by Pennie Sempell, JD CMT
How many times have you wished the kids or your spouse would just relax, but they don't seem to know how? Bike riding, swimming, cooking up the family meal --- we readily recognize that practice and mistakes lead to skill-building that make these, and so many other, behaviors more or less successful. As parents, how many hours did you spend helping the kids navigate a bike without the training wheels, or figure out things they could do to help in the kitchen? Quite a few, I wager.
Slipping between the cracks is a wide range of coping behaviors and ways of dealing with stress that we often just accept as “That’s the way she is”, or “That’s how I am”. Yes, children are corrected for inappropriate behavior “That’s not okay”, but do we recognize how these also involve skills that can be learned?
Teaching children practical ways to cope with stress, anxiety, and separation is beginning to get attention in education and health circles. In my work with children, I have found that even preschoolers can readily learn simple breathing and mindful awareness exercises that they can use when emotions flare.
At Melbourne University’s Graduate School of Education in Australia, researchers investigating children’s ability to cope “that a substantial proportion of young children do not deal with separation anxiety, and teacher and peer issues, in a productive manner.”
In the United States, life skills education that includes coping skills is making its way into the schools, and with good early results. In the studies I have reviewed, school age kids (grades 3 – 12) receive a short series of instruction over a period of time. Improved attention, test-scores and reduced behavioral problems are just some of the benefits reported.
Parents may feel at a loss for how to teach stress-management and resilience skills to their child, and may lack personal skills or resources.
Parents may feel at a loss for how to teach stress-management and resilience skills to their child, and may lack personal skills or resources. Here's a visually beautiful guided relaxation video I created and posted on YouTube: “How to Relax in 5 Minutes: Reduce Tension, Increase Energy” Its’s on Pennie Sempell’s Channel. I suggest you use it most days for a few weeks and see what changes you observe in your ability to relax at will.
I welcome your feedback. Please share "How to Relax in 5 Minutes" with everyone you know! We all could use some relaxation skills, right?
Author of 'Healthier Happier Life Skills' series for home and classroom and the multi-award winning 'Best of Broadway and Beyond: Health Series', Pennie Sempell helps children and parents with tools for reducing stress, calming down, improving communication, developing good character, and much more. The new HealthRaiser is an easy fundraiser for parent/teacher and nonprofit groups. Check it out today. www.HealthierHappierLife.com
How many times have you wished the kids or your spouse would just relax, but they don't seem to know how? Bike riding, swimming, cooking up the family meal --- we readily recognize that practice and mistakes lead to skill-building that make these, and so many other, behaviors more or less successful. As parents, how many hours did you spend helping the kids navigate a bike without the training wheels, or figure out things they could do to help in the kitchen? Quite a few, I wager.
Slipping between the cracks is a wide range of coping behaviors and ways of dealing with stress that we often just accept as “That’s the way she is”, or “That’s how I am”. Yes, children are corrected for inappropriate behavior “That’s not okay”, but do we recognize how these also involve skills that can be learned?
Teaching children practical ways to cope with stress, anxiety, and separation is beginning to get attention in education and health circles. In my work with children, I have found that even preschoolers can readily learn simple breathing and mindful awareness exercises that they can use when emotions flare.
At Melbourne University’s Graduate School of Education in Australia, researchers investigating children’s ability to cope “that a substantial proportion of young children do not deal with separation anxiety, and teacher and peer issues, in a productive manner.”
In the United States, life skills education that includes coping skills is making its way into the schools, and with good early results. In the studies I have reviewed, school age kids (grades 3 – 12) receive a short series of instruction over a period of time. Improved attention, test-scores and reduced behavioral problems are just some of the benefits reported.
Parents may feel at a loss for how to teach stress-management and resilience skills to their child, and may lack personal skills or resources.
Parents may feel at a loss for how to teach stress-management and resilience skills to their child, and may lack personal skills or resources. Here's a visually beautiful guided relaxation video I created and posted on YouTube: “How to Relax in 5 Minutes: Reduce Tension, Increase Energy” Its’s on Pennie Sempell’s Channel. I suggest you use it most days for a few weeks and see what changes you observe in your ability to relax at will.
I welcome your feedback. Please share "How to Relax in 5 Minutes" with everyone you know! We all could use some relaxation skills, right?
Author of 'Healthier Happier Life Skills' series for home and classroom and the multi-award winning 'Best of Broadway and Beyond: Health Series', Pennie Sempell helps children and parents with tools for reducing stress, calming down, improving communication, developing good character, and much more. The new HealthRaiser is an easy fundraiser for parent/teacher and nonprofit groups. Check it out today. www.HealthierHappierLife.com
