Child Study Center and Scholastic Collaborative for Child and Family Resilience has designed a free, downloadable workbook to help elementary school aged children cope during the pandemic. 
• Many parents are wondering whether summer camps and other summer programs will be offered this summer.  We don’t have much practical information about that yet, but if you want to explore remote options for the summer, TeenLife has compiled a directory of online summer programs.  While most of the programs are for high school students, there are a few offerings for younger children, as well. 

 

This week’s webinar:

School’s Closed and Children Are Home: Practical Strategies for Helping Families Cope

Wednesday,  April 29, 2020 at 10:30am EDT 

 

A always there will be ample time for parents to ask questions.  Can’t join live?  There are links to all of the recorded webinars on my website – www.drrachelkramer.com

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85406382777?pwd=ZlFsUTZzbCt6bXBZSVhQVmxpeVBTdz09

Password: 813729

 

Warm regards,

Rachel

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April 20, 2020

Hello,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy.  Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had conversations with many people who have mentioned being atypically forgetful or feeling like they are ‘in a fog’.  Research studying stress and trauma indicates that in stressful situations people can experience cognitive challenges such as forgetfulness, disrupted concentration, and difficulty making decisions.  A couple of thoughts if you find that you are experiencing similar cognitive challenges:

 

• Be gentle with yourself – remember that we are experiencing an unprecedented situation and are all doing our best to cope with the uncertainty and tension.
• It may be helpful to have a phrase to repeat to yourself if you are caught in a moment of forgetfulness so that you don’t catastrophize and assume that there is a serious problem.  For example, “This is just a stress-related brain cramp - it will pass,” or “My brain is stuck, I’m going to give myself a moment to breathe and re-boot.”
• If the messages you are sending to yourself are harsh or critical, it can help to consider what you might say to a friend who made a similar mistake.  Chances are you would be kind, compassionate, and understanding.  I encourage you to practice self-compassion and treat yourself as gently as you would treat a friend in a similar situation.
• Remember that when parents make mistakes it provides a great opportunity to talk to children about the fact that everybody makes mistakes and to teach them a protocol for gracefully managing such moments: acknowledging the error, apologizing, and, if appropriate, making amends.  For example, a child might say to a sibling, “I’m sorry I knocked over your Legos.  Do you want me to help you collect all the pieces or help you re-build the structure?” 
• If you have children or adults at home who can tend to be perfectionists, it is particularly helpful to normalize and model the fact that everybody makes mistakes.  Point out your own errors to your children, talk about mistakes being made by characters in books you are reading or movies you are watching, and gently reflect on the fact that making mistakes is part of learning and growing.

 

This week’s webinar topic is Helping Children Cope with Strong Emotions

Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10:30am EDT

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/94604350408?pwd=Z2hKZ2pERHN2Q3RDVDFwRFNFUEZqdz09

Password: 550798

 

Or iPhone one-tap :

    US: +13126266799,,94604350408#,,#,550798#  or +19292056099,,94604350408#,,#,550798#

As usual, please feel free to share this information with anyone who might find it helpful. 

Warm regards,
 Rachel

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April 13, 2020

Good Morning,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and healthy.  This week I have been talking with many people about the outsized impact that the weather seems to have on mood and behavior during this time of sheltering at home.  The spring weather in New England has been as variable as usual, and many people are finding that rainy, cold days are more challenging in a number of ways: family members can tend to be more cranky, irritable, and short-tempered on rainy days and if inclement weather has kept your family indoors for the whole day, children may be extra rambunctious or particularly whiny or cross. 

 

If you wake up to a rainy day and it makes you feel sad, frustrated, or irritated, find simple, clear language to talk about your mood.  Modeling putting feelings into words and communicating with one another about our moods helps children and teenagers learn to identify their own feelings, increases self-awareness, and builds empathy and an understanding of the feelings of other people.  Once you have communicated about feelings, provide a model of self-care by explaining to family members what strategies you’ll use to help you cope with the dreary weather.  Part of the balance is to acknowledge the negative feelings and allow space for them, then shift gears and focus on actions we can take to help ourselves feel better.  Another important part of explaining these feelings to children is to clarify that your child didn’t cause the negative emotions you might have on a rainy day.  For example:

• “Sometimes when I wake up on a rainy day I feel cranky.  Let’s take a bubble bath in the middle of the afternoon – I know that will make me feel better.”
• “On these cold, gray days I feel sad.  What are rainy days like for you?  Let’s look at some pictures of sunny days on the beach to help ourselves feel better.”
• “When it’s rainy sometimes I feel so much more tired than usual.  Let’s have a dance party so we can get our energy up.”

 

Thinking about the challenges of wet weather and being home with children reminded me of rainy day boxes.  Summers in high school and college I worked at a day camp, and during counselor orientation the staff for each age group would create a rainy day box with special activities and surprises to inject fun into what could otherwise be tricky days at camp.  You might want to create your own rainy day box for this spring – either an actual, physical box or simply a list of ideas to help add some excitement to a dreary day.  Depending on the age of your children, your rainy day box (or list) could include:

• A fun, simple baking project, such as making pretzels.
• Clues for an indoor treasure hunt.
• Paper and scissors for making a paper airplane show.
• Ideas for active games you can play indoors such as Simon Says or freeze dance.
• Invitations to an indoors teddy bear/stuffed animal picnic (set up on a blanket on the floor, consider making homemade party hats or favors for each of the stuffy guests).
• Instructions on how to fold paper fortune tellers.

One final thought about our moods and the weather: give some thought to whether it would help you to have a preview of the upcoming week or perhaps just the upcoming few days’ worth of weather, and check forecasts accordingly.  For many parents, knowing ahead of time which days might have more challenging weather can help with decision making.  For example, if Tuesday is sunny and the Wednesday forecast is for cold rain, you might spend more time outdoors on Tuesday afternoon.  The former camp counselor and nature lover in me also has to make a plug for getting outside every day, even in the rain, if you are lucky enough to be able to do so: splash in puddles, walk around your yard and notice how buds and blossoms look in the rain, and consider turning a corner of the yard into a mud puddle area, complete with a pail and shovel or an old pot, pan, spoon, or ladle from your kitchen.

 

Some other resources that I hope will be helpful:

• I have attached a terrific list of board game recommendations that your family may find useful during the quarantine.  The list was developed by Lawrence Academy teacher Scott Smith, who recently published his own original board game.
• Several families have shared ideas about planning a dress up family dinner as a way to differentiate the weekend.  I’ve heard about lots of creative concepts such as having family members dress as super heroes, dress for the red carpet, or dress like a rainbow.  Consider adding this fun routine to your family’s weekend plans.
• Last week during my webinar a parent asked about appropriate sources of news for teenagers.  Common Sense Education has a useful list of Best News Websites for Students which includes reviews and links for news websites designed for children in grades K-12.

 

Please join me for my webinar this week – note the afternoon time slot this week.  As usual, I’ll also post the recording on my website:

 

Supporting Positive Sibling Relationships

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 2:00pm EDT

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/887532583?pwd=VkxpSEJjanFtclhCN2gzdTJiRTQ5Zz09

Password: 592603

 

Or iPhone one-tap :

    US: +19292056099,,887532583#,,#,592603#  or +13126266799,,887532583#,,#,592603#

 

Best wishes for a peaceful week.

Warm regards,

Rachel

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April 6, 2020

Hello,

 

I hope this note finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy.  As we enter another week of physical distancing, something that is on my mind is finding the balance between acknowledging the negative feelings we are all experiencing during the pandemic and finding a sense of hope and optimism amidst the chaos.  It is inevitable that parents and children will be faced with some challenging emotions over the coming weeks: sadness, fear, loneliness, frustration, disappointment, and more.  Depending on the age of your child(ren), it is important to use words to name the feelings as best we can.  Simple statements such as:

• “I’m sad that we can’t see Grammy because of the virus.”
• “You got really quiet after you read Apple News earlier.  I wonder if you felt frightened by some of the things you read.”
• “I’m noticing that you’re having a lot of big feelings lately.  It can be frustrating to spend so much time with your brothers and to not have any time with friends.”
• “I love having our family together, but I am also missing my friends and feeling lonely for them.  What’s that like for you?”
• “It is incredibly disappointing that ____ has been cancelled.  I imagine you might feel both terribly sad and furious.  This is really hard.”

Verbally acknowledging the negative feelings gives children the message that we can talk about these difficult emotions and that you are available to provide comfort and support.  Sharing some of our own feelings about coping with the pandemic – in an age appropriate way – can also help children and teenagers connect to the fact that these difficult and unprecedented circumstances are being shared by others in their family as well as people all over the world. 

 

While we want to give children the space to feel their negative emotions, it is also important to present a message of hope and optimism – belief in the idea that we will get through this difficult time together.  Keep in mind that coming through challenging circumstances will both help children develop empathy for others who are facing difficult experiences and help them build resilience.  A wonderful way to encourage optimism is to embark on a project to help others – younger children can send colorful cards or drawings to neighbors or far away relatives, older children can help sew masks or offer to read a story or play a game with a younger cousin over video chat.  Other simple ways to focus on hopefulness are to keep a family or individual gratitude journal and to practice noticing small moments of joy every day.

 

A couple of ideas and resources to consider:

• If you or your children are able to spend more time reading during this time at home, keep in mind how soothing it can be to re-read old favorites, what my family calls ‘comfort reads’.  Children might want to re-visit old favorites - beloved picture books or a cherished series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Warrior Cats, Magic Tree House, Ivy and Bean, Percy Jackson, or Harry Potter.  Re-reading favorites still helps children practice literacy skills and can bring such a wonderful feeling of reassurance.  Adults may also want to pull a comfort read from the shelf – after a long day of video meetings reading a familiar book might provide a few moments of much needed peace and well-being.
• On one of my child psychologist list serves, colleagues recommended this website which allows children to play a virtual game (Checkers, Crazy 8’s, Go Fish) with a friend over video conference.  I’ve had lots of questions from parents about children who are uncertain or uncomfortable about connecting with friends on a video call.  Playing a game together might provide some useful structure to the interaction.
• For children about 7 and younger, check out this coloring book designed to explain COVID-19 to young children.  Download a copy, and you can print, read, and color it together.
• The Mass General Department of Psychiatry has compiled an excellent list of mental health resources for COVID-19 including specific resources for families and children as well as section about mindfulness resources.

 

My webinar this week:

 

Parenting Teens During the Pandemic

Please join Dr. Rachel Kramer for a webinar on April 8, 2020 10:30am EDT

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar: 

https://zoom.us/j/545276644?pwd=bXlRd0FUSDFjVnFQS00yTy9TelZsdz09

Password: 377336

 

As always, please feel free to pass this information along to anyone you know who might find it useful, and feel free to email me with questions you would like me to address in future webinars.

Warm regards,

Rachel

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March 24th, 2020

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy.  I’m writing with a few additional ideas for coping with this stressful and uncertain time as well as information about an upcoming webinar.

I want to begin by saying a few words about disappointment.  Everyone, everywhere is experiencing disappointment of one sort or another right now.  How can we talk about these feelings with children?

• First, think about feelings of disappointment in your own life.  What are the plans or activities you were counting on that have been upended by social distancing?  Is there another adult in your life with whom you can discuss your feelings of disappointment?
• Now think about the disappointment your child is experiencing.  Your child’s feelings might resonate with you (“Of course he’s disappointed that his school play has been cancelled”), or your child’s disappointment may evoke impatience or frustration.  Try to see the situation from your child’s point of view, and do your best to honor the feelings your child is expressing. 
• You can model putting feelings into words by either asking a question (“I wonder if you’re feeling frustrated?”), sharing what you are noticing about your child’s physical response (“You’re squeezing your fists so tight, I wonder if you’re angry?”), or making a general comment about feelings (“Looks like you have so many big feelings right now.”).
• Allow your child some time to sit with the disappointed feelings in a safe way, perhaps by letting your child cry, find a safe space to be alone, or just rant to you for a while.  It may be painful to hear your child expressing feelings of disappointment about events you were looking forward to, as well.  Keep in mind that learning to cope with disappointment is a life skill that your child is developing – one that can be carried forward to deal with any future disappointments, and that these difficult experiences are also helping children develop empathy and build resilience.
• While it may be useful for adults to think about our disappointments in a relative way and to consider how lucky we are in relation to many others, this reasoning may not be useful for children, so I’d suggest you resist the urge to talk about people with bigger problems and focus instead on what your child is feeling right now.
• After allowing some time for the negative feelings, make a plan about an activity that will help your child (and you) feel better – perhaps cuddling with a favorite toy, listening to an audiobook or podcast, video chatting with a friend, writing in a journal, or doing an art project.
• Another strategy for coping with disappointment is to think about what we can do to support other people in the world who are struggling.  Can your child reach out to a loved one who is alone and homebound?  Send a thank you card or drawing to local first responders? 

Now - a couple of ideas for your time at home:

• Pineapple Street Studios is encouraging children to make their own podcasts. Their website has clear instructions and lots of great ideas.
• I mentioned in my webinars last week that ThinkGive is going to run a kindness challenge beginning this week.  They will be promoting the challenge through their social media accounts, but also plan to have a pop-up on the website with a link to the information. 
• This might be a nice time to begin a Gratitude Journal – either a family journal where everyone is invited to contribute, perhaps talking about this at lunch or dinner, or a personal gratitude journal to help you focus on the positive things in your life.  Keep in mind that you don’t need a fancy journal or template to do this – you can use a notebook…or many teens that I work with like to keep their gratitude journals as a note in their phones.  And don’t feel pressure to write every day – research suggests that writing in a gratitude journal once or twice a week might be most effective at increasing happiness.
• Many of us have now lived through a week or more of social distancing, and I want to give you a gentle reminder to be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion.  Last week a parent asked me for a link to reading material about self-compassion for parents – you can access an article here, or there is a link on my website..

This week I read a good, brief article from Riverside Trauma Center about ideas for increasing one’s sense of safety, predictability, and control during these turbulent times.

 

I have decided to offer free weekly webinars while we are all practicing social distancing.  My thought is to have each webinar focus on a particular topic for the first 20ish minutes, and then to open things up to any and all questions that parents would like to ask.  If you have a topic you would like me to address in a webinar, please send me an email.

If you would like to receive email notification about upcoming webinars, please sign up on my website so that I can email you directly. 

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March 18th, 2020

Dear LEAP families,

The LEAP School Directors reached out to ask me about advice for parents of preschoolers coping with school closures and COVID-19 generally.  Here are some thoughts:

Talking to Your Child 

First and foremost, it’s important to keep in mind the developmental age of each of your children in thinking about how to address their concerns. As we often discuss in my office, remember that typically even children with advanced verbal skills still have thinking and reasoning skills that match their developmental level, so while some children might ask questions that seem sophisticated, I recommend that you ask a few clarifying questions in response to try and understand what is really behind your child’s concern.

Explanations should use language that each child can easily understand.  In addition, it is important to follow your child’s lead and answer questions as your child raises them.  Resist the urge to provide more information than your child is requesting. As we know, children take their cues from us, so when we speak in a calm voice, it helps children to be reassured. Remember that children often look to adults to know how to feel – they take their cues from us.  It is really important to remind children about all of the things that people are doing to help keep them safe.  For some children, it might be helpful to remind them, ‘it’s an adult’s job to worry so children don’t have to’.  That said, many children will still experience considerable anxiety and it is important to validate your children’s concerns and let them know that they are free to express them.  Child Mind Institute has a nice article about talking with children about the virus.

Schedule and Structure 

Most children thrive on structure, so I highly recommend having a schedule for the day, much like school, and posting a visual schedule in a central part of the house, such as the kitchen.  You can write this on a whiteboard or just post it on a piece of paper.  I recommend using both pictures and words, as the teachers do in preschool. 

Children should get up and get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, etc., just as they would do on a school day.  Then I recommend dividing the day into blocks of time and thinking about different types of activities to fill the blocks.  I strongly recommend planning at least 2 blocks of time outdoors – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  During this time of increased stress, movement activities throughout the day will be particularly important.  In case of inclement weather, you can stream videos such as Go Noodle when movement breaks need to be indoors.  Lunch can be scheduled at the same time as your children have it at school.  Schedule in creative time for building, crafts projects, and/or cooking – there are some great recipes for kids on Mollie Katzen’s website.  Consider scheduling in time for board games and or puzzles.  Make sure you have plenty of books available for children, including picture books and, if your child is ready, easy chapter books that you can read aloud.  For older preschoolers, you could consider finding a chapter book series to read aloud such as the Magic Tree House books.  Structure time for age appropriate chores such as wiping surfaces with a disinfecting wipe, putting dirty laundry in the hamper, and scrubbing fruits and vegetables with a brush. 

Since it’s an early spring in New England, if you have a backyard bird feeder or bird bath this could provide a great opportunity for some observational science – for example, watching the feeder for 10 minutes every day and making tally marks to indicate what color birds have visited, then researching the different types of birds if you want to take it a step further (do they migrate? what do they eat?).  Remember that even if when you respect rules about social distancing, children can ride bikes with a neighbor.

 

Realistically, parents may have to be more flexible about screen time over the coming weeks.  I recommend adjusting your Family Media Plan accordingly and clearly communicating your family rules in advance so that everyone is one the same page.  Remember that games that involve creating are preferable to games where children are passive.  While often it is helpful for parents to watch shows and games with their children, at the present time it is more realistic to acknowledge that parents working from home will need to judiciously use screens to entertain children when both parents are engaged with other responsibilities.  Practice some self-compassion and release any guilt you have about this – when the world returns to normal, many families will need to engage in a ‘digital re-set’.

I am happy to be a resource to you and your children, so please don’t hesitate to reach out by phone or email.   

Warm regards,

Rachel

These websites have ideas for parents to keep their kids engaged and active while at home.

Scholastic Learn at Home

Artful Parent

Storyline Online

Somerville Early Education

Workspace for Children

Hello, Wonderful

Busy Toddler

Crafts & Experiments For Kids - PBS

Parent Resource - PBS

These articles relate to wellness and awareness during the COVID-19 outbreak:

Article on Screentime for Preschoolers

An article about how adults can stay mentally healthy during the pandemic.

A great resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

A psychologist’s science-based tips for emotional resilience during the coronavirus crisis

How to Talk to your Kids about the Coronavirus - PBS

Lego Tower Math Game

Duplo Block Painting

 

 

LEAP school at Home

Week of 4/3/20

Theme for the Week:  Community Helpers!

 

Teacher Tip:  Children are much more likely to invest themselves when they know the objectives of an activity.  Before starting your activity try to explain what the purpose of the activity is, what the steps are, and what will signal completion.

 

Literacy

Age	Activity or Resource
All	A catchy song about various occupations.  Parent challenge… Can you add a verse about your job?! valign=”top” width=”79”> All	More community helper songs to enjoy. https://www.prekinders.com/community-helper-songs-kids/
All	When I Grow Up, by Peter Horn, Read-A-Loud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMT3-NSyQIM
3-5	When I Grow Up, by Al Yankovic, Read-A-Loud valign=”top” width=”79”> 3-5	The Paperboy, by Dav Pilkey, Read-A-Loud valign=”top” width=”79”> 3-5	Children are proud to take on new responsibilities.  How about making a job chart for your home?  Responsibilities could be rotated among family members for variety.  Here are some suggestions:  plant waterer, sock matcher, toy washer, help set table, dusting (with a sock on hand), neaten up book area, and use hand-held vacuum to pick up crumbs.  Each day could have 20 minute “chore” time.  Participation is the goal… not perfection.  J
4-5	A four-minute video defining some community helper terms. valign=”top” width=”79”> 4-5	Make a deck of index cards that have community helper titles on them:  dentist, doctor, construction worker, etc.  Your child could make an illustration for each one to refer to throughout the week’s activities.
4-5	Thank you letters for those in the community that are helping us are always appreciated.  Consider:  waste management, fire fighters, police officers, etc.
4-5	Weekly Journal –  Each Monday provide your child with a piece of paper and a prompt for drawing a picture.  Challenge your child to add details and include at least 5 colors.  Once they are finished write down their dictated description of the drawing and the date.  Save these in a binder. This week’s prompt:  What would you like to be when you grow up?

 

 

Art, Sensory and Games

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Use paint and Ziploc bags to create a “fire” that the children can engage with.  Black sharpie can be used to make “flames” on the outside of the bag.  Little ones can discover the changing colors, the bags can be part of drama play using pretend hoses to put out the fires, and older children can use their fingers to “draw” or “write” on the bags. https://www.powerfulmothering.com/fire-no-mess-sensory-bag/
All	Community Helper Coloring Fun http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/tags/community-helpers
All	Gather small boxes and use paper, markers or paint to decorate them like places where community helpers work.  Every city needs a police station, fire house, dentist, library, hospital, post office, and schools.  This city then becomes the backdrop for dramatic play with small figures.
All	Paper plates and some paint or markers can be used to make hats and badges for community helper dramatic play. https://www.communitykids.com.au/2016/09/22/community-hats/
All	Many children enjoy playing school.  Help your child create a class of stuffed animals/dolls, and designate a space for story time.  Organize a basket of books for your child to “read” to their class.
3-5	We’ve all got shaggy hair now, so it’s the perfect time to let your preschoolers try out the job of hairdresser.  Pull out your clips and ponytail holders and take a family portrait with your new look!
3-5	Ask your child to draw a menu for tonight’s dinner.  Once the family is seated at the table your child could take orders (such as how many spoonfuls of each item is wanted) and help serve.

 

 

Math and Science

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Homemade X-rays for budding doctors… use black paper and with a white crayon trace your child’s hand and arm.  Give them glue and Qtips to add bones to their arms.  Older children may like to look at this image and think about how the bones connect together. https://cdn3.volusion.com/nqpvm.detql/v/vspfiles/photos/EZ7220-3.jpg?v-cache=1584103905
All	Lemon Pie — Children can be chefs!  Ingredients:  Mini graham cracker pie crust, whipped topping, frozen lemonade concentrate, sweetened condensed milk.  Put one spoonful of whipped topping, one spoon of frozen lemonade concentrate, one spoon of sweetened condensed milk into a bowl, and mix.  Scoop the mixture into the piecrust.  Source:  Prekinders.com
3-5	Build a city.  Have your children take turns rolling a die.  On each turn the child selects the corresponding number of blocks from a large pile to use to make a stand alone building.  After several turns a city will emerge.  Tape roads and cars can extend the play.
4-5	Firetruck Stamping Game – Make copies of the printout below then write a number or letter on each firetruck.  Children will then select a number or letter card from a stack, find the matching numeral/letter on their firetruck printout, and stamp it out using markers, rubber stamps or bingo dot markers.  Print the Firetruck Bingo Game here.
4-5	Police Officers:  Fingerprints — Each child’s hand is traced on a sheet of paper.  Children color heavily with a pencil on an index card to make a layer of graphite; they rub a fingertip on the graphite; stick clear tape on that fingertip and press; pull the tape off and stick to the finger on the hand outline.  Look at the fingerprints with a magnifying glass, and talk about ways police detectives use fingerprints.  Source: PreKinders.com

 

 

Motor and Outdoors

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Be a traffic officer!  Popsicle sticks and construction paper can be used to make three handheld signs – a green circle that says “go”, red that says “stop”, and yellow that says “slow”.  Next put on  music and take turns having one person use the signs to direct the movements of the others.
All	Road Construction Detours ahead!  Create an obstacle course of detours for your child to follow to get from Point A to B.  These can be may indoors or out.  Incorporate items such as these:  a stuffed animal to jump over, a chair to crawl under, a piece of tape or wooden plank to balance on, an inclined cushion to roll down, a suspended sign to jump and tag, etc.  Older children can help to make signs that give directions for each stop.
3-5	Take a walk and keep track of these things you may see:  a fire hydrant, a mailbox, an electricity pole, a sign from a business, a realtor sign, street signs, and road markings.  Older children love having a clipboard to check off their findings.

 

 

Making Connections

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Let’s all help our communities.  Ask your child to make a video showing how to wash hands, set the table, or another helpful skill they have learned.  Share this with your friends and families.
All	Take a look at our Facebook and Instagram feeds to see a great example of a rain gauge and spring journal entry based on last week’s plans!  We love seeing what you all are up to!
All	Another former LEAP music specialist, Stacey Peasley, has a YouTube channel dedicated to wonderful children’s music.  Enjoy! https://bit.ly/2UUwK01
All	Parent Conference – Tricia and Dina are available for parent conferencing on Zoom.  Send us a message with some dates/times that work for you.
All	Let us know if you want help coordinating Zoom calls for your children to see their classmates.

 

 

LEAP school at Home

Week of 4/17/20

 

Theme for the Week:  Post Office!

 

 

Teacher Tip:  Multi-Age Teaching requires some adaptations so that everyone can enjoy the experience.  One approach is to have varied points of entry and completion.  An older child may begin by cutting out needed shapes or setting up a drama area, and then a younger sibling can be invited to engage with the materials for as long as their interest holds.  The same materials can captivate a range of ages as long as expectations are adjusted.

 

 

Literacy

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Try some “piggyback songs” about mail.  At the end of this document there are lyrics for songs that piggyback on the tunes of familiar songs so they are easy to learn.
All	A classic Woodie Guthrie song about mail valign=”top” width=”79”> All	Delivering Your Mail  Read-aloud valign=”top” width=”79”> All	A lovely 7 min. video about a preschool class going to the post office and learning new vocabulary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGOE-qxRVZw
All	Large index cards and stamps are all you need to make postcards to send.  Invite your child to decorate one side of the card however they like.  Then show them how you add an address to the other side to send.  Order stamps online and make a list of everyone to send to.
4-5	Learn to count syllables.  Designate 4 boxes with the numbers 1-4 on them.  Then give your child a stack of cards with a picture and familiar word written on each.  Teach your child to count the syllables in each word and “deliver” each card to the “mailbox” with the corresponding number.
4-5	Weekly Journal –  Each Monday provide your child with a piece of paper and a prompt for drawing a picture.  Challenge your child to add details and include at least 5 colors.  Once they are finished write down their dictated description of the drawing and the date.  Save these in a binder. This week’s prompt:  If you could put yourself in a box and mail yourself somewhere, where would you go and why?
5	A more involved video showing the mail distribution system for older children. https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/united-states-postal-service-systems-at-work

 

 

Art, Sensory and Games

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Can your little one coordinate deliveries within the house?  Turn a bag with a shoulder strap into a “mail bag” and ask your child to make deliveries to various family members.  They could distribute artwork, books, slippers, the glasses that are never where we need them, etc.  Ask your child to stay on the lookout for things that need to be moved closer to the people who need them.  Each family member could also get a decorated mailbox of their own where they receive their mail.
All	Post Office Coloring Fun https://coloringhome.com/post-office-coloring-page
3-5	Do you get lots of magazines and circulars in your mail?  The pictures in these can make great collages.  Give your child scissors and glue sticks and see what they can make.  You can even encourage your child to organize them following a theme:  families, food you love, pets, vacations, etc.

 

 

Math and Science

Age	Activity or Resource
2-3	A song about mail that teachers shapes and colors too. valign=”top” width=”79”> All	Your child can help organize the mail you receive.  Create a sign for Small, Medium, and Large envelopes/packages.  Your child can measure (using either a ruler or a scale sample) and put all incoming mail in the proper piles.  Older children may like to keep a tally of how much mail arrives each day as well, or keep a record of the largest and smallest items received.
3-5	Take a look at a stamp – what do you notice?  Stamps often recognize a special person, place, object (like an animal, a plant, an invention, etc.), or event.  Sometimes there are words to describe the picture on the stamp.  Sometimes there is a price telling us how much the stamp cost, or a date.  Allow your child to cut the stamps from mail you receive and start a journal where you create a separate page for each category.  Extend the activity and design your own stamp!
4-5	Ink Stamp patterning.  Use a stamp, ink pad, and long strips of paper to learn about patterns.  You could make a couple of sample patterns using varying colors or stamp shapes and invite your child to extend the pattern.  Once they get the hang of it they can create their own.

 

 

Motor and Outdoors

Age	Activity or Resource
All	BUILDING ACTIVITY - Can you use blocks, Legos or Duplo to build a post office?  Will your post office have a parking lot, mail boxes outside?  Do you have any little people who could visit your post office?
4-5	Alphabet Hunt!  Write a letter of the alphabet on each of 26 envelopes.  Hide this “mail” around your yard and invite your child to go on a hunt until all are collected.  A checklist of the letters in alphabetical order can also be used to help your child keep track of when they have them all.
4-5	Mail Carriers follow a route each day.  Take a walk in your neighborhood and make a simple map of a basic route you can follow.  Include pictures of landmarks to help guide you on the right path.  On your way, maybe you can make some deliveries to spread cheer in your neighborhood?

 

Making Connections

Age	Activity or Resource
All	The USPS has some inexpensive toy mail trucks for sale. https://store.usps.com/store/results/gifts/_/N-nnxamr?No=0&Nrpp=48&
All	Check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds for pictures of LEAP friends participating in home curriculum.  Email us any pictures you’d like to have included.
All	Our yoga specialist, Laura Grundstrom, offers online kid’s yoga classes through her studio – Tuesdays & Fridays at 10:30 am. https://www.legacystudiosllc.com/
All	Parent Conference – Tricia and Dina are available for parent conferencing on Zoom.  Send us a message with some dates/times that work for you.
All	A wonderful story for explaining social distancing to young children. valign=”top” width=”79”> Older	If any LEAP alumni want to record themselves reading a story for our kids, we’d love to post that link here for everyone.

 

 

Piggyback Songs

The Mail Carrier’s Song - Sung to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Write, write, write your cards,
And lots of letters, too.
I will bring them to your friends,
And they will write back soon.

 

I’m a Letter Carrier - Sung to “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a letter carrier, on my way. (walk in place)
Here is my suit, it’s blue and grey. (point to clothes and head)
When I come to your house, every day, (point with index finger)
I leave the mail, but I can’t stay. (point to self)

 

Source:  https://stepbystepcc.com/postoffice.html

LEAP school at Home

Week of 5/1/20

 

Theme for the Week:  Gardening!

 

Teacher Tip:  When learning new skills or attempting a challenging task, children have a wonderful opportunity to learn to cope with making mistakes.  Some children accept these failures in stride, and for others it is very upsetting.  Teachers help children build their coping skills by setting expectations in advance, including previewing that a particular task may not work out as hoped until more practice takes place.  Teachers are also eager to share their own mistakes with children and can then model persistence and patience in practice.

 

 

Literacy

Age	Activity or Resource
All	The Tiny Seed  Read-aloud valign=”top” width=”41”> All	The Carrot Seed  An audio version of the classic story. https://binged.it/2zKlWLc
All	Zinnia’s Flower Garden  Read aloud https://binged.it/35jQj6J
All	One Seed — a classic Laurie Berkner song about planting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDtehB-BpIA
2-3	Sing a Song of Flowers and learn colors too. valign=”top” width=”41”> 3-5	How a Seed Grows  Read-aloud valign=”top” width=”41”> 3-5	Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt  Read aloud valign=”top” width=”41”> 3-5	Teach the parts of a flower vocabulary.  You can then extend this learning by pulling up a plant (maybe a weed?) from your yard to examine the different parts.  Older children can copy these words down on their own flower drawings. https://www.kidssoup.com/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/Flowers/r_partflwposter.pdf
4-5	Miss Rumphius   Read aloud A beautifully illustrated story of spreading flowers to make the world more beautiful.  The “gardening“ happens near the end of the story. https://binged.it/2YgJbXv
4-5	The Curious Garden   The story of a garden in the city. https://binged.it/3bTnoc6
4-5	Create a plant journal with your child.  This example is with a sunflower seed, but you could observe and journal any newly planted seed, or choose something growing outside.  At this time of year many plants, trees and bushes are changing quickly.  https://inspirationlaboratories.com/plant-journal/
4-5	An upper/lower case letter matching game using flowers as a backdrop. https://iheartcraftythings.com/flower-alphabet-matching-free-printable.html
4-5	Weekly Journal –  Each Monday provide your child with a piece of paper and a prompt for drawing a picture.  Challenge your child to add details and include at least 5 colors.  Once they are finished write down their dictated description of the drawing and the date.  Save these in a binder. This week’s prompt:  Design your own imaginary garden and give names to your new types of plants.

 

 

Art, Sensory and Games

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Grass seeds are really fun to grown indoors.  You get a lot of reaction quickly.  Once it’s really growing your child can practice scissoring skills while trimming the grass.  You can also experiment with growing the grass under different conditions:  high/low sunlight, heavy/light watering.
All	Seed collecting!  There are seeds all around us… in our yards and even in our kitchens.  Spend some time exploring to see what seeds you can find.  Pine cones, dried up flowers, beans, fruits, etc. can offer a plentiful assortment.  These seeds can be used for planting, art collages, or sorting and labeling.
All	Waiting for seeds to grow can be hard!  Explore “Eco Art” while you wait. Nature Bracelet     https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/nature-bracelet-activity Flower portraits    https://www.mamacheaps.com/diy-flower-portraits-easy-kid-activity/ Name writing with Nature   https://www.adventure-in-a-box.com/name-writing-nature-hunt/
All	Gardening Coloring Fun http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/nature-seasons/gardens

 

 

Math and Science

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Dissect a flower and take a look.  Tulips are a great choice.  https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/preschool-botany-lesson-part-3-dissecting-a-flower/
All	Try these newspaper planters, or use cardboard egg cartons, to get some seedlings growing.  These materials can be directly transferred into a garden once the plant is strong enough. https://bit.ly/2KMhluj
All	If you are new to gardening here’s how you can get started.  This website has vegetable and flower seeds for sale as well as helpful tips for novice gardeners. https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/areas-of-interest/flower-gardening/new-to-gardening%3F/article10005.html
All	A fascinating way to watch roots develop as a plant begins to grow. https://teachpreschool.org/2011/09/18/planting-and-growing-beans-in-our-preschool-window/
3-5	Many of our kitchen scraps can be utilized to start new plantings.  Older children can keep a journal to document the weekly changes. Potatoes, sweet potatoes - https://sciencing.com/grow-potato-water-science-project-6239373.html Sprout a carrot top - https://laughingkidslearn.com/how-to-grow-a-carrot-top/  This also works for beet tops and turnip tops. Avocado - https://smartgardenguide.com/how-to-grow-an-avocado-tree-from-seed/ “Popcorn Pie” – Fill a pie plate with potting soil and plant popcorn kernels.  Keep the soil moist, soon the kernels will sprout, and you will have popcorn pie! (Kids Garden by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell) And more scraps that can be planted… https://www.diyncrafts.com/4732/repurpose/25-foods-can-re-grow-kitchen-scraps

 

 

Motor and Outdoors

Age	Activity or Resource
All	A Movement song about planting seeds valign=”top” width=”79”> All	Try a plant and flower scavenger hunt on your next walk.  For younger children ask them to find something growing in each of the colors they know.  For older children, you can take some pictures of what is blooming in your neighborhood and print them onto a single page.  Next invite your child to go for a walk and check each plant off that they recognize. There is also a list of garden scavenger hunt finds below.
All	Design a Fairy Garden!  This is an example of one type of fairy garden with links for commonly used materials, but the options are truly endless.  Allow your child to decorate the structure and collect natural materials to enhance the landscape.  Shells, cardboard, pinecones, rocks and plastic figures can provide a platform for creative play. https://craftsbyamanda.com/how-to-start-a-fairy-garden/
3-5	Play Tip-Toe Through the Garden.  Place paper plates on the ground/floor to make an imaginary garden path.  Each player has to jump from plate to plate to cross the garden without stepping on any of the flowers.

 

Making Connections

Age	Activity or Resource
All	Take a virtual field trip to the beautiful tulip gardens in Holland.  After your “trip” draw some tulips. valign=”top” width=”79”> All	Our longtime school photography company is offering “Front Porch” photo sessions.  If you are interested you can schedule with them directly.  www.Ambrosephotography.com
All	Check out our Facebook and Instagram feeds for pictures of LEAP friends participating in home curriculum.  Email us any pictures you’d like to have included.
All	Parent Conference – Tricia and Dina are available for parent conferencing on Zoom.  Send us a message with some dates/times that work for you.
Older	If any LEAP alumni want to record themselves reading a story for our kids, we’d love to post that link here for everyone.

 

 

GARDEN SCAVENGER HUNT

 

See if you can find the following things in your yard or on a walk. It might take a few days to find them all!

 

1.  A tree or bush with flowers.

2.  A tree with buds (no leaves yet).

3.  A flower growing in the ground.

4.  A sprouting plant – a plant that is just starting to grow.

5.  A worm.

6.  A bird.

7.  A bug of some sort.

8.  A puddle – a sign of rain. Water is important for plants!

9.  A shadow – a sign of sunshine. Sun is important for plants!

10.  Sticks or twigs

11.  Rocks

12.  Moss –moss is a soft, fuzzy plant. It feels like velvet!