The Safe Place: A Self-Regulation Station

Think of the last time you were really upset.  I mean so upset that you just didn't want to talk to or even look at anyone.  Now, think of how you would feel if someone that you love very much either told you to "calm down", "stop it", or dismissed your feelings all together.  Maybe you don't need someone else to give you those messages because you're pretty good at it yourself.  When you are upset what messages do you give yourself?  Do you tell yourself your over reacting, being silly, or that no one really cares how you feel anyway?  Do you allow yourself to actually feel the anger, sadness, or fear?  It is important for you as a parent, teacher, or caregiver to be aware of how you handle your own emotional upset. 

 

 

Look at that cute little baby!  Bet you can't guess who that is!  That's right!  None other than yours truly as a red-headed, spunky, determined, "strong willed" two year old!  Boy oh boy there sure are some good stories about this tantrum throwing two year old!  Over the past several years I have come to realize that when the world didn't go my way I was still handling it like that two year old.  Here I was in my thirties throwing adult-sized tantrums.  Does that sound familiar? 

 

As I integrate the Seven Powers of Conscious Adults into my life, I am noticing that I perceive my upset differently and have new tools to help me handle it.  These tools are the ones I desire to hand down to my two precious children as well as the children in my care at school.  One thing that always sticks out to me in Conscious Discipline is the statement, "You can't teach something you don't posses."  The skill of Composure is so essential to how we function in life.  For our very young children it is the essential ingredient to self-regulation and impulse control.  A good friend describes it like a "pause button".  In Conscious Discipline we like to use the skills of Active Calming and Pivoting to help us create that "pause" so that we are more likely to respond  to life events from the higher centers of our brains than react out of the lower centers.





One of the structures we use in Conscious Discipline is the Safe Place.  The purpose of the Safe Place is to give a child (or adult) a space where they can calm down and regulate their feelings safely.  This structure helps us teach children the necessary tools so that they can have the "pause" button that I'm referring to.  They have the opportunity to calm down, name their feelings and then work toward a solution either on their own or with the help of an attuned adult. 

Space for Calming Down

 

The Safe Place looks very different for Infants and Toddlers as well as children with special needs.  With the youngest children the Safe Place is created on the chest or in the lap of a composed adult.  The adult must possess the skills to calm themselves down so that their state can regulate the state of the baby.  As the adult breaths and begins to calm it will allow them access to higher centers of their brain so they can give the best of who they are to helping the child regulate.  We break the process down into much simpler developmentally appropriate steps according to the age or needs of the child.

 Feeling Buddies Curriculum

 

The Feeling Buddies Curriculum by Dr. Becky Bailey helps teach children and adults the skills necessary for self-regulation.  Once you have introduced necessary skills for children to begin using the Feeling Buddies and understand the Five Steps to Self-Regulation you will really begin to see a difference in not only how the children handle their upset, but the adults as well!

Check out our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.  This little boy is one that has had quite a journey toward learning self-regulation.  He was very resistant to any type of calming technique that we used with him, but with lots of patience, teamwork, and creativity, we have moved forward to a place of celebration because he now has skills he can use to help him manage his emotions.  We gave him the honor of cutting the ribbon and giving the children a tour of the Safe Place not only because he has become such a pro, but also because it was a great opportunity to increase his skills.  Teaching and learning go hand in hand. 

Stay tuned for more details about our Safe Place like what tools we use, breathing techniques, class books, and more great video clips!

Preschool Activities that Foster Caring

It just doesn't get any cuter than seeing a group of three year olds pass around this little heart-shaped box while filling it with kisses for their friends that are missing from preschool that day.

Each day during our Brain Smart Start we count all the children and discover who is missing.  We pass this little heart-shaped box around the circle and each child has a turn to fill it with kisses for our missing friends.  We tell them to hurry up and put the lid back on so the kisses don't fall out! 

 

When our friends return to school our Wish Well Helper takes the lid off the box and shakes all the kisses out on our special friend's head!  The room is filled with smiles, hugs, and lots of giggles as we experience the warmth of a connected School Family.

 

The Wish Well Ritual is part of the Conscious Discipline program.  When I discovered Conscious Discipline over five years ago this was one of the first rituals I added to our daily routine.  It made a huge impact on my attitude toward the children as I began to really focus on my relationship with them.  The class as a whole began to really notice when others were hurting or missing from class.  We all began to care so much more deeply for one another.  I found that parents began telling stories of their children showing concern for their classmates that carried over into their prayer time at home.  Now, instead of running home to tell their parents who got in trouble at school that day, children were demonstrating how much they care for their preschool friends.

 

The After-Christmas Tree

                                                   

Last week we really enjoyed our study of what animals do in the winter. What better time to study it than when we have 6 inches of snow on the ground!?!

One of our favorite activities was making this pine tree decorated with birdseed just like in our story. The children practiced cutting skills by fringing the sides and bottom of a green triangle. 

 Then they glued it to a piece of white paper.

We placed the paper in a cookie sheet and let them drizzle liquid glue all over their tree ( this was their favorite part).

Next they sprinkled birdseed all over the tree and viola...The After Christmas Tree!

More than JUST a Bag of Books

Each day in our preschool classroom we have some time for independent reading right after snack. There are times when this can be a very chaotic. About a year ago I came up with a plan to help organize this time better for the children and they LOVE it (and so do I)! At first, we called them "book bags" and the children headed for the coat closet thinking it was time to go home. Now we call them our "bag of books"!

At the Dollar Store I found these little canvas bags in several colors.  I think they were intended to be diaper bags so they have lots of nice little pockets on the outside too!  I printed out a name tag that included a picture of the child and laminated it.  I also printed out little visual cue cards to remind them what choices they may have while using the bags. The cue card reminds them that they may read quietly, look at a book with a book buddy (beanie baby), or draw and write in their journal.  The nametag and visual cue card are tied on to the straps of the bag.  You can see the visual cue card as well as the nametag in the picture below.

Each bag of books has a seasonal/thematic book, an alphabet book, and a book with some sort of math concept.  The books in the bag are chosen based on the reading level and interests of each child.  They also have a small stuffed beanie baby animal to read with.  There is a pencil and a journal of blank copy paper to write in.  One little boy refers to it as his "field journal" and he enjoys writing and drawing pictures of animals.  They also enjoy sharing quietly with one or two children sitting near them while they read and write. 

Each child has a quiet spot somewhere around the classroom where they read by themselves. Teachers rotate around and read with individuals too! While they read we play classical music. This is one of our favorite times of day now! It is so peaceful and just beautiful! 

Growing Together: A Blogger Mentoring Program

Over the past year, I have really enjoyed sharing ideas from my classroom and home on this blog.  It has been an amazing learning experience!  The "Blog World" has so much to offer.  I really want to know more about how to create a blog that is as beneficial as possible to the public while being easy to navigate and enjoyable too!  When I arrived on Facebook today, I saw this opportunity from "One Artsy Mamma" to participate in a blogger mentoring program.  It will last for about 3 months and is an online course with all kinds of support.  I'm really looking forward to all it has to offer and can't wait!

If you're interested, take a peek! 

                                                          http://www.oneartsymama.com/