As parents and educators we naturally feel a strong urge to protect our children and students, protect them form difficult things.  But as life would have it; difficult and tragic things happen.  A loved one dies or a child views something violent and scary on the news; and we are left feeling nervous about how to proceed.  Here are some tips and resources I have gathered on this important process. I think one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids is to show them how we cope in times of distress.  Showing our children that 'it's okay to not be okay'.  It's oka ..read more

8 Signs of Anxiety in Children That Show Up as Something Else  In this wonderful article put out by GoZen, we can see that Anxiety can be so multifaceted for our kids.  The visual analogy of an iceberg is so poignant to help us realize there is such much more going on under the surface.  Sometimes people see anxiety a certain way, perhaps as exhibited through tears or shyness, or seeking a lot of reassurance.  However, the more we learn about anxiety the more we are learning that this can show up in many unexpected ways.  Anxiety can look so different from child to ch ..read more

 'Flip Your Lid'  Using a hand model to help explain how emotions work in our brain. In a recent professional meeting, I was encouraged to learn more about the 'flip your lid' hand model to incorporate into some of my counseling sessions with kids.  Dr. Dan Siegel who is a well known contributor to the field of child psychology coined the 'flip your lid' hand model to help explain how the brain works in a more accessible way.  Shown above is a child friendly resource inspired by Dr. Dan Siegel called Mineola Grows!  Mineola grows has several kid friendly videos helpi ..read more

 Test Anxiety Strategies Here at Wheelock Elementary School, our third graders will be taking the MCAS testing next week.   I thought I'd share some great strategies for any of our students who may get nervous. Here are some helpful tips and hints: 1. Get a good night sleep 2. Eat a good breakfast 3. Create a personalized positive mantra for your child - "I've got this!" - "I am smart and I am prepared" - "Everyone makes mistakes" - "It's okay to take my best guess" 4. Help children to re-frame their nervous feelings: If your child feels jittery or a bit sweaty, you can help ..read more

 "I statements" and "I messages" Today I visited a third grade classroom to help students better advocate for themselves with social problems by teaching them about "I statements".  "I statements" are one of the best conflict resolution strategies and widely used in almost any therapy setting.  I use the "I statement" strategy a lot in my small group counseling sessions and I was thrilled to be able to share this skill with a whole class.  The "I statements" are such a successful strategy because it's a way of communicating feelings effectively without causing the othe ..read more

  Today I had the pleasure of visiting a second grade classroom to read them a story titled 'Uniquely Wired', a beautifully written story about a young boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Julia Cook is the author of this wonderful book and she has written a large variety of books to support social/emotional growth in children.  'Uniquely Wired' helps both children and adults better understand Autism.  The story is told from the perspective of a young boy Zak who explains how he responds to the world differently.  These differences are viewed as gifts that Zak gives o ..read more

Yesterday's events from the violent outbreak and breach of the US Capitol has us all feeling very distraught and unsettled.  Here are some resources with tips on how to handle and support our children after such an unfortunate event.  We have a responsibility to ensure our children feel safe and supported.  I hope that we can all have meaningful conversations with our kids and with each other about the importance of being tolerant, respectful and accepting of others.  I believe we can empower our youth to be the change we wish to see in the world.   Tips for par ..read more

 Welcome and welcome back to some families as we begin the 2020-2021 school year at Wheelock.  I am very excited to see the students again.  However, I am sure many families have a 'mixed bag' of emotions.  Teachers and staff are working so hard to ensure a safe and welcoming return to school.  Myself and Mrs. Bockhorst (our part time counselor) have put together some talking points we thought would be helpful for families.    What to do if your child is feeling worried: Normalize - It is common to feel worried before we do something new, for both kids ..read more

I am writing this important blog post to provide resources/support to help you as parents and to help our children throughout this continued difficult time.  The horrific death of George Floyd along with the long standing issue of race in our country, is I'm sure on the forefront of many people's minds right now.  Not only as an elementary school psychologist, but as a mom of a four year old asking questions, I want to help provide some developmentally friendly resources so that we can do our part in making the world a better place.   1. Here is a great social story that ..read more

In an effort to help support the any anxiety about the ongoing concern of the Corona virus or Covid-19, I am going to share two very helpful resources.  The first is an article from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) with good talking points. https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource This next resource is set up in a comic format and may or may not be appropriate to share with your kids, based on your judgement ..read more