Where in the World is Ms. Reed?
Counseling News &Notes- Weeks of February 15th and 22nd
Focus for the month of February: Empathy
Empathy is a core skill for what psychologists call “pro-social” behavior – the actions that are involved in building close relationships, maintaining friendships, and developing strong communities. It appears to be the central reality necessary for developing a conscience, as well.
- Help your kids put words to their emotions. Feelings are complex bio-chemical realities that take place in our whole bodies, but not necessarily involving our logical brain! Naming them can be trickier than we sometimes realize. We have a great many words in our language to try to express the various shadings of sadness, anger or fear. Helping our kids find the right words that express what they’re feeling is a great way for them to come to understand the feelings of others.
- Feel out loud. Modeling the behavior you want your kids to emulate is one of the best parenting strategies around. Kids are watching us all the time and what we do influences them as much or more than what we say. Share your thoughts and feelings about situations in the family, what friends are going through, what that kid at school your son is complaining about might be feeling, what you see on TV. No need to be heavy-handed or lecture about it. Simply share what the other person may be feeling or going through and how that affects you, makes you consider how to help.
- Include empathy as part of discipline. Make sure you include conversation about how people are affected by a problem in the creation of the solution. Get kids to consider how their aggrieved sibling might have felt when they got hurt or when someone took their favorite pair of jeans without asking. Show empathy to the perpetrator, too, so they see how this empathy can guide consequences, as well.
- Reward empathy. When we notice our kids doing the right thing, a reward “out of the blue” can be a powerful way to influence their behavior in the future. Pay attention to when your kids are responding out of empathy, reaching out to help, changing their behavior out of concern for another, and let them know you value and support what they’re doing. Recognition and affirmation are often reward enough, but an occasional ice cream cone won’t hurt!
- Be patient. None of us is perfectly empathetic all the time, even as adults. To ask kids to put others first or even to be able to have the emotional energy to notice what someone else is feeling when they are upset is asking a lot. As with all things human, progress is slow and accumulates over time as skills (and brains!) develop. Just keep pointing these moments out and modeling the skills the best you can. Our kids will get there. After all, we did, right?
See Full Article Here: http://www.parentfurther.com/blog/raising-empathetic-kids
The Power of Empathy
Brené Brown on Empathy
The power of empathy: Helen Riess at TEDxMiddlebury
Empathy Activities
Start Empathy
Start Empathy Initiative is a collaborative platform where educators, entrepreneurs, and citizens work together to create a place to educate parents and students on empathy and how to teach kids how to master empathy.
Kindness
COUNSELOR SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEKS OF FEBRUARY 15TH AND FEBRUARY 22nd
TUESDAY 2/16 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
- 5th grade PST 9:30-10:30
- IDEA RED meeting 11:30-12:30
- Phone conference 1:30-2:00
WEDNESDAY 2/17 Frontier Middle
THURSDAY 2/18 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
- K-2 PBIS assembly 9:30-10:00
- 504 RED meeting 2:00-3:00
FRIDAY 2/19 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
- Meeting with Kate R-H 1:45-2:15
- 3-5 PBIS assembly 2:00-2:30
MONDAY 2/22 Frontier Middle
TUESDAY 2/23 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
Wednesday 2/24 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
- Banana splits group 2:30-3:00
Thursday 2/25 Frontier Middle
Friday 2/26 Peine Ridge
- Breakfast duty 8:05-8:30
Rachel Reed- School Counselor
Peine Ridge, ext. 46225 (T, W, F)
Frontier Middle, ext. 33240 (M, Th)
Email: rachelreed@wsdr4.org
Phone: (636)327-5110