CALMING TECHNIQUES - FOR KIDS & ADULTS

Sometimes we all get overwhelmed with big feelings. Here are some calming techniques that our Parent Connect group came up with for grownups and for little ones.

  • Take care of your basic needs

    • Take deep breaths (more specifics below)

    • Drink water

    • Take a nap - lay down for 15 minutes

    • Have a healthful snack - protein, fruits, veggies

    • Move your body - stretch, take a walk/run

    •  Sunshine (indoor “happy light”)

    • Mental health - therapy

  • Connect with yourself

    • How am I feeling right now?

    • Journal

    • Pray/ meditate - try a meditation app

    • Be creative - write a poem, play music, paint, knit, draw, build…

  • Connect with others

    • Call a friend

    • Meet for a walk/ playdate

    • Nurture relationships within a community, like in a faith-based community or neighborhood

  • Connect with nature

    • Garden/ have indoor plants

    • Pause to watch the sun rise or set

    • Notice the nature around you

    • Listen to the birds, water flowing, play meditative music

    • Pet a dog, cat

Ms. Ann’s dog, Daisy

More ideas for kids (and grown ups):

  • Comfort item - blanket, stuffed animal, etc.

  • Draw an angry/happy/sad picture

  • Take a break - be by oneself for a while, look at a book

  • Cuddle, rocking chair

  • Sensory input - “Do you need a tight squeeze?”, play with playdough, water, sand

  • Taking deep breaths

    • 5 finger breaths - run one finger up and down the fingers on your other hand slowly taking a breath in as you go up the finger and blow out slowly as your finger goes down.

    • Blow bubbles

    • Blow a pinwheel

    • Make a breathing wand - see below

Made with toilet paper tubes and curly ribbon or streamers.

Here are some ways that we “take a break” and calm our bodies at preschool.

Exploring Kindergartens

Pre-K Families,

It’s time to explore options for Kindergarten for your child!

Minneapolis Public Schools - Free

Here's the link to the Minneapolis Public Schools Website to learn more.

There are options to choose from: your neighborhood community school and magnet schools which focus on various interests or learning styles (ex. language, arts, STEM science technology engineering math, Montessori, World school).

Minneapolis Timeline:

  • Beginning mid-November 2023: Explore options 

    • Visit the website to learn more

    • Go tour schools

  • January 31, 2024: Due date to be included in the first school request lottery.

  • March 31, 2024: Due date to be included in the second school request lottery.

  • May 2024: Register at your school

Charter Schools - Free

Charter schools receive government funding but operate independently of the established local public school system. Here's a link to a directory of charter schools.

Private Christian School Options - Tuition, scholarships available

If you don’t live in Minneapolis, please check your local school district’s website for options and timelines for enrolling.

We are happy to walk alongside you in this transition.  Please see Ms. Ann if you need any advice.

Early Childhood Screening If you haven’t already, please have your child screened before Kindergarten. For Minneapolis: 612-668-3715 screen@mpls.k12.mn.us

Supporting Emotional Development

“When little people are overwhelmed with big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm not join their chaos.” ~ L.R. Knost

In early childhood, children are learning to:

  • Recognize and describe their own emotions “I’m frustrated!” “I’m happy!”

  • Show some understanding of others’ emotional expressions. A two year old may say “sad” when another child is crying.

  • Begin to understand the cause and effect around emotional reactions. If I knock over someone’s block tower, they get mad.

  • Use a variety of self-comforting behaviors and calms self when feeling strong emotions with some adult help, such as hug a stuffed animal or blanket, take deep breaths, ask for a hug.

What we can do to help support children’s emotional development? Some ideas:

  • Help children to name their emotions, using even more complex words as they get older. “You look upset/ frustrated/ overwhelmed. Tell me about it.”

  • Help your child recognize other people’s emotions. As you read books with your child, look at the pictures and talk about what the characters must be feeling and why.

  • It’s ok to sit with one’s feelings for awhile. Reassure your child that it’s ok to be feeling sad/worried/overwhelmed. What’s important, is what do we do with those feelings.

  • Help your child work through their emotions and calm their bodies (self regulate). Some ideas: a big hug, taking deep breaths, stomp your feet, draw an angry/happy/sad picture, be by oneself for awhile, look at a book, play with playdough.

  • If there’s a conflict, help your child use words to solve the problem. “When you did ____, it made me feel ___, let’s try ____ instead.” Model conflict resolution too.

  • When we’re tired, hungry, thirsty, stressed, etc., we all get easily upset. Help your child listen to what their body needs. “I see that you are getting frustrated quickly. I’m wondering if your tummy is hungry.”

  • Do what you need to do to stay calm too, take deep breaths, have a drink of water, listen to calming music, sing a lullaby, call someone to talk about it. Share your calm with your child!

More Resources:

"Building Social Emotional Skills at Home” from the National Assoc. for the Education of Young Children

LUNCH FOOD IDEAS

Several families have asked for lunch food ideas! Here are some thoughts and pictures of some of today’s lunches.

Please pack foods from all of the food groups.  

Beverages: We will serve water and skim cow’s milk. No need to send any other beverages. Juices are often high in sugar and should be limited to one serving a day.

Everything must be NUT-FREE, because of allergies. Thanks!

Containers with little compartments for each food is helpful. They can be cheaper than lunchables.

Grain

Rice - Bread - corn bread, Pita, Naan, Tortilla, Bagel, etc.

Crackers - whole grain

Cereal

Muffin

Pancake

Pasta

Potatoes

Protein

Beans

Sunbutter - please label, we don’t want to mistake it for peanut butter

Egg - hard-boiled

Chicken - Beef - Pork - Fish

Sandwich meat - ideas: cut it into cracker size pieces or roll it up 

Dairy

Cheese - stick, cut into cracker size pieces

Yogurt

Cottage cheese

Fruit - fresh, frozen, dried or canned

Berries - Banana - Orange - Kiwi

Apple slices - Applesauce

Craisins - Figs - Raisins - Mango

Grapes -chokable, please always cut

Mandarin oranges - Peaches - Pears

Vegetables - fresh, frozen or canned

Beans - Broccoli (Trees) - Carrots - Celery - Corn - Peas - Tomatoe

Peppers - hint: call them “sweet peppers”

Ideas:

  • Leftovers that your child likes: pizza, chicken & rice, mac & cheese, they are tasty cold!

  • Send warm foods in a thermos if you’d like: soup, leftovers, etc.

  • Quesadilla: tortilla with cheese and beans, they taste good cold too!

  • Pancakes plain or with a little butter, syrup, or sunbutter

  • Wrap: roll up things in a tortilla, like sandwich meat & cheese, banana & sunbutter, let your child choose what to add!

  • It’s fun to dip! Add a bit of ranch dressing humus for veggies, or yogurt for fruit.

Please avoid sending food items that are in the squeeze type pouches(like applesauce). While convenient, they have been shown to contribute to children developing speech issues, oral aversions and digestive issues. If sent to school, we’ll cut the top off and have the children eat them with a spoon.

Please save sweet treats (candy, cookies,etc) and salty treats (chips) for at home.  We call them “sometimes treats” and not for everyday. 

Our mealtime prayer at WWP: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food and each other.”