Watch CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall with your child

Here is another resource for you to access with your child.  Link: CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall.   (The video links below may or may not work!)

Watch the entire CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall

By Alex Chaet, CNN

Updated 12:00 PM ET, Sat June 6, 2020

(CNN)CNN's Van Jones and Erica Hill partner with "Sesame Street" for Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism, a town hall for kids and families. Watch the town hall in its entirety below:

How to explain racism to kids

Part 1: Entire CNN/Sesame Street town hall on racism 21:28

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms takes questions along with CNN's Van Jones and Erica Hill about how to combat racism, and shares a message with kids about how to make a change.

Abby Cadabby shares a personal story

Part 2: Entire CNN/Sesame Street town hall on racism 16:16

Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby shares a story about how her fellow Sesame Street friend Big Bird was a victim of prejudice, and how she stood up for him. A college professor defines white privilege.

On Building Resilience - Greater Good Science Center - The Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself During Quarantine

The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society. Their online Greater Good magazine turns scientific research into stories, tips, and tools.

After yet another week, I thought it wise to revisit this article that they published way back in March when we were weary -- but not yet quite this weary!

May we remember that it is a privilege to even be safely sheltered at home and asking these questions. Check in with yourself and then help your child ask similar questions.

1. What am I grateful for today?

2. Who am I checking in on, or connecting with, today?

3. What expectations of “normal” am I letting go of today?

4. How am I getting outside today?

5. How am I moving my body today?

6. What beauty am I creating, cultivating, or inviting in today?

Center on the Developing Child - Harvard University: How to Support Children (and Yourself) During the COVID-19 Outbreak

As we continue into this long phase of remote learning, I thought these key tips from the Center on the Developing Child are worth noting and incorporating into our daily routines.

How to Support Children (and Yourself) During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The coronavirus outbreak has changed many things about our daily lives. But even during this uncertain time, it’s a sure thing that our children are still learning, growing, and developing.

Everyone can help support a child’s healthy development (and it may even help relieve your stress!). Just a few minutes and some simple, free activities can make a difference.

1. Practice "Serve and Return"

   Practice “serve and return,” or back-and-forth interaction with your little ones. Even before they learn to talk, infants and children reach out for attention—babbling, gesturing, or making faces. When young children “serve up” a chance to engage with them, it’s important to “return” with
   

How Can Divorced Parents Get on the Same Page During Covid-19?

As if co-parenting weren't already tricky enough! The tips below are quite good.

Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley

Dear Christine: How Can Divorced Parents Get on the Same Page During COVID-19?

Here are some tips for handling conflict between divorced parents.

BY CHRISTINE CARTER | MARCH 31, 2020

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Dear Christine,

I’m a divorced dad who remarried, with a son and a stepdaughter. When shelter-in-place hit and school was canceled, everything changed.

We all started working at home—or not working at all. Though we have successfully established a new custody schedule so that there is less back-and-forth between houses, we still have a lot of conflicts. We don’t agree about whether it’s okay to go outside, who can enter the other parents’ homes, or how the new schedule might affect child-support payments, among other things.

I’m concerned about routines and schooling and the emotional atmosphere in the other households. My stepdaughter’s parents don’t care much about school and are treating the closure like a vacation. My ex-wife is very anxious and never hesitates to express fear in front of my son, which I don’t think is very good for him.

How can we negotiate these differences? Can we all get on the same page, or is that just impossible?

Divorced & Confused

Dear Divorced & Confused,

Oh, how I hear you. Blended families like yours and mine—where kids go between households—can’t follow the mandate to shelter in a single place of residence. So, the safest

How to Handle the Anxiety Caused by Coronavirus Outbreak

As we enter this new, more long-term phase, I encourage you to learn about handling the anxiety caused by COVID-19.

Sumitha Bhandarkhar interviews anxiety expert, Lynn Lyons. They discuss:

During COVID-19 Less is More

"For families concerned that their children are missing out on academic content, remember that at a time like this, less is more. I encourage you to broaden your definition of learning and focus on playtime, downtime, and family time."  This message from Dr. Denise Pope, a Senior Lecturer at Stanford University Graduate School of Education and of a Co-Founder of Challenge Success rings true. 

A Message to our Challenge Success Family during COVID-19

Posted March 28, 2020 | by Denise Pope | Posted in Office Hours with Dr. Denise Pope

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Dear Challenge Success Family,

During these uncertain times with school closures and significant shifts away from normal routines, many people have expressed concerns about the impact on students’ academic journeys. I want to encourage parents, educators, and students in the Challenge Success family to remember the big picture. This is a time to focus on — and be grateful for — your

How to talk to children about difficult news and tragedies

How to talk to children about difficult news:

American Psychological Association - Talking to Children About Difficult News

American Academy of Pediatrics - Talking to Children about Tragedies & Other News Events

From Common Sense Media  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids

Tips for kids under 7

Keep the news away. Turn off the TV and radio news at the top of the hour and half hour. Read the newspaper out of range of young eyes that can be frightened by the pictures (kids may respond strongly to pictures of other kids in jeopardy). Preschool kids don't need to see or hear about something that will only scare them silly, especially because they can easily confuse facts with fantasies or fears.  

Stress that your family is safe. At this age, kids are most concerned with your safety and separation from you. Try not to minimize or discount their concerns and fears, but reassure them by explaining all the protective measures that exist to keep them safe. If the news event happened far away, you can use the distance to reassure kids. For kids who live in areas where crime and violence is a very real threat, any news account of violence may trigger extra fear. If that happens, share a few age-appropriate tips for staying and feeling safe (being with an adult, keeping away from any police activity).

Be together. Though it's important to listen and not belittle their fears, distraction and physical comfort can go a long way. Snuggling up and watching something cheery or doing something fun together may be more effective than logical explanations about probabilities.

Save the date! The Kittery Youth Committee presents the film Reject: The Science of Belonging on April 30th

SAVE the date!  Monday, April 30, 6 PM - 8 PM at the Kittery Community Center

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FREE event hosted by Kittery Youth Committee (KYC). Childcare provide ages 5+. This film is not meant for young children.

REJECT (Film trailer http://rejectfilm.com/official-trailer/) examines the impact of social rejection. Weaving together expert findings from neuroscientists, social psychologists, early childhood educators, law enforcement experts and personal testimony, the film sheds new light on the universal human experience of rejection. From racial bias to parental neglect to school bullying, REJECT reveals the multidimensional link between interpersonal rejection and the neurological experience of physical pain. In so doing, it uncovers a path towards violence prevention and emotional recovery.

Conversations about personal body safety rules

The educators from SARSSM visited each of our classrooms recently. We're hoping that parents and caregivers will take this opportunity to talk to your children about personal body safety rules.  Having those conversations is one of the best ways to prevent abuse and to teach children what to do if it happens.

Rebecca and Val in a Kindergarten class with puppet friends Edna and Charlie

With puppet friends Max and Ollie (grades 1-3)

Helping Kids After a Shooting

Helping Kids After a Shooting

 • Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news.

• Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

Documents and Publications

Talking to Children About Terrorism and School Shootings in the News

Talking to Children About School Shootings

Help for Caregivers/Parents

Mark your calendar again! Monday evening - nationally recognized educator presenting on Building Resilient Communities and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

This event is definitely worth coming out for!  Please come to the Kittery Community Center next Monday evening. Sue Mackey Andrews is a nationally-recognized expert in building resilient communities and children.

To learn more about how stress affects the health of our youth go to  ACEs - Adverse Childhood Experiences or to take the ACE quiz.  There are additional resources on the ACEs page of this blog.

Monday, Dec 4th - We are Kittery! Working Together to Create a Bias and Harassment-Free Culture

Building resilience and the truth about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can last a lifetime but THEY DON'T HAVE TO! Relationships are central in promoting resilience and healing and reducing the negative impact of ACEs. For adults and caregivers to understand their own ACEs and then learn about ways to foster resilience in themselves and their children are key in moving beyond what the research is telling us.

Strengthening Families (link to: http://strengthinme.org/) has a framework of five protective factors that promote optimal development and strong families. They are:

• 1. Parental Resilience
• 2. Social Connection
• 3. Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
• 4. Concrete Supports in Time of Need, and
• 5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children

For more information go to the ACES page of our Mitchell School Counseling website

Infographic: The Truth About ACEs by RWJF on RWJF.org