Helping Children Manage Stress
Overview
Strategies to manage stress is an important skill for children to learn as they grow up and face new challenges. Teaching emotion identification and regulation can better prepare them to manage their feelings and behaviors effectively. Review this collection to learn how play can help children practice managing difficult emotions.
Courses
Growing Foundational Skills in Early Childhood
This course is focused on supporting resilience and wellbeing in young children, specifically children with histories of trauma. This online training is designed to provide an introduction to understanding how early childhood trauma may impact young children's relationships, behaviors, emotions, and thinking processes. In each module, participants will join four early childhood professionals as they learn and apply trauma informed skills to build strong relationships with young children and promote their readiness to learn. Participants will be able to apply these same trauma informed skills ...
Printable Tools
Be PREPARED
It can be difficult to know what to say, how much to say, or when to say anything about challenging topics with a child. Utilize this printable tool for support in having open communication with youth about difficult topics.
Butterfly Breath
The Butterfly Breath printable provides a guide and rhythm to help children regulate their breathing. Use this handout with children as a teaching and practice tool in order to help them reduce their stress, shift their mood, and prepare them to engage in classroom activities, sports, and social interactions.
Child Reactions to Stress
Children and adults have different reactions to stress. Use this informative printable when working with children to learn about what stress reactions look like from birth to 6 years old.
Effective Communication at Home and Work
Teaching effective communication skills helps convey difficult messages, decrease communication-related misunderstandings, and improve relationships. Use this printable to teach effective communication strategies.
Videos
Demonstration: Dealing With a Tantrum
Tantrums are a common occurrence when working with children. This video provides examples on how to manage tantrums. Watch the video with caregivers and engage them in conversation about how to manage these challenging behaviors.
Demonstration: Music and Movement With Scarves
Explore a creative and engaging way to teach emotional regulation to children in order to promote their wellbeing. Watch this video for a demonstration of an emotional regulation technique that provides instruction and practice of deep breathing skills for children using music and movement with scarves.
Demonstration: Responding to Problem Behaviors
Problem behaviors may present a challenge when working with children. Watch this video with caregivers to see a demonstration of how to manage problem behaviors in children both inside and outside of the home.
Demonstration: Straw Art
Straw Art is a creative way to teach children deep breathing skills to enhance their wellbeing. Watch this video to see a demonstration of how to guide children to regulate their emotions.
Learning Pathways
Somatic Series: Widening Our Window of Tolerance
This pathway provides an overview of the Window of Tolerance and accessible, body-based mindfulness practices to support yourself or those in your communities. Learn how the Window of Tolerance concept applies to wellbeing and practical body-based strategies to support wellbeing, nervous system regulation, and a wider Window of Tolerance. This pathway includes explanations, examples, and opportunities for practice. Get ready for a different type of experience: after the first step of the pathway, the milestones will guide you through real-life practices. How to get ready to complete ...
Prevention in Practice
Anxiety Management During Uncertainty
During times of crisis, disaster, change, and uncertainty, we can expect our children to feel more than the usual amount of anxiety. Anxiety thrives on uncertainty and uses the unknown to fuel its thoughts and behaviors. For kids with anxiety disorders, fears and unknowns may become overwhelming. Parents, educators, and other caring adults can help guide children into successful anxiety management strategies.
How I Handled Intense Tantrums in My Kindergarten Classroom
One of my students, Max, has been having trouble during transitions and new activities. When something is not going his way, he shuts down and I can see him tense up.
How to Still Have Fun During Social Distancing
Got cabin fever? Time to spice up your social distancing.
Websites
Guardian Lane
As communities grieve, Guardian Lane can be one source of support. The website provides Los Angeles families, schools, and organizations tools to promote therapeutic grief virtually. Created by certified and licensed children’s grief counselors, the resources are free of charge for child(ren) and families to use and referrals to additional therapy resources. The resources are recommended for children aged 5-15; child(ren) can watch, create, and share creative grief projects to support feelings of not being alone in what they are feeling and experiencing.
How Can I Help My Child Cope With Back-to-School Anxiety?
While starting a new school year can make kids nervous; the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to virtual learning make it especially challenging. When kids feel anxious about going back, it’s essential to talk with them and support them.
Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Toolkit
This website helps professionals from all disciplines address the needs of their immigrant youth patients/clients with regards to healthcare, legal services, education, social services, and more. This website consolidates community resources in the greater LA area for immigrant youth and families.
