Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Support for Elementary Years (5 to 12)

Important Information:

• Children this age need 9-12 hours of sleep every night, healthy foods (i.e. fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, and whole grains), Food Guide Canada – Tips for Healthy Eating  and exercise (i.e. 20-30 minutes every day, getting sweaty and breathing hard)
• Everyone feels stressed sometimes. A small amount is normal and helps motivate us. When we have lots of stress or it goes on for a long time, it can hard to think clearly. Try to practice calming activities daily such as breathing.
• Video Brain Break – Mind Up at Home
• Strategies to Reduce Stress 
• One of the best ways to help children deal with stress is to keep a routine while they are at home. Routines structure our days, providing some degree of certainty in uncertain times. Routines help children become more independent with getting things done. Consistent routines also reduce power struggles because children know what is expected of them.
• Children look to the adults in their lives to know how to behave and deal with stress. When adults deal with stress in healthy ways and take care of themselves (i.e. sleeping enough, eating healthy, and exercising daily), they are showing their kids how to cope and be calm. Mindfulness/Mediation are one of the best ways to reduce stress and Anxiety.
• Video Why Mindfulness is a superpower!
• Talk about thoughts and feelings as a family so your children learn to talk about what’s going on inside. When you listen to your children talking about their thoughts and feelings, they feel understood and cope better. Strong Emotions  – Name it to tame it
• Set aside time every day to do fun things together. Having fun increases happy, connected feelings and reduces everyone’s stress. Nature Activities for Kids 
• Things don’t always go how we expect. We can show our children how ‘flexible thinking’ lets us be okay when things get cancelled or don’t go as planned. Being a flexible thinker makes the changes that happen in life easier to handle. With small problems or upsets, it can help to ‘try again’ or ‘reset.’
  • Being flexible by working at home – Visual Story Comox Valley Schools
  • Trying again when I make a mistake – Visual Story Comox Valley Schools

Stay positive: emotions are contagious! Try to make the best of things, reach out to connect with others, and think of three things you’re grateful for today. Daily Quarantine Questions 

Tip Sheets or Strategies or Resources:

• Sleep Tip sheet for Children (Parents Guide) 
• Understanding Your Child’s Signs of Stress
• Basics for Self Regulation
• Strategies to Reduce Stress
• Helping Your Child Stay Cool for Schoolwork
• Using a Stress Scale 
• Ideas for Outdoor Break Activities
• Ideas for Indoor Break Activities K-3 
• Self Regulation Visual Supports Collection SD71

Links:

Anxiety Canada

Anxietycanada.com has tons of great resources to help manage anxiety for all ages

MindShift app 

MindShift CBT is an app that can be downloaded to help manage anxiety

The Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national non-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.

Family Sparks

Family Sparks is a great place to find timely, clinically-based mental health articles for you and your family. Whether you’re seeking help with conditions like anxiety and depression, or how to cope with grief or trauma, they have down-to-earth information you can trust.

Learn 71 Social Emotional Learning Link to other resources.

Videos: