Happy Holidays Tulita Families!
On January 30 Katie Hurley is visiting our school to share information with our students and parents. 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will attend an assembly and parents are welcome to attend a special evening assembly, also on January 30.
For the December newsletter we're including a little snapshot from her book
The Happy Kid Handbook - How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World
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Teach the Stoplight:
The stoplight is a great metaphor for teaching kids how to respond to events that trigger various emotions. It works just as well for excitement and overstimulation as it does for anger and frustration. It's a simple concept, but the visualization of the stoplight changing colors will stay with your child for years to come.
Draw, paint, or print a picture of a stoplight and place it in the most used room of your house. You might even want to create mini versions of the same stoplight for bedrooms, backpacks, and desks. Explain to your child that the colors of the stoplight represent different actions your child can do to handle emotional situations.
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Red
: STOP - Stop what you're doing, take three deep breaths, and think about the situation.
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Yellow
: THINK - Think about your options. Who can help? Should you walk away? What is the best way to respond?
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Green
: ACT - Choose the best strategy to fit the situation and proceed.
Practice the stoplight as a family to show your child that everyone can benefit from taking some time to stop and assess before responding to emotionally charged triggers.
Have a wonderful winter break!
Kindly,
Diana Nelson
Vice President, Tulita PTA
