Create a Positive Back to School Mindset

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foxtale1Tackling Those Back to School Blues…

It’s back to school and there is excitement in the air! As the school counselor in an elementary school, the beginning of school was always a mixed bag of smiles and tears. I frequently spent lots of time comforting crying children who missed mom, dad, brother, sister or their second cousin once removed. It was always interesting to me that I didn’t often have crying children on the first day but for the next week or so, I usually had several. What’s going on? Why cry on the second day but not the first?

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Anger and What to To About It

angry kids

Why is it that some kids just seem angry all the time? And what is the best way to handle the emotion of anger? It is first important to understand what anger is and why as humans we may have developed it. One theory is that anger is one of the basic six emotions that…

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Anger: Let It Go or Problem Solve?

angry girls

In a previous post, I discussed anger and how it interacts with the brain.  If kids are not tuned in to anger, its cause, and their choices, then anger can come out sideways. This is what happens when kids “flip their lid” or allow the reptilian brain to take charge over the more modern brain.…

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How to calm an angry child

Angry upset boy, little man

How to calm an angry child Have you ever been faced with calming an angry child? What is the best approach? How can we teach children to manage strong emotions like anger? Brain Chemistry  Anger control is best understood by thinking about the brain chemistry involved. Adults and children often think of emotions such as…

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Helping children overcome fear

Excited little asian boy

Three things we can teach kids about fear The child in my office was in tears.  Here was her story:  She was selected to give the pledge to the flag on the morning news station at school. This is a great honor and she was excited until the morning of the show, when  she suddenly…

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