Counseling and Confetti
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Sunday, January 24, 2021
Game Changing Skin Care
Saturday, January 2, 2021
New Year...New Beginnings
Sunday, October 4, 2020
Social Emotional Learning and This Week's Top 2
Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a chance for rest, renewal, and relaxation. I don't know what it is like where you are but in Texas the weather has been gorgeous! It has been in the 70's and low 80's which is total fall weather to us. I want to break out the flannel and boots and drink all the pumpkin spice lattes. I know...so basic. Haha.
With school back in session whether in person or virtual, the need for social emotional learning is bigger than ever before. We have students who may be struggling with anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling with emotional regulation. As a past teacher, school counselor, and administrator emotional regulation was always an area that many students needed support. When my husband and I began writing books, I dreamed of creating a social emotional learning series because of what I had learned working with students. I realized the value of SEL and the need to explicitly teach those skills to students. We cannot expect students to just know these skills, we have to teach them just as we do with academic skills. I am so excited that we finally began our SEL series: Thoughtful Bots. Thoughtful Bots was created to be simple, bright, and written in the form of social stories. You can check the books out below.My Mindful Robot
To accompany these books is a FREE Printable!! This can be used for students to write or draw their strategies after reading the books. These would be great for a small group or SEL lesson.
Here are a few examples from a Kindergarten and 1st grade kiddo. I love how one said their strategy to help them feel calm is to lay down and relax and eat ice cream (my love language).I hope these will be helpful tools as a parent, teacher, or counselor! I am also doing a GIVEAWAY right now for copies of both books! Like The Stylish School Counselor on FB or follow Counseling_and_Confetti on Instagram for more information!
You can also check out Ackers' Books on FB and Instagram.
Now, for this week's Top 2 Fav Items! Each week I will be sharing two favorite items. I am trying to keep it simple. It may range from beauty products, food, accessories, and everything in between.This week, my #1 FAV item is the Tula Rose Glow and Get It Cooling and Brightening Eye Balm. I seriously get so excited using it every morning...especially when I stay up working late. It helps those under eye bags and helps me wake up in the morning with the cooling effect.
I have been wearing my 2nd fav item on repeat this week. Y'all know it's all about the chains lately. This one is a great price and is the perfect layering piece. And, friends, it is $12!!! It is from one of my favorite shops, Groovy's.
I hope you all have a great week. Don't forget that you can enter my Thoughtful Bots Book Giveaway! Details are on FB and Instagram.
Confetti & Hugs,
Melanie
Follow Me on Instagram @counseling_and_confetti
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Wellness Check In's
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
FREE Activities for HOME
Thursday, March 26, 2020
All the Feels
Today I am sharing the book Marcy's Having All the Feels by Allison Edwards. Y'all, this book is pretty precious. It reminds me a lot of the Disney movie Inside Out.
Marcy, the main character, is struggling with her emotions. She really wants to just have the good feelings but realizes how important ALL of the emotions are.
I love how it breaks down the different emotions and gives examples of situations in which a kid may experience those emotions.
This is not only a great addition to your counseling library but also for your home library. It is whimsical and cleverly written.
You can check out my video review HERE.
I don't have students to directly use this with currently but I plan to use this with a kiddo in individual counseling. The first thing that came to mind that would be a great addition is my free Feelings Foldable.
Students can draw the emotion and under the flap write or draw when that feeling has helped them in a situation. Then they can share!
I hope this is a resource you can use in your counseling practice. I hope you are all staying healthy (physically, mentally, and emotionally) during this challenging time.
Lots of Love,
Melanie
Friday, March 13, 2020
Talking to Kids About COVID 19
Good evening, friends! The world has been full of anxiousness lately. People are fearful, businesses and schools are closing, and the toilet paper struggle is real. LOL! (I had to add something light).
There are SO many different conversations happening and planning that is occurring. However, one of the most important conversations to have is with our kids. If we think about what our kids may have been exposed to (seen or heard) when it comes to COVID 19, it can be concerning and understandable that some kids have increasing anxiety. Some may even have some form of post traumatic stress. An example is a child going to the store with their parent and seeing empty shelves for the first time or long lines wrapped around the store. This can be alarming for anyone. Another example is a kid sitting at a restaurant and seeing the media coverage. I can speak to this personally. I was at a restaurant with my family and my daughter (who has already been quite anxious about the topic) saw the coverage of people in a hospital with masks and the death toll. All of these instances can truly affect a child's anxiety level. So, as a parent and/or educator....how do we start this conversation with our kids? What we share and how we share it makes all the difference.
Below are a few resources and tips for talking to kids about Coronavirus/COVID 19
- Stay Calm: our kids react based on OUR reactions
- Talk about it: give facts but choose the facts you give to not cause added stress
- Avoid 24/7 discussion over the topic
- Limit media exposure
- Keep a schedule (if your child's campus is closed, create a schedule while they're home). We know kids thrive with routine especially during stressful times. (Great example my friend Leslie shared: source: Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents)
- If your child is feeling anxious, talk about healthy coping strategies such as mindfulness (video HERE), writing or drawing in a journal, talking to a trusted adult, and doing fun activities to take their mind off of the topic
- Help kids address their fears. The videos below contain great resources to decrease fears and give facts. There are a lot of silly rumors out there or media coverage that can be alarming.
Also, here are great tips from UNICEF:
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you’re hearing about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) right now. It’s also understandable if your children are feeling anxious, too. Children might find it difficult to understand what they are seeing online or on TV – or hearing from other people – so they can be particularly vulnerable to feelings of anxiety, stress and sadness. But having an open, supportive discussion with your children can help them understand, cope and even make a positive contribution for others.
1. Ask open questions and listen
2. Be honest: explain the truth in a child-friendly way
3. Show them how to protect themselves and their friends
4. Offer reassurance
5. Check if they are experiencing or spreading stigma
6. Look for the helpers
7. Take care of yourself
8. Close conversations with care
Video Resources
Below are some great, kid friendly informational videos about COVID 19/Coronavirus:
Video by Science Mom:
Kids asking doctors their questions
Video for Older Kids by BrainPop
I am also creating and sharing a video that will be released this weekend for kids that will include an activity/lesson. Feel free to use it with students if you are utilizing distance learning in your district or at home with your kids.
I hope these resources are helpful! I think at the end of the day, we all know that this isn't an easy situation to deal with. What we do know is the only thing in our control is to focus on the good and the positives in each day. Talk to your child about the good things that are happening and brainstorm ideas of ways to be kind and help others (from afar-social distancing).
I hope you all stay healthy and well!
Melanie Acker, LPC