Wellness Wednesday
Your Counselor - Ms. Mutter, & PBSES Coach - Ms. Kusunose
From Ms. Kusunose
Some hints:
- Set-up a realistic schedule. Keep it simple. In the beginning, make a schedule for the morning portion of the “school day.”
- Put up a visual schedule with times included. Less is more.
- Include breaks! Movement breaks. Cooking breaks. Game time with dad break.
- Use statements like, “If _____, then _____.” You may need to provide a small reward. Keep it simple! (Child gets to choose between ___ and ___. Sing a song together. Play a 10 minute game. Rewards around time may be helpful to provide the social interactions students are not getting as much as during a typical school day.·
- Keep in mind that childhood development experts generally say that a reasonable attention span to expect of a child is 2-5 minutes per year of their age. This is only a guideline.
- Be patient and give yourselves time to transition to a new schedule and a new set of routines.
- This is useful for both children and adults!
- Here are some examples of schedules (one for families, one for teachers):
Newcastle Bedtime Quilt
Take a look at the Newcastle Bedtime Quilt! You can hear stories read by different staff members at Newcastle!
From Ms. Mutter
These days, it is easy to get caught up in the "what-if's", and anxiety about the unknown. This is where things like yoga, mindfulness, or simply taking nice full breaths can really help to bring us into the present moment, giving us a sense of calm. With this in mind, see the below ideas/resources for Movement and Resilience:
Movement: Yoga! Free yoga videos for K-3 can be found here. And for 3-5 can be found here.
Resilience Tool: Mindful Breathing - in through the nose and holding it at the top, then slowly letting it out. For kids especially, it really helps to have a visual representation of this special way of breathing. Here is a simple kind-friendly video designed by a headache specialist at a children's hospital - it helps to pace breathing at a rate that calms the mind and body. Click here for a video of me reading a story called My Magic Breath, which helps to illustrate for kids how to breathe in a way that promotes calm (and it's great for bedtime!).
Nami Kusunose, PBSES Coach
Kailey Mutter, School Counselor
Email: mutterk@issaquah.wednet.edu
Website: http://counselorkail.weebly.com/news