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Teaching Children Calming Strategies - YouTube

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Supporting Students with ADHD | Free Spirit Publishing Blog

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Research shows that certain classroom characteristics promote success for students with ADHD. Predictability, structure, short working periods, a small teacher-to-pupil ratio, individualized instruction, an interesting curriculum, and lots of positive reinforcement are all important to student progress. Researchers have also identified optimal teacher characteristics. They include positive academic expectations, personal warmth, patience, humor, consistency, firmness, frequent monitoring of student work, and knowledge of behavior management strategies.

Here are some specific strategies for working with students with ADHD:
Create the Appropriate Mindset for Effective Practice

Recognize ADHD as a disorder that requires empathy, understanding, and differentiation in practice.

Identify and manage your own emotions. Primary feelings like frustration can often transform into anger (and unfortunate actions can emanate from it).

Use cognitive behavioral thinking. Realize that the emotions that develop within us are dependent on how we size up a situation. If we view a student's behavior as being intentionally disruptive, we may feel negative emotions. When we view a student's actions as being a manifestation of a disorder that the student did not choose to have, we are likely to feel empathy and compassion for-along with a desire to support and assist-that student.

Don't take it personally. That "irritating" behavior is not an insult directed at you; it is a symptom of a neurological disorder. Separate the action from the student. Work to eliminate the behavior, but remain supportive of the student.

Recognize that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Does the student know the steps involved in completing the task you want accomplished? Has he practiced those steps with you under the circumstances when the action is supposed to be displayed?

Design the Learning Environment

Implement room design elements that help organize materials and manage movement and attention.

Assign the student to a seat that best allows her to observe you while avoiding distractions. For instance, seat her away from doors, windows, pencil sharpeners, or group activity tables.

Eliminate excessive noise.

Minimize visual distractions. Avoid having interesting activities or clutter within eyesight of distractible students.

Employ study carrels, seat the student in the area of the classroom that has the fewest distractions, or face a student's desk toward the wall. However, do not isolate the student for long periods of time. Allow the student to engage in group work, too.

Seat the student near appropriate role models for behavior.

Behavior Management Strategies

Develop good rapport with the student. It is human nature to strive to please those whom we like, admire, and respect. Students with ADHD are more likely to respond to emotional connections than contingent consequences.

Implement a comprehensive, class-wide behavior management system.

Rules, routines, and assignments should be posted and delineated.

Ingrain classroom expectations, rules, and routines through role play, discussion, and identifying examples of cooperation.

If a student frequently refuses to follow directions, review how often you point out what the student is doing wrong instead of identifying the desired behavior. Kids who hear too many negatives and commands will eventually refuse to cooperate. Remain positive and supportive, encourage the youngster, and focus on progress (however small).

Prompt the correct behavior and verbally reinforce it frequently.

Address inappropriate behavior in a patient, professional, and respectful manner.

Develop a silent signal. Devise nonverbal signals to indicate ideas such as, "I've seen your hand and will get there as soon as I'm able," or, "Self-check your actions and correct them."

The minds of most kids with ADHD are more focused when they are able to move. Allow the student to squeeze a squishy ball, sit (and wobble) on an inflatable donut ring, or place feet on a strip of inner tube or bungee cord that is stretched low to the floor between the front supports of a desk.

Assign two seats to an overactive student. Then, when he simply can't stay in that first seat any longer, he is allowed to stand up and walk to the other nearby seat. There, he will work until the urge to move again is overwhelming and he goes back to the first seat.

During independent work, allow the student to move around in a designated area of the classroom while writing on a clipboard. This privilege is allowed only if the student remains on task. The student is directed to return to the desk at the second warning (but can earn back the privilege by focusing for a minute or two at the desk). Make certain that the student understands that you decide when she can leave the seat again.

Provide opportunities for physical movement such as erasing the board, running errands with another student, or distributing and collecting materials. Build physical activities into the daily schedule.

Encourage parents to build physical activity into the student's out-of-school schedule.

If social rewards and reinforcement are insufficient in bringing about the desired behavior, pair social recognition with earned activities or tangible reinforcers.

Use colorful progress charts and other visual records of appropriate behavior in order to provide feedback, open discussion, and encourage more appropriate behavior. Make use of colorful charts and cards to motivate the child and recognize effort.

Move nearer to the student when he becomes restless. Offer verbal encouragement or positive touch. When misbehavior occurs (or threatens to occur), move closer and soften your voice.

Assign a capable "study buddy" who can remind and assist the active or disorganized student.

Assign duties that require self-control such as line leader or materials distributor. Prepare the student for the duty, encourage her, and reinforce her appropriate behavior during and after that task.

Teach self-management of behavior via self-monitoring.

Engage the student in social skills training.

Use language that guides and supports students and that avoids conflict to solve the problem.

To learn more about these ideas and many others, check out this page on my website.

Thomas McIntyre, Ph.D., is a professor of special education at Hunter College of the City University of New York. A popular workshop presenter and keynote speaker, he hosts the award-winning website www.BehaviorAdvisor.com.

Dr. Mac is the author of The Survival Guide for Kids with Behavior Challenges: How to Make Good Choices and Stay Out of Trouble.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Share your comments, stories, and ideas below, or contact us. All comments will be approved before posting, and are subject to our comment and privacy policies.

© 2015 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved.

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By Tom McIntyre, Ph.D., author of The Survival Guide for Kids with Behavior Challenges Research shows that certain classroom characteristics promote success for students with ADHD. Predictability, structure, short working periods, a small teacher-to-pupil ratio, individualized instruction, an interesting curriculum, and lots of positive reinforcement are all important to student progress.

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Distance Learning Strategies to Bring Back to the Classroom | Edutopia

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Before my eighth-grade history students moved into online learning this spring, I had no idea about one student's affection for Cup Noodles or another's sweet way of talking about her 5-year-old brother. Perhaps I should have known, but I didn't, and I wish I had.

Distance learning has enabled these intimate glimpses into students' lives and thought processes, and I worry that these moments won't happen as much once we eventually return to campus. However, I realize that doesn't have to be the case-and so I've been thinking a lot lately about ways to translate the best aspects of online instruction to the physical classroom.

What I Want to Bring Back to My Classroom

Providing feedback on what works in a quick email: With all of us being so far from each other and everything being turned in online, it feels natural to send a handful of kids two-line emails for each small assignment, highlighting something specific that worked. I'm judicious about doing this so that I don't spend forever grading quick-completion assignments. However, I do want students to know that I'm seeing their work and thinking about them.

I'd love to continue this practice back in the physical classroom, even if it's only for a minute during class while students are working on something else, because it can be more permanent and private than saying something aloud.

Following along online while talking with students about their projects: While discussing research that students have done for history projects, it's been easy to look at and comment on the group's shared Google Doc while they're in a Zoom breakout group with me. Back in the physical classroom, I'd like to carry my laptop around more often so that I'm not simply looking over their shoulders, but also engaging with them by making written comments in real time that they can follow up on later.

Screen sharing has been invaluable for helping students investigate whether a source is valid or find citation information. It's also helped me navigate tech questions, such as how to move a file into a Google Drive folder. Even in a regular classroom, I could take more time to walk individual groups through processes like these.

Using exit tickets as a formative assessment: I've used online exit tickets for different purposes, whether asking students to summarize their progress on a group project or to write about what made a podcast powerful. I hadn't consistently used exit tickets in the physical classroom, but now I want to. The information they provide has shaped my understanding of my students and helped me plan for the next class.

When we're back in the classroom, I'd like to think about how best to do an exit ticket according to the daily lesson. Some days it might be a Google Form so that I can compile, copy, and save information easily. Other days it might be a projected chat window where students can talk about what they found interesting about a topic. Other times, it might be an old-fashioned slip of paper so that I can keep feedback anonymous and sort ideas into categories.

Offering creative and fun summative assessments: Since we transitioned to distance learning, my students have appreciated that their teachers have assigned creative projects, both to individualize instruction and to give students a chance to socialize through virtual breakout groups. My students also like offering feedback on their classmates' projects through Google Drive and Google Forms. These compliments are much easier to pass along than the handwritten comments that students used to write in class.

Providing space for relevant side chatter: Even with a focus on content-driven responses, there's still room for appropriate humor and on-the-side interaction among students. I've been delighted by the informality of kids' chipping in an idea that they don't necessarily want to interrupt class to share but that they do want to get out there. (As I'm teaching, I monitor the chat, laugh along with the students, and then suggest that they lay off if it goes too long!) It would be ideal to keep this chat going every day in the physical classroom, maybe on a screen behind me, so that I can hear from every kid more frequently throughout class.

Introducing warm-up questions about students' lives: My favorite part of online learning has been the immediate glimpse of students' lives that they offer in the chat at the beginning of our eighth-grade U.S. history Zoom sessions each day. I post a question, students respond, and I call on a few to explain.

Lighter questions have included: What did you have for breakfast or lunch today? What is something you've enjoyed creating or doing with your hands this week?

Heavier questions have included: What is something nice you could do (or have done) for someone else while in quarantine? What have you learned about yourself or others while at home?

For the last question, I have loved hearing from some seemingly extroverted students who found that they were enjoying time alone, and vice versa. Some kids have discovered that they like cooking, and others their siblings' sense of humor. I have also heard from a few kids whose answers concerned me, and I followed up later with them or their counselor.

In a recent survey, a number of students said that they also love this daily warm-up, that it makes "the feel of this class familiar and comfortable." I plan to incorporate this quick check-in either by voice or onscreen, or both, when we're back together in real life-which I hope will be sooner rather than later.

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Distance Learning Strategies to Bring Back to the Classroom

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Before my eighth-grade history students moved into online learning this spring, I had no idea about one student's affection for Cup Noodles or another's sweet way of talking about her 5-year-old brother. Perhaps I should have known, but I didn't, and I wish I had.

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Reopening Schools Is the Easy Part - The Atlantic

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Whenever schools welcome students back, the logistical and pedagogical challenges will be enormous, and simply re-creating the pre-shutdown norm will be neither possible nor desirable. The pandemic has offered educators yet another reminder that the pre-coronavirus status quo didn't serve every student well, and this tumultuous period might even offer new insights into how to remedy that.

Amid a rushed experiment in distance education, a small fraction of children appear to be doing fine-even better than when they were in school. An elementary-school principal in the Vermont town where my family lives recently used a farm analogy to describe the impact of remote learning on his students: Just as his chickens huddle in their coop on a rainy day, while the ducks, which are made for water, rush to get muddy, so do children differ in their reactions to this unexpected storm.

Children of all ages have suffered from the coronavirus shutdown, and each age group faces distinctive social, emotional, and academic losses. However, the effects of remote learning are the worst for young children, whose brains grow rapidly from in-person relationships and active, hands-on exploration. Their boisterous physical play strengthens not only gross and fine motor skills but also interpersonal relationships, problem-solving, visual-spatial thinking, confidence building, and stamina. Babies and toddlers are still learning to read social-emotional cues and need to see and feel unobstructed faces. The known adverse effects of screen time on the developing brain are clearly more damaging to young children, whose emerging language and literacy skills depend on plentiful, meaningful conversations with teachers whose mouths are unobstructed by masks.

Even if a vaccine were to unexpectedly become available at "warp speed," as the White House has promised, it could be three or four years before the nation's 50 million schoolchildren can be vaccinated safely on a wide scale. Treating young children like radioactive specimens until then is untenable, and adults will have to come up with other accommodations (such as testing protocols or the formation of smaller cohorts) to make possible the physical mingling and comforting hugs that are crucial elements in child-care centers and early-elementary-school classrooms.
Read: What teachers need to make remote schooling work
The 7 million children receiving special education should also receive high priority for returning to in-person education, because caregivers without training or support simply cannot deliver specialized services, including those for physically disabled students. Children who are already struggling with their academic program are likely to lose more ground than other students when they cannot go to school.

As schools reopen, they will have to improvise in countless ways. Because maintaining physical distance among elementary-school students is particularly difficult, not all families will be equally comfortable in mid-August with the idea of sending their children back to school, and some families will have both the capacity and desire to care for their children at home during the day for at least part of the school week. Schools can help by offering parents of returning students some flexibility in scheduling. At a time when reducing physical density is in everyone's interest, states should consider modifying truancy laws designed in the pre-pandemic era. This would require a shift in thinking about the primacy of school as a locus of learning; even in ordinary times, so much learning happens outside the classroom. Public schools have historically struggled with hybrid school models such as part-time homeschooling, but a willingness to make adjustments for children in the younger grades would benefit everyone during a pandemic.

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For Schools, the List of Obstacles Grows and Grows

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Whenever schools welcome students back, the logistical and pedagogical challenges will be enormous, and simply re-creating the pre-shutdown norm will be neither possible nor desirable. The pandemic has offered educators yet another reminder that the pre-coronavirus status quo didn't serve every student well, and this tumultuous period might even offer new insights into how to remedy that.

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What every woman needs to know during COVID-19

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How to navigate your new normal

We asked what challenges you're facing at work and at home-and pulled together resources under topics that are top of mind. Each topic includes a discussion guide to use in your Circle or to shape group discussion with friends and coworkers. Now more than ever, we need to lean on each other for support.

More from LeanIn.Org

Attend a virtual event

Our global Circles community is meeting virtually and discussing the topics that are top of mind for women.

Find a virtual event

Join our global community

We all need a safe space for real talk, inspiration, and support. And right now, it's even more important to stay connected.

Start a Circle

Free resources from Option B

Tips on building resilience and supporting others during COVID-19, including an excerpt from the best-selling book plus digital cards.

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What every woman needs to know during COVID-19

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We asked what challenges you're facing at work and at home-and pulled together resources under topics that are top of mind. Each topic includes a discussion guide to use in your Circle or to shape group discussion with friends and coworkers. Now more than ever, we need to lean on each other for support.

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The Youth on The Site

All of the kids featured on the "We Need to Talk" website live in the metro Detroit area. We are extremely grateful for their participation and willingness to share their stories and insights. Many of the teens are also participants in Friendship Circle's UMatter program. We are greatly appreciative for the support and partnership of everyone involved in UMatter. Learn more here.

Do you have a story you'd like to share?

We're always looking to expand the conversation about youth mental health.

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All of the kids featured on the "We Need to Talk" website live in the metro Detroit area. We are extremely grateful for their participation and willingness to share their stories and insights. Many of the teens are also participants in Friendship Circle's UMatter program.

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Neuroscience: It’s Not (Necessarily) Brain Surgery with MAYIM BIALIK - Lesson 1 - YouTube

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Neuroscience: It’s Not (Necessarily) Brain Surgery with MAYIM BIALIK - Lesson 1

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from Pysch Central online

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Common Sense Media editors help you choose 17 Apps to Help Kids Stay Focused. From little kid to teen, all kids get distracted (adults, too!), so consider using some tech to keep them on track.

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35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget

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"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." -Kahlil Gibran
I have countless holiday memories. Most of them center around faith, family, and traditions.

Very few childhood memories actually include the gifts I received. I distinctly remember the year that I got a blue dirt bike, the evening my brother and I received a Nintendo, and opening socks every year from my grandparents. But other than that, my gift-receiving memories are pretty sparse. Which got me thinking... what type of gifts can we give to our children that they will never forget? What gifts will truly impact their lives and change them forever?

To that end, here is an alphabetical list.
35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget:
1. Affirmation. Sometimes one simple word of affirmation can change an entire life. So make sure your children know how much you appreciate them. And then, remind them every chance you get.

2. Art. With the advent of the Internet, everyone who wants to create... can. The world just needs more people who want to...

3. Challenge. Encourage your child to dream big dreams. In turn, they will accomplish more than they thought possible... and probably even more than you thought possible.

4. Compassion/Justice. Life isn't fair. It never will be - there are just too many variables. But when a wrong has been committed or a playing field can be leveled, I want my child to be active in helping to level it.

5. Contentment. The need for more is contagious. Embracing " less is more" is the antidote. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation for being content with what they have, who they are, and who they can become.

6. Curiosity. Teach your children to ask questions about who, what, where, how, why, and why not. "Stop asking so many questions" are words that should never leave a parents' mouth.

7. Determination. One of the greatest determining factors in one's success is the size of their will. How can you help grow your child's today?

8. Discipline. Children need to learn everything from the ground-up including appropriate behaviors, how to get along with others, how to get results, and how to achieve their dreams. Discipline should not be avoided or withheld. Instead, it should be consistent and positive.

9. Encouragement. Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that you choose to speak today can offer encouragement and positive thoughts to another child. Or your words can send them further into despair. So choose them carefully.

10. Faithfulness to your Spouse. Faithfulness in marriage includes more than just our bodies. It also includes our eyes, mind, heart, and soul. Guard your sexuality daily and devote it entirely to your spouse. Your children will absolutely take notice.

11. Finding Beauty. Help your children find beauty in everything they see... and in everyone they meet.

12. Generosity. Teach your children to be generous with your stuff so that they will become generous with theirs.

13. Honesty/Integrity. Children who learn the value and importance of honesty at a young age have a far greater opportunity to become honest adults. And honest adults who deal truthfully with others tend to feel better about themselves, enjoy their lives more, and sleep better at night.

14. Hope. Hope is knowing and believing that things will get better and improve. It creates strength, endurance, and resolve. And in the desperately difficult times of life, it calls us to press onward.

15. Hugs and Kisses. I once heard the story of a man who told his 7-year old son that he had grown too old for kisses. I tear up every time I think of it. Know that your children are never too old to receive physical affirmation of your love for them.

16. Imagination. If we've learned anything over the past 20 years, it's that life is changing faster and faster with every passing day. The world tomorrow looks nothing like the world today. And the people with imagination are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.
17. Intentionality. I believe strongly in intentional living and intentional parenting. Slow down, consider who you are, where you are going, and how to get there. And do the same for each of your children.
18. Your Lap. It's the best place in the entire world for a book, story, or conversation. And it's been right in front of you the whole time.

19. Lifelong Learning. A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers. It begins in the home. So read, ask questions, analyze, and expose. In other words, learn to love learning yourself.

20. Love. ...but the greatest of these is love.

21. Meals Together. Meals provide unparalleled opportunity for relationship, the likes of which can not be found anywhere else. So much so, that a family that does not eat together does not grow together.

22. Nature. Children who learn to appreciate the world around them take care of the world around them. As a parent, I am frequently asking my kids to keep their rooms inside the house neat, clean, and orderly. Shouldn't we also be teaching them to keep their world outside neat, clean, and orderly?

23. Opportunity. Kids need opportunities to experience new things so they can find out what they enjoy and what they are good at. And contrary to popular belief, this doesn't have to require much money.

24. Optimism. Pessimists don't change the world. Optimists do.

25. Peace. On a worldwide scale, you may think this is out of our hands. But in relation to the people around you, this is completely within your hands... and that's a darn good place to start.

26. Pride. Celebrate the little things in life. After all, it is the little accomplishments in life that become the big accomplishments.

27. Room to Make mistakes. Kids are kids. That's what makes them so much fun... and so desperately in need of your patience. Give them room to experiment, explore, and make mistakes.

28. Self-Esteem. People who learn to value themselves are more likely to have self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. As a result, they are more likely to become adults who respect their values and stick to them... even when no one else is.

29. Sense of Humor. Laugh with your children everyday... for your sake and theirs.

30. Spirituality. Faith elevates our view of the universe, our world, and our lives. We would be wise to instill into our kids that they are more than just flesh and blood taking up space. They are also made of mind, heart, soul, and will. And decisions in their life should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and blood is doing.

31. Stability. A stable home becomes the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. They need to know their place in the family, who they can trust, and who is going to be there for them. Don't keep changing those things.

32. Time. The gift of time is the one gift you can never get back or take back. So think carefully about who (or what) is getting yours.
33. Undivided Attention. Maybe this imagery will be helpful: Disconnect to Connect.
34. Uniqueness. What makes us different is what makes us special. Uniqueness should not be hidden. It should be proudly displayed for all the world to see, appreciate, and enjoy.

35. A Welcoming Home. To know that you can always come home is among the sweetest and most life-giving assurances in all the world. Is your home breathing life into your child?

Of course, none of these gifts are on sale at your local department store. But, I think that's the point.

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35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget

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"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." -Kahlil Gibran I have countless holiday memories. Most of them center around faith, family, and traditions. Very few childhood memories actually include the gifts I received.

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Self Care for ADHD Brains in a Quarantine

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Self care is important for ADHD brains, we know. But in normal times, it is also easy to ignore or delay. During the quarantine, with stress and anxiety pushing in from all sides, ADDitude readers are finding new resolve and new ways to practice self care through connections, therapy, gardening, exercise, and more. Learn about their strategies for maintaining psychological health here.

Senior Woman Potting Plant In Garden At Home

Jobs have been lost. Graduations cancelled. Parents left to balance remote work and distance schooling. There isn't one right way to handle these pandemic-related challenges, but many ADDitude readers are harnessing the power of self care to get through this time.

Recently, we asked, "How are you nurturing your and your family's mental and emotional wellness during this time? What have you been doing for self-care?" Our readers' tips range from daily exercise to driving around the neighborhood for "date night." Here are 11 self care strategies that are working for other ADHD families right now.

1. Connecting with Loved Ones

"My husband and I drive by our parent's and children's homes and do 'porch drops' of items they need. We can at least chat from the car and see the grandchildren. It helps keep our spirits up."

" We talk about events and news. We also made a COVID-19 time capsule - trying to give our children the ability to share their concerns is healthy."

"My husband and I have been going on drives around the neighborhood for 'dates' a couple times a week to connect without the kids."
[Use This Free Guide to ADHD Coping Mechanisms]
"We try to do one family activity most nights of the week to help build positive memories and experiences together. We switch off who gets to decide what we are doing so everyone gets a choice."

"I live alone, but I have tried to videotape myself reading to my grandchildren and sending it to them."

2. Pursuing Therapy for Coping Skills

"I have increased my telehealth appointments to once a week (from twice a month), and I have been practicing Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)."

"I have started going back to therapy (virtually) for the first time in years! I have the flexibility to schedule appointments since my time is less structured, and I realized I had no reason not to start finding better coping skills."
[Use This Free Resource To Make Mindfulness Work for You]
3. Spending Time Outside in Nature

"I've started a container garden outside my apartment. It's soothing to water all of the baby plants, and absorb some sunshine while I'm at it."

"We've bought a fire pit for our backyard and do nearly daily fires and star gazing when weather permits."

"We are 'staying at home' out of doors: doing yard work, planting gardens, and expanding our growing landscape. We are feeding birds, planting pollinator seeds, chasing squirrels, and watching deer and smaller critters."

"I am focusing on growing my vegetables and it's so rewarding. Nature keeps moving on and it's not held back by the virus."

4. Experimenting with Cooking and Trying New Recipes

"I've been cooking in bulk because I find it a struggle to cook most days unless I'm full of energy or hyper-focused. Freezing meal portions and taking them out as needed has been great for my partner and me."

"We've been eating fresh, home-cooked meals three times a day."

"We purchased an Instant Pot and an Air Fryer, which has led to doing lots of experimenting with recipes with my daughter."

5. Exercise for Structure and Endorphins

"We exercise every day, beginning the day with 20 minutes of yoga/pilates/HIIT. Then we do meditation and three gratitude breaths, followed by one good intention breath."

"We have been finding it absolutely vital to exercise every day. We take the dog out together in the morning and then either run or do circuits later in the day."

"Family exercise activities have greatly helped (we love catching the live streaming's of Dance Church, which is a great cardio workout disguised as a dance party)."

"My son who has ADHD plays basketball in the house with his older brother using a mini basketball and two clothes hampers at either end of our hallway. He also counts the activity toward his gym requirements."

6. Sewing Masks for Family and Healthcare Workers

"I dusted off my sewing machine and started making fabric masks for myself and some co-workers (and my family) using fun fabrics like Avengers and Star Wars."

"Sewing masks and scrub caps for people has been very rewarding."

7. Using Apps For Mindfulness

"I have been more active in mindfulness and emotional well-being apps like Happify. I spend more time doing the modules and really paying attention to how I am answering and progressing through them."

"We try to listen to mindfulness apps like Insight Timer."

"I'm using my Calm app for meditation and to help me sleep."

8. Actively Practice Mindfulness

"Look for the positive and shun the negative. Promote wellness and find ways to deflect unhealthy thinking and redirect conversations and activities into positive motivational teaching moments."

"I've been taking time to think more deeply about the things that bring me joy and am beginning to develop a plan for what I want my life to look like moving forward, including changes I can make in the immediate."

"I started a bullet journal to help me keep track of my daily goals but also to draw and doodle and let my mind wander."

9. Practice Setting Boundaries

"I'm setting boundaries for myself: instead of compromising, I have prioritized doing what I know is best for me."

"I've been practicing say no - this has been a big problem in the past, but I'm learning it is not selfish to take care of yourself."

"I'm giving myself the freedom to not "be perfect". It's okay that I'm having a hard time, and I can acknowledge and accept that."

"I am trying to go easy on myself and let the kids have chill time when they ask for it, otherwise it just back fires."

"We are taking days off and being careful to consume media that is beautiful and uplifting, not just news or video games."

"I'm taking time to just be without pressure to perform. If stuff doesn't get done today, it's ok. It will get done later and I don't need to berate myself for not meeting my perfectionist expectations."

10. Cleaning and Getting Organized

"I've been going through my apartment and cleaning out or organizing different spaces that I see everyday and tell myself - it will only take a couple of minutes to do. After I am finished, I feel a sense of accomplishment from making home a place that I want to be at."

"Keeping a calm and collected house (keeping it tidy and clean) has helped with my family's sense of normalcy."

"Even though I can't remove anything from the house at the moment, I've begun going through the Kon Mari method to winnow down my possessions in preparation for my Dad moving in with us."

11. Sleep More and When You Please

"Go to sleep early and don't set an alarm clock. Get up when your body tells you to."

"I am getting plenty of rest by going to bed when I please and getting up when I please."
[Read This Next: Pandemic Stress Has Upended Life. Maybe an ADHD Coach Can Help.]
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF ADDITUDE'S FREE PANDEMIC COVERAGE
To support our team as it pursues helpful and timely content throughout this pandemic, please join us as a subscriber. Your readership and support help make this possible. Thank you.

Updated on May 18, 2020

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Self Care for ADHD Brains in a Quarantine

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Self care is important for ADHD brains, we know. But in normal times, it is also easy to ignore or delay. During the quarantine, with stress and anxiety pushing in from all sides, ADDitude readers are finding new resolve and new ways to practice self care through connections, therapy, gardening, exercise, and more.

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How Phones Can Facilitate Distance Learning | Edutopia

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How Phones Can Facilitate Distance Learning

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Many students lack either high-speed internet or computers, but teachers can use phones for both academic and community-building purposes.

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All our kids have lost something | TODAY.com

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Today should have been her prom.

But instead, she is in the car with her father, taking her first trip outside these walls since March. A ride to the store is a treat that brought a tear to her eyes tonight.

We offered to do the whole prom at home thing that is sweeping the interwebs, but she is just too sad.

For her, a substitute doesn't bring comfort. Her dad's offer of sushi brought a smile to her face so off she went, wearing her mask and holding her dad's hand.

Today we once again we were called to give our tall girl a hug of sympathy. Once again we say, "I'm so sorry. I just hate this for you." Once again there is nothing we can do or promise to make up for what she has lost.

We hug her just as we hugged our oldest when she found out she couldn't go back to college.

And again when they broke down after seeing their friends on her computer screen.

And again every time we talk about how the year might look different next year.

And we hug them when a wave of missing their friends hits them particularly hard.

Or when they just want to be able to ask their teacher or professor for help in person when online learning becomes way too frustrating.

Or when they wonder when they will be able to go back to their jobs so they can save for cars they are desperate to need again or trips they want to take with their choir group or tuition bills that need to be paid.

We look at a prom dress covered in plastic in the closet and backpacks that haven't left the house in weeks and the car keys that are always, always hanging up where they belong and these things can bring tears at any given moment.

I am so grateful for the extra time with these beautiful, amazing, and fun tall kids. We get more time with these blessings.

But in our gains, we can't deny what they have lost.

Over and over and over they seem to lose.

They pick themselves up. They do their online schooling. They Snapchat with friends. They watch movies as a family and help clean the kitchen.

They keep on going.

They are sad and they are strong.

So we need to give them the gift of acknowledging their losses. We need to be so careful not to play the "Well at least...." game. There is no comparing what they are losing.

Our kids have all lost something...our bigs and our littles.

Missing graduation from kindergarten or high school or missing your fourth grade trip to the capital or your junior prom or missing your sport or your school play or even just missing the safety of going to school each day, these losses cannot be tallied and quantified and compared.

A hurting heart is a hurting heart. Each is entitled to grieve their losses without a drop of guilt. Full stop.

And at the same time, our parent hearts hurt for them whether they lost a year of kindergarten or their senior year of high school. We are entitled to grieve this too. No guilt.

When our kids hurt so do we.

And so we hug them. We tell them we love them and that we hate this for them.

And we hold their hand and take them for grocery store sushi because it is all we can do.

All we can do is let them be sad. We can't make up for their losses. But we can love them through it all.

This post comes from the TODAY Parenting Team community, where all members are welcome to post and discuss parenting solutions. Learn more and join us! Because we're all in this together.

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Today should have been her prom. But instead, she is in the car with her father, taking her first trip outside these walls since March. A ride to the store is a treat that brought a tear to her eyes tonight.

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A School Psychologist on How to Help Your Kids Cope With the Coronavirus Pandemic | SELF

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Let's face it: Raising kids is one of the toughest jobs out there-and child-rearing in the time of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has made it exponentially more challenging. From juggling the demands of working (or not working) from home to school closures that are now extending through to the end of the school year in many places to no more in-person playdates, society's new normal has been not only unsettling but downright unsustainable for many parents. Throw in worrying about your child's psychological well-being, and your stress levels are no doubt through the roof.

Research from the University of Michigan conducted in the early stages of the pandemic reveals that conflict between parents and kids is on the rise, with more and more incidences of yelling as well as the use of harsh language. What's more, according to the study, 15% of parents acknowledged that they have upped their use of discipline during this time.

If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone in your experience. Even some experts in this space aren't having the easiest time navigating parenthood in the pandemic. "Although I am a school psychologist-I practiced in elementary, middle, and high schools before making the transition to academia-I am not an early-childhood educator or homeschool educator," nationally certified school psychologist Erin A. Harper, Ph.D., NCSP, an assistant professor of school psychology at Texas A&M University-Commerce, author of the comedic book Dear Mom, You Don't Get to Have Nice Things, and mother to a four-year-old son, tells SELF. "These educators have special skill sets, so I'm setting reasonable expectations for myself and doing the best I can."

I spoke with Harper via email about how parents can try to support their children's emotional and mental health right now, why parents need to extend themselves grace as they navigate this new landscape, and how to best thrive during this time. Don't worry-according to Harper, we are all learning as we go.
SELF: This pandemic has put us all in a precarious position, and we have all been affected in some way. When it comes to kids, what might they be feeling at this time?
E.H.: Children and youth may be experiencing a number of feelings. The reactions of the adults and others with whom they interact will impact what they pick up on and feel. It's natural (and okay) for adults to be anxious and worried in these uncertain and stressful times. Understanding that the children and youth in our lives, regardless of age, will pick up on our feelings, we will want to try our best to put coping mechanisms- connecting with friends and family members who are supportive, engaging in physical activity/exercise, getting adequate sleep, mindfulness activities such as meditation and journaling, et cetera-in place to manage our emotions so that when we interact with our children, we can model a sense of calm, listen carefully to what they have to say, and provide thoughtful responses.

For me, creating, especially comedy, brings me joy and helps me to cope with stress-and hopefully brings joy to others. When I'm not doing work stuff, I'm in a sketch-comedy troupe called FCC Presents in Dallas, and I write comedic books for parents to help them cope with parenthood in a fun and funny way. I'm not able to do comedy at the Dallas Comedy House theater where I usually perform, because of closures, so making home learning videos with my son has been a creative outlet for me.
What is the best way to talk to kids of various ages about what's going on?

Preschoolers will have a limited understanding of what's going on, but they may recognize changes in their daily routine and express concern. For example, since school has been closed, my four-year-old has been asking if he can go to school to see his friends. I explain to him that we can't go to school or other places right now because many people outside aren't feeling well, so it's safer for us to stay home while people get well enough for us to go out again. He doesn't fully grasp this explanation yet, but I tell him anyway. I also let him know that we can talk to friends and family via video chat. I then turn his attention to a new subject because distraction works well with children this age.

When it comes to elementary school children, your best bet is to keep the language simple, balancing facts about the pandemic with reassurances that adults are doing what they can to help keep them safe.

Middle schoolers are likely to be more vocal in their quest to understand what is happening. Your goal: Ensure they understand the difference between the reality of what is going on and those things that are simply not true. Since junior high and high school students are typically able to understand and discuss more details about these types of issues, tell them the truth, provide up-to-date facts, and direct them to credible resources. Doing so offers them a sense of control over one aspect in their life during this time.
What is the best way to support kids emotionally right now? Do they need structure or more flexibility than usual? How do you weigh creating structure against everything else you have going on?
Children and their caregivers definitely need lots of flexibility right now, but structure is helpful for promoting a sense of calm. A daily schedule is one example. If you create a schedule and following it feels stressful, then the schedule probably needs to be reevaluated and adjusted.

When I found out schools would be closed, I made a schedule for my four-year-old (and myself) right away. I try to keep roughly the same lunchtime and nap time that he has at day care. This is what I do during holiday breaks as well. I usually work or take quiet time for myself during his nap time. At school, Friday is pizza day, so I do the same at home. I've also allowed him to choose whether he wants to sleep on the nap mat that he takes to day care versus his bed during nap time. Doing little things like this helps to create a sense of normalcy.

Since creating the schedule several weeks ago, I've made several adjustments to make the day flow better for us and as fun as possible. Some of these adjustments have been based on his interests/responses to the activities. I've also been making an effort to make weekends feel different than the weekdays, but we do try to keep the same sleep and eating schedules.
What if a parent just can't juggle it all: work, homeschooling, sanity?
If parents can't juggle it all, it's okay! We must be gentle with ourselves and give ourselves grace. Trying to homeschool one or more children is a huge undertaking for parents, and many of us are not trained educators. If children are stressed and worried, their learning may be impacted negatively anyway, so we need to focus on helping them feel safe and loved. Encourage children to practice self-care and listen to their feedback about what they want their days to be like. Work together to plan their days.

If you feel like everything in your household has gone off the rails, is there anything you can do?
The first thing parents can do is not feel bad. We are navigating a pandemic! If everything has gone "off the rails," try to get back on when you can and however you can, even if it takes a while. For example, if you find yourself giving your child the iPad more often so that you can attend Zoom meetings for work or tend to other responsibilities or you just need a break for self-care, one option is to make sure the iPad content is high-quality educational content.
What are signs parents should look out for that kids may be scared or are having a hard time processing?
Generally, children in different age ranges will experience different reactions. Regardless of age, parents will want to look for behaviors that are outside of the norm for their child.

When feeling stressed, preschoolers may display regressive behaviors such as being overly clingy and having more toileting accidents or tantrums than usual. Changes in eating and sleeping habits are also common signs of stress in children this age.

Those in elementary school may present changes in mood such as increased irritability, sadness, worry, and difficulty controlling emotions. Like younger children, they may be clingier than usual and experience eating and sleeping changes. Their concentration levels may also take a hit.

While stressed adolescents may also experience poor concentration, changes in mood, and disruptions in sleeping and eating patterns, other signs to be on the lookout for include acting out and physical health complaints. Again, these are just some of the signs that children may begin to exhibit.
What are some resources for overwhelmed parents right now? Especially if they have children with special needs who usually get a lot of help and fulfillment from school?
I would look into virtual support groups such as Facebook groups for parents dealing with similar issues. These may be especially helpful for coping and finding resources in your area. And, if possible, stay connected to your children's schools. Parents can also take advantage of companies and online platforms currently offering free learning opportunities- PBS LearningMedia is one.

This time of physical/social distancing may be especially tough for children with disabilities and their parents, especially children and parents who rely on services that can't be provided or are difficult to provide through online platforms. Special educators and other care providers such as psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and behavior analysts, to name a few, have highly specialized skill sets that parents rely on to help meet their children's needs. Many of the schools and community-based organizations that employ these professionals are still trying to figure out how to provide these services during a pandemic. Schools and community-based organizations serving children with disabilities should be keeping in contact with the families they serve, realizing that the parents who rely on these services are likely overwhelmed and need help.

If parents are able to, they should contact school and community-based service providers to see what (and how) services are available. Those conversations may provide guidance on how to access the therapies, supplies, et cetera that children rely on. For children with medical or other therapeutic needs, contacting these providers may also provide insight on whether to stay at home or go to a facility where these services are provided.
How do you think this experience could affect children long-term?
This is a complex question. One reason it's hard to answer is because we do not know when social/physical distancing will be over. We do not know for how long or how many times we will be required to social/physical distance over the next few months or year(s).

While parents certainly should not minimize the importance of their children missing milestones such as prom or graduation, you may find comfort in knowing that the disruption of these milestones is unlikely to cause serious long-term negative effects in most children and adolescents.

What we do know is some children, especially those belonging to vulnerable populations, have already had experiences related to COVID-19 that may affect them long-term, such as the death of a parent or other loved one. In the United States, the odds of having a family member die of COVID-19 are higher if you are a child in an African American or Latinx household, since African American and Latinx individuals are dying from the disease at disproportionately higher rates than others. It is important to note that these racial health disparities are due to America's legacy of structural racism, which has restricted African American and Latinx communities' equitable access to a range of support systems that would decrease the odds of experiencing negative outcomes during a pandemic.

Putting support in place to help children and youth thrive in the face of adversity and build resilience will be especially important as we navigate our new "normal." Children and youth will need adults-at home, at school, and in the community-to provide protective experiences for them, such as mentoring and culturally responsive youth development groups that will help them to build upon their existing strengths and healthy coping skills. Efforts to provide this kind of support in under-resourced communities where the long-term effects of COVID-19 will disproportionately impact children and families may be more important than ever before.
Related:

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A School Psychologist on How to Help Your Kids Cope Right Now

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Let's face it: Raising kids is one of the toughest jobs out there-and child-rearing in the time of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has made it exponentially more challenging.

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How to Help Students Manage Anxiety - SEL Skills by SOAR Learning

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The key to helping students manage anxiety is to understand what's happening in their brain.

"Emotions are the on/off switch to learning," says Priscilla Vail, author of Smart Kids with School Problems. You and I both know this is true.

We know from our own experience that it's pretty hard to learn geometry theorems when we are heartbroken over a break-up. A history lesson about something from 200 years ago doesn't mean much when we're worried about an argument with a friend... or, worse.

Our students are carrying all kinds of worries throughout the day.Perhaps there is a specific situation weighing them down. Maybe they're carrying a lifetime of "struggle" in school. Or, perhaps they're imagining something to be worse that it is.

Anxiety is a function of self-preservation. It helps us monitor for threats to our safety. Think back to caveman days; anxiety was a very helpful function when a tiger was lurking. But, in our modern society, it often gets in the way more than it helps.
Meanwhile, we are really good at trying to talk people out of anxiety:

"Don't worry."

"There's nothing to be upset over."

"Just settle down."

How many times do these lines actually work? Zero. Zip. Nada.

Yet, we keep saying them. We do this because we don't know what else to do. But, the real key to helping students manage anxiety is to understand what's happening in their brain.

How the Brain Works

Try this simple activity right now: use your index finger to trace your spinal column. Start at the base of your neck. Follow it up to the base of your head. This is the path all information travels as it enters your brain. From there, it travels through three regions of the brain...

Region 1: The Emotional Center of the Brain

The Emotional Center is the first section of the brain to receive information. This region triggers and processes emotions. The Emotional Center of the brain is very primitive. It has only three modes:

"Red alert! Danger!" Mode - Whether a tiger is stalking you, or a friend said something mean on your way to class... both situations are a threat. The tiger is a threat to your physical safety. The friend's comment is a threat to your emotional safety. But, the Emotional Center doesn't care. A threat is a threat. And all threats trigger "Red alert! Danger!" mode.

When triggered into "Red alert! Danger!" mode, the brain goes... on alert! It pulls chemicals from the rest of the brain to prepare for the danger lurking ahead. That means the rest of your brain has limited functionality in "Red alert! Danger!" mode.

"Green Zone" Mode - When you are experiencing joy and engagement, the Emotional Center switches into Green Zone. In the Green Zone, the brain actually manufactures brain chemicals, flooding the rest of the brain with valuable power for thinking, creating, and reasoning.

"Neutral" Mode - This is our default mode. It is somewhat relaxed, yet always alert as it scans for threats. Neutral Mode does not restrict the flow of brain chemicals like "Red alert!" mode does. Yet, it does not create new brain chemicals, as the "Green Zone" does. As the name suggests, it is... neutral.

Region 2: Organizing/Self-Management Center of the Brain

The Organizing/Self-Management Center of the Brain helps us make decisions. If the brain is in the Green Zone or Neutral Mode, information will travel past the Emotional Center, into Region 2. This section helps us manage our time. It helps us organize our assignments in school. It helps us change our behavior when we are in the classroom versus out with our friends. It also helps us calm down and manage our feelings when we are upset.

Region 3: The Learning Center of the Brain

This is the region of the brain that processes information, stores it for long-term recall, and solves problems. This region is the center for our highest level of thinking and processing.

The Brain Biology of Anxiety

Anxiety is the brain's response to worry. It triggers "Red alert! Danger!" mode in the Emotional Center of the brain. It creates a vicious cycle, pulling more and more chemicals from the rest of the brain.

The more anxiety escalates, the more the other regions of the brain shut down. This is why "talking" someone out of anxiety doesn't work. The regions of the brain that process rational problem-solving and self-management are held hostage by the anxiety storm raging lower in the brain.
So, how can you help students manage anxiety if "talking them out of it" doesn't work?
3 Steps to Manage Anxiety

1. Change their physiology.

When an anxiety loop is firing in the brain, it's sucking brain chemicals from the rest of the brain. The parts of the brain that manage logic, language, and self-management shut down. So, the only way to stop an anxiety loop is to interrupt the cycle of brain chemicals. Fortunately, there is an easy way to do that.

Move! Physical movement is like a nuclear power plant for the brain. The more aerobic the movement, the more chemicals the brain produces. When a student is stuck in an anxiety cycle, send them on a walk or have them do 20 jumping jacks. Maybe both. The more severe the anxiety, the more movement needed to give the brain time to settle down.

There are two additional ways to modify brain chemicals., but they take more time and patience. Often, a person dealing with anxiety doesn't have much patience. Yet, they can still be useful in certain situations:

Deep breathing. Slowing down the heart-rate does slow the anxiety cycle.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): EFT releases negative emotions simply by tapping specific meridian points on the body. ("How to" videos are widely available online.) One simple EFT technique is to have students massage the "webbed" space between their index finger and thumb for 30 seconds. Then, alternate hands.

2. Name what's happening.

Once the anxiety has settled, help the student identify what is upsetting and why it's upsetting. (It's often helpful to start this conversation while walking with the student, to keep the anxiety from triggering again.) Have them name the specific feelings that were triggered, using a feeling wheel.There are several reasons why naming the feelings and identifying the problem work:

The process pulls the situation out of the Emotional Center of the brain and into the higher-processing centers of the brain.

Naming the problem and feelings makes them more manageable.

Naming the feelings actually gives the student control over them and makes them less scary.

Students are better able to discover solutions when they've taken time to clearly identify the problem.

As their teacher, you can better guide them to solutions when you better understand what has them concerned.

3. Build students' skills for managing the situation.

Help your students build skills for managing the anxiety by teaching them the information in this article. Help them understand what's happening when anxiety is triggered. Help them understand what will work and what will not work.
Teach this information before its needed so it can be "heard" when it is needed.
Secondly, help your students build their skills for managing the situations that triggered the anxiety in the first place. Often, anxiety is triggered in school over learning or organizing challenges. When students are empowered with strategies for navigating those challenges, the situations stop triggering anxiety.

Conclusion

Anxiety severely limits -and often blocks- all logical and rational problem-solving regions of the brain. So, don't expect to talk someone out of anxiety or rationalize with them. When students don't respond to verbal coaching, they aren't being difficult or defiant. The biology of their brain simply makes it impossible for them to think with reason.

To help a student break out of an anxiety spell, get them moving! Aerobic activity is the fastest, most effective way to break the virtuous cycle of anxiety.

Next, get them talking about the problem. Have them describe what the problem is, why it is bothering them, and how they feel about it using a feeling wheel. To get our SOAR ® Feelings Wheel, sign up for our "How Do I Feel?" Curriculum Kit in the blue box on the right of this page.

This process does many things, it: draws the problem up to higher regions of the brain, minimizes the sense of "threat," gives students a great sense of empowerment over the situation, and helps them better identify potential solutions.

Finally, build their skills. Build their skills for managing the anxiety and skills for managing the situation that triggered the anxiety. To learn more about skills for overcoming stress and anxiety, check out the SOAR Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum.

To your students' success,

Susan Kruger, M.Ed.

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How to Help Students Manage Anxiety - SEL Skills by SOAR Learning

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The key to helping students manage anxiety is to understand what's happening in their brain. "Emotions are the on/off switch to learning," says Priscilla Vail, author of Smart Kids with School Problems. You and I both know this is true.

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Socialthinking - Free Video Lessons to Use at Home 

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Professionals and parents around the world are using our expansive collection of curricula, books, games, and posters to teach social competencies to ages 4 and up.

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Free Video: Teaching Social Thinking at Home

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In these free videos our experts share some ideas for using Social Thinking at home. For over 20 years Social Thinking has been a guiding resource for schools, clinics, and families around the world, and we're here for you, too!

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How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone - Thriving School Psychologist CollectiveThriving School Psychologist Collective

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I had a good run.

I spent the first month of shelter-in-place successfully balancing home and work priorities, carving out time to create videos and resources for parents and my Thriving School Psychologist community while homeschooling my young daughters.

I followed my own mantra that "connection is protection" and did my best to stay connected-to my family, to my students and families I serve, and my Thriving School Psychologist Members. My focus was on how to support my own kids and help school psychs in my course and community figure out ways to support all the kids they serve.

For a long time, I was secretly enjoying shelter in place!

I saw it as a gift of family time with my husband and young daughters. Plus I got to connect and collaborate with my members of The Thriving School Psychologist Collective, which really lights me up. I was full of creative energy. I started writing a new book. I even did yoga every day.

You guys, I was juggling homeschool and my new work life at home like a BOSS.
And then everyone in my household hit a wall on the same day.
The novelty of getting to use screens for distance learning in our screen-free house wore off. Little things were setting off my kids. My youngest, who is usually Li'l Miss Sunshine, suddenly hated word blending. My eldest, who is usually super persistent, was frustrated with her math and shut down.

Both my husband and I were both unsuccessfully jockeying for time to do our work remotely AND support our daughters' distance learning.

Then I attended a Zoom memorial service and the grief floodgates opened up.

The grief of the loss of a friend, the loss of my mother a year ago, and then all the grief from all the cancellations-my daughter's 6th birthday, my only nephew's graduations, my trips to DC and St. Louis to present for school psychologists, my daughters' first sleep away Girl Scout camp, and all my assessments with my students-finally caught up with me.

Oh, and then to top it off, later that day, I hit a car in the parking lot at the grocery store. Gahhhhhhhh.

And I spent the entire rest of the day in bed, feeling defeated.

Anyone else been there???

And then I asked myself, as I often do, "What would I tell a best friend to do if she were feeling how I was feeling?"

I would have told her to get some fresh air and take it easy on herself.

I would remind her that main job right now is to stay connected, and provide safety, belonging, and acceptance for her kids, which is secondary to teaching them about isosceles triangles and sound blending.

The next day, I went on a walk with my family in the hills behind my house and it was just what I needed.

Seeing my girls and dogs frolicking in the hills, Sound of Music style, was uplifting. Being in nature and seeing all butterflies and birds I'd never noticed before turned it all around.

At one point, my youngest said, "Mama, look at the grass, it's dancing like waves, let's stop and look at it!" And we did. For kind of a long time. And I thought about what I needed to do to reduce my stress and feel that mindfulness and gratitude that comes so naturally to a 6 year old.

I came home and wrote about it.

I wrote out three biggest pieces of advice for parents that I needed to remember for myself.

And I shared it with the amazing folks at the Greater Good Science Center. The result is this piece I wrote, for myself, for every parent who is struggling, for all the kids, families, teachers, and school psychologists grieving right now and trying to hold it all together.

I hope it provides you and the families you serve some comfort and some practical tools for making the most of this challenging time. Read the article here or click on the image below.

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How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone

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I had a good run. I spent the first month of shelter-in-place successfully balancing home and work priorities, carving out time to create videos and resources for parents and my Thriving School Psychologist community while homeschooling my young daughters.

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different parts of the day
ADDitude online

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Child Mind Institute

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This is a Youtube video from Child Mind Intstute  They have a short daily video with a tip of the day, related to helping out during the Corona Virus:
https://youtu.be/cub0jrx2doc

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Example 1

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Example 2