Now, more than ever, social and emotional health for both children and adults is at the forefront. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (CASEL).

The last several months have been emotionally and physically taxing on children, parents, and school staff alike. In order to move forward and navigate the next normal, family and school communities must work together to address challenges, support social-emotional health and build resilient environments.

Foster nurturing adult relationships by prioritizing your own self-care and well-being. For children to be healthy and happy learners, they must feel safe and supported through a relationship with a trusted adult. Whether it be a parent, teacher, coach, or another family member – these relationships can serve as a home base to help children navigate the ups and downs of life. How do we become nurturing adults while also balancing work, family, finances, and other aspects of daily life? By taking time to nourish ourselves. We all know the saying – you can’t pour from an empty cup. Adults can develop social-emotional skills by prioritizing self-care, building healthy relationships, and discovering ways to better manage stress and different emotions.

• Create a routine. Build in 15 minutes to the start or end of your day for a mindfulness practice, movement or an activity that brings you joy. Go for a walk, stretch or read a book and use this time to reflect on how you feel both physically and emotionally. Using this time to rejuvenate and reset helps us to show up more consistently for our friends, family and peers – especially if spending more time at home or while navigating a new schedule.
• Prioritize your physical health and set small goals. Focus on setting small, achievable goals and build momentum to feeling your best!
• Show yourself grace when navigating the ebb and flow of life. Our compassion for others can often leave us feeling fatigued, so discover ways to develop compassion resilience by creating space to process feelings and emotions, better manage stress and navigate challenges as they come up.
• Create space to connect with other adults. Just like children, adults sometimes need an outlet to express emotions or talk through feelings. Lean on other trusted adults and know when to reach out and ask for guidance or support.

Resources for Families

• Self-Care and Adult SEL
  • Advancing Adult Compassion Resilience: A Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers (Compassion Resilience)
  • A Guide to Self-Care for Parents: Why Making Time for Yourself Matters (Waterford.org)
  • Give Parents a (Summer) Break: Self-Care Activities for Any Time of Year (Action for Healthy Kids)
• Building and Maintaining Relationships
  • Coping with Social Anxiety and Helping Kids Stay Connected (Child Mind)
  • Emotion Coaching: One of the Most Important Parenting Practices in the History of the Universe (Greater Good Science Center UC Berkeley)

Resources for Educators and School Staff

• Self-Care and Adult SEL
  • A Comprehensive Guide to Adult SEL (Panorama Education)
  • Advancing Adult Compassion Resilience: A Toolkit for School Staff (Compassion Resilience)
  • Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care Assessment and Planning Tool (Center on Great Teachers and Learners)
• Building and Maintaining Relationships
  • Staying Connected with Colleagues (Greater Good Science Center UC Berkeley)
  • Building Positive Teacher-Student Relationships (Greater Good Science Center UC Berkeley)
  • Toolbox: Maintaining Relationships of Trust in a Time of Social Distancing (Parent Teacher Home Visits)
  • 8 Strategies for Building Belonging and Connectedness With Students and Families Virtually (Panorama Education)

Find resources for developing safe and supportive learning environments and promoting social-emotional learning at the links below.

• Resources for Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments
• Resources for Promoting Social-Emotional Learning

Stay informed, active and healthy with more resources and activities by visiting Back to School: Safe & Healthy in an Uncharted Landscape.

Updated 10/2/2020