Day 16 - Boys Town - Daily Dose of Digital Support

Working, learning and sheltering at home is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, so it’s not a bad idea to take a moment and assess how well your family routines and relationships are holding up. Are the kiddos maintaining and using their at-home learning spaces? Are they staying on task, reading their school materials and completing assignments? Are you using negative consequences to correct misbehaviors? Are you catching them when they do good and rewarding them with praise and positive attention? Are you modeling the behaviors – patience, respect, empathy and cooperation – you expect to see from everyone else?   One way you can help your family stay on track and make sure everyone respects each other’s personal space and is considerate of each other’s feelings is to develop and strengthen their social skills. Knowing how to ask for help, disagree appropriately and control emotions can make home confinement a more comfortable and – dare we say it – even enjoyable experience. Best of all, reinforcing these skills isn’t as overwhelming or difficult as you may think. We’ve compiled 10 skills, complete with their behavioral steps, for you to download or print out so you can easily discuss and practice them with your kids. Everything you need is available here:

Social Skills and Social Media...It’s also good to remember that being respectful, considerate and kind is just as important when chatting, gaming and posting content online. Finding the right balance of screen time and family time can be difficult, but a family media policy can help. Learn what it is and how you can personalize it to reflect your family’s needs and values here in our Family Media Policy.

Today’s mental health message: Unplug from the news, take a break from work and practice one or more of these coping skills. They’ll help you get back to your happy place!   [Even though April 1 was two weeks ago, why not enjoy the fun of the day again!] It’s April Fool’s Day, pull a prank or make a joke Build a pillow fort Play with modeling clay or Play-Doh Color Ride a bicycle Play card games Play a video/computer game Text or call an old friend Dance Move everything in your room to a new spot