Grow and Thrive
Resources and Ideas From Your School Counselor
April 16, 2020
Dear Parents,
My hope with this newsletter is to help parents and students find ways to reduce anxiety and stress, to share ideas that promote a positive sense of well-being, and to share resources and articles that you might find helpful.
Please remember that if you need help with anything, you can email me, or leave a voicemail at my school phone number. I'm more than happy to help!
Sending warm thoughts to you all,
Christine Fitch, M.Ed.
Licensed Professional School Counselor
Kelly Creek - 503-663-7483
Hollydale - 503-661-6226
A Children's Book To Read Together
Time To Come In Bear: A Children's Story About Social Distancing
Stress And Anxiety: The Importance of Positive Coping Strategies For Kids
During times of stress, our bodies might experience tight muscles, a fast heart rate and even stomach aches, and headaches. Our mood may swing from one extreme to another. Children might feel grouchy, angry, impatient, sad, insecure or scared. In addition, you might notice that your child's behavior changes when stressed or anxious. Their sleep and eating patterns may be disrupted, they may be more clingy than usual, or they might engage in more conflict with others or refuse to follow directions.
It's important to extend a little extra patience with your child, while still holding them accountable for following rules. You can also help your child by working with them to identify how they feel and behave when stressed. Then explain to your child that when people feel stressed and anxious, they can take care of themselves by using a positive coping skill. It's important to talk about positive versus negative coping skills, because we want our children to make healthy choices. For example, eating, withdrawing, hiding, or arguing with or hurting others might help a child feel better in the moment, but they are not good choices long-term.
You can use the sheet below to introduce your child to some great coping strategies. It's possible that they may have even learned some of these already! Have your child identify the ones they think would work for them when they are feeling overwhelmed with worries. Practice these skills together and remind your child to use them when you notice that they are feeling anxious.
If you have a printer, you can print out this sheet and put it on the refrigerator (right-click on the image). Then, when your child is feeling stressed, remind them of things they can do to help manage those feelings.
Mindfulness can also help both children and adults manage stress and anxiety. See the article below for more information and links to get you started.