Hack: Kids Mental Health Meets Reading
When reading fiction with your child there's one reading comprehension question you should always be asking. How is the character feeling right now?
"You've got me feeling emotions deeper than I've ever dreamed of"
Emotions by Mariah Carey
When reading fiction with your child there's one reading comprehension question you should always be asking.
How is the character feeling right now?
Why?
- Vocabulary Builder: Humans can experience over 34,000 different emotions (no wonder therapy is so popular!) which means there are endless new words they can learn.
- Comprehension check: In fiction, if you don't understand how the main character is feeling, then you probably don't fully understand the plot.
- An opening for discussion: Books are a safe space to discuss emotions, have important conversations, and mirror real life. If your child doesn't open up much, reading together could be another way in.
Use a Feelings Wheel
Based on Plutchik’s Emotion Wheel, you can find kid friendly versions online. You can download this one for children aged 4-6 here and this one for children 7-10 here.
What's New?
🎥 Roblox or Real Blocks?: This Saturday at 10am I'll release my interview with TheGamerEducator. We talked about what to do if your child is obsessed with video games and why you can stop apologizing when you put your kids on their iPad. You don't want to miss this one!
🎤 Divorced and Determined AF: Today I'm meeting with Jamie Milam, host of Divorced and Determined AF, to be interviewed on her podcast. We will be chatting about strategies to ensure children continue to thrive in school through separation and divorce. I can't wait to share it with you!
Things I Love (contains affiliate links)
🎯 Bullseye: After several months of waiting, I was accepted to the Target Creator program! It would mean a lot of you could start your target shopping list using one of my links. Check out my favorite $7.99 mascara, eco friendly laundry detergent that actually works, and the perfect St Patrick's day shirt for a mom or her tween.
🎓 Class of 2024: If you're looking to spread some joy today, consider being a silent angel to seniors at James Monroe High School. The counselors at this school are raising money so that all students, even those facing homelessness, can participate in senior activities like prom. My friend teaches here, and it's just down the road from where I went to college.