Mills Park Elementary PTA - Wake County, NC - Health & Wellness

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Positive Affirmations - scroll down

SEL resources for parents

What is S.E.L.?

"SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions." From CASEL's website

Did you know...?

SEL is for the whole family - students and parents - and can be developed at school and at home.
SEL is backed by research. Benefits of SEL include improved academic performance and general well-being, positive behavior, enhanced social skills and decreased levels of distress.
There are 5 core social and emotional competencies - read more about them below.

S.E.L. Core Competencies

Self-Awareness

Read about Self-Awareness here.
The Big Feelings List may help your family to discuss different types of emotions.
How to use language that promotes self discipline and responsibility when talking to your children
A chore chart by age

Self-Management

Read about Self-Management here.

Social Awareness

Read about Social Awareness here.

Relationship Skills

Read about Self-Management here.
Parent coaching strategies to raise confident kids
A "Fighting Fairly Family Pledge" to improve family interactions

Responsible Decision-Making

Read about Responsible Decision-Making here.
Some parent FAQs

Want more?

How to develop SEL skills at home

How reading at home together can develop SEL skills

Here is a book list for parents who want to know more about raising confident children

Let's not forget the amazing resources our school counselors have to offer. Read about the Second Step program at our Wake County school.

Check out the Action For Happiness website that includes a calendar with tasks that build social and emotional health.

mindfulness resources for parents

We all do it. We fold clothes reminding the kids to do their homework while a show streams on the TV and we wait for the pasta to boil. In the crazy daily rush to check off all the things on our list, we can easily lose ourselves and lose touch of what's happening in the moment. We challenge you to slow your pace this week and practice some mindfulness. What is this mindfulness thing? Why should you try it? How can you start practicing it? Read on below.

What is Mindfulness?

Simply put, mindfulness is an awareness of the present moment - awareness of our feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.

Mindfulness has been practiced for thousands of years by different religions, many of which originated in the east, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. It became popular in the west with the development of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which treats depression, and with the foundation of the Insight Meditation Society. (positivepsychology.com/history-of-mindfulness)

What are the benefits of mindfulness?

From www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids:

Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion.
Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being.
Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior.

Let's get started!

1. Download these printable breathing cards to learn some easy breathing exercises. Your kid can't sit still? No problem, start with 10 breaths and build up from there.

2. Take a walk. Breathe in the air, pay attention to sights, sounds and smells.

3. Use all your senses for mindful eating. Pay attention to the look, the texture, the smell and taste of your food. Take longer to chew before swallowing.

4. Institute a mindful bedtime routine with a body scan or a gratitude exercise.

5. Try a meditation - find one on Youtube, mindful.org or use the free Insight Timer app (or any of the apps below).