In this newsletter, you will get:

• Featured Articles

• Parenting Tips

• Activity of The Week

Featured Articles

1. Constructive Parenting published “How to Use I Statements: A Simple Tool to Help Kids and Parents Be Heard,” a guide designed to teach families the effective use of “I statements.” "I statements" enhance communication, reduce conflicts, and strengthen relationships within the family, creating a supportive atmosphere where emotional needs can be openly discussed and addressed.

2. The article “Applying the HALT Method: A Checklist for Proactive Parenting” by Meg Tietz outlines how parents can use the HALT method—addressing Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, and Tiredness—to proactively fulfill their children’s needs, in turn, teaching kids how to fulfill their own needs.

Parenting Tips

Create a Safe Emotional Environment

• Encourage Emotional Expression: Let your child know that all emotions are valid and welcome.

• Acknowledge Emotions: When your child expresses an emotion, acknowledge it.

Help Identify and Label Emotions

• Use Emotional Vocabulary: Teach your child a broad range of emotional words.

• Emotion Charts: Use tools like emotion charts or wheels to help your child visually identify and label their feelings.

Teach Self-Regulation Techniques

• Breathing Exercises: Teach your child simple breathing exercises to calm down when they're feeling overwhelmed.

• Mindfulness Practices: Introduce age-appropriate mindfulness activities.

Model Meeting Your Own Emotional Needs

• Demonstrate Healthy Coping Strategies: Show your child how you handle your own emotions.

• Talk About Your Needs: Verbally express your needs to model this behavior.

Encourage Problem-Solving for Emotional Needs

• Brainstorm Solutions Together: When your child identifies a need, such as feeling lonely, brainstorm possible solutions together.

• Role-Playing: Use role-playing scenarios to practice recognizing and addressing emotional needs.

Activity of The Week

Emotional Jenga

Materials Needed:

• A Jenga set

• Paint or markers in various colors (e.g., red, blue, green, yellow, etc.)

• A list of emotions associated with each color (e.g., red = anger, blue = sadness, green = calm, yellow = happiness)

Instructions:

1. Color the Jenga Blocks:

   • Paint or color each Jenga block with one of the chosen colors.

2. Explain the Colors and Emotions:

   • Before starting the game, explain to the children what each color represents. For example:

     • Red = Anger

     • Blue = Sadness

     • Green = Calm

     • Yellow = Happiness

3. Start the Game:

   • Set up the Jenga tower as usual.

4. Playing the Game:

   • Each player takes turns pulling out a block from the tower.

   • When a player pulls out a block, they must identify the color and the corresponding emotion.

   • The player then shares a time when they felt that emotion and what they needed in that moment. For example, "When I feel sad (blue), I need a hug from my mom," or "When I feel happy (yellow), I need to share my excitement with my friends."