NEWS
Back to School Tips for Kids and Teens
Back to School Tips for Kids and Teens
The school bell is ringing again, and we’re all set to help you kick off an amazing new year! Whether your kiddo is rocking their first backpack or your teen is walking the high school halls, we’ve got some helpful tips to make this year one to remember. Share these with your kids and teens!
5 Tips for Kids:
Be a Curious Cat: Ever wonder why the sky is blue or how rainbows happen? Keep asking those cool questions—learning is all about discovering new things and staying curious.
Stay Ninja Organized: Want to be a school superhero? Keep your stuff in order like a ninja! It’ll make your day smoother and keep you on top of your game. Use folders and a planner to help keep track of all your papers and projects.
Spread Kindness Like Confetti: A high-five, a smile, or a kind word can make someone’s day awesome. Be the reason your classmates have the best day ever! You never know the impact you’re making, and it could make a huge difference.
Take Fun Breaks: Need a little energy boost? Take a quick dance break, jump jacks, or stretch it out. It’ll help you stay focused and ready to learn. By moving your body, you make more space in your brain to focus on the tasks at hand.
Believe You’re Awesome (Because You Are!): You’ve got superpowers—whether it’s in art, math, or being a great friend. Your presence is important and you matter. You got this!
5 Tips for Teens:
Set Some Cool Goals: Whether it’s acing that math test, joining a new club, or making new friends, set goals that get you pumped. They’ll give you something exciting to work toward.
Mental Health = Superpower: Stress happens, so getting grounded is key. Everyone’s self-care looks different - maybe it’s jamming out to music, hitting the gym, or practicing breathing exercises. The important part is to make time for YOU.
Get Involved: Dive into what you love! Clubs, sports, volunteering—whatever gets you excited. It’s a great way to meet people and find your thing.
Balance School & Fun Like a Pro: Schoolwork is important, but so is having a life outside of school. Find that sweet spot where you can crush your studies and still enjoy life’s fun moments.
It’s Okay to Ask for Help: Whether you’re feeling stuck or just need someone to talk to, reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. You don’t have to have it all figured out—sometimes the best way to move forward is by leaning on others.
Let’s make this school year an epic one together! Share these tips with your kids and teens, and watch them grow into their best selves. Danny’s Place is here to support you and your kids/teens with our after-school programs, check them out and let us know if you have any questions!
6 tools for self-care
Prioritize yourself!
Self care is not about being selfish. It's about loving ourselves.
We all need to take care of ourselves, but sometimes it can be hard to know how.
Self-care is an important part of life that many people neglect until they are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out by life's stresses.
This blog post will teach you six ways to practice self-care and improve your mental health!
1. Meditating
By practicing meditation, you can gain many benefits including reduced stress and anxiety.
Meditation is a great way to clear your mind of all the little things that bother us throughout our days. It's even been shown to lower blood pressure!
If you don't know how to start with meditation, check out this amazing app called Balance. It's a good way to get introduced to meditation, tackling what you need the most at the moment like sleeping, calming your anxiety or simply feeling grateful. It's free for the whole first year!
2. Getting Enough Sleep
Did you know that most people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night?
Sleeping is a great way to relax and recharge, but many people neglect their sleep.
Try going into your bedroom at the same time every night and shutting off electronics before bedtime. Creating a ritual or routine will give your brain the cue for getting ready for bedtime.
If you're still struggling with insomnia or another sleeping disorder talk to your doctor about treatment options.
Self-care comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone's needs are different, so make sure you find what works best for you! Remember: self care isn't selfish; it can be a gift from yourself to yourself.
3. Practice a Ritual
The best way to practice self care is by creating rituals for yourself. Rituals are repetitive tasks that you do every day, like taking your vitamins or meditating before bed.
Start by creating one ritual so you know what kind of self-care works best for you! Some people love the idea of having morning tea with their favorite mug, while others prefer an evening ritual like helping with dinner. You'll never know unless you give it a shot and see how it makes you feel.
Making time in your schedule each week will help make sure that these practices become habits and eventually add value to your well being on a daily basis. Make sure they fit into who YOU truly are — be authentic!
Doing things based on how they make YOU feel is the best way to practice self-care! Sometimes it can be hard, but always remember what life would look like if we didn't try new things and meet our goals: not very satisfying, right?
Life was meant for us all to experience — so take up a hobby you've been interested in since childhood , experiment with cooking recipes you find online , and get out of your comfort zone every once in a while! You'll thank yourself later when these rituals and practices turn into lifelong habits.
By practicing these three things—meditation, getting enough sleep , and finding out what type of self-care works best for you —you can have a happier life!
4. Connect With Others
Oftentimes when we are having a hard time we keep to ourselves. However, it can be very helpful to connect with a peer, a family member, or a professional if you are feeling overwhelmed and isolated. Connection is part of being human. We are social creatures and often times when we feel lonely it can be helpful to reach out to others!
5. Spending time in Nature
Everyone deserves love, comfort, and resilience when going through tough times —practicing self-care can bring us closer towards being our best selves. One very helpful form of self-care is being in nature. Humans are biological beings, and we are inherently connected to the natural world (something called biophilia).
Everyone deserves love, comfort, and resilience when going through tough times —practicing self-care can bring us closer towards being our best selves. One very helpful form of self-care is being in nature. Humans are biological beings, and we are inherently connected to the natural world (something called biophilia).
These days we are often pulled away from nature with all of the demands of daily life. But if you can find a few moments on a regular basis to get outside, you may notice the benefits very quickly. It’s easier said than done when it’s freezing cold or hot and humid, but as often as you’re able to, find small ways to breathe in fresh air outside.
6. Movement for Mood
Regular exercise has so many mental health benefits- it releases endorphins which improve mood, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improves sleep quality, makes it easier to cope with daily life challenges/stressors etc.
The list goes on! Getting regular physical activity will make you feel more balanced in every aspect of your life. You don't have to be an athlete or do extreme workouts either - any kind of movement counts as exercise (walking, cleaning, stretching).
Regular exercise has so many mental health benefits- it releases endorphins which improve mood, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, improves sleep quality, makes it easier to cope with daily life challenges/stressors etc.
In order to exercise, we need to fuel our bodies. If you feel like your relationship with food is complicated, try to understand it with mindfulness. We recommend a book called How To Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh. By using mindfulness, you peel back the layers of unhelpful and unhealthy rules about eating and come back to the roots of simple nourishment.
Learning how to take care of yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out by life's stresses can give you a sense of control and prevent the negative effects that come with high levels of stress. Spending just a few minutes each day doing something you enjoy - whether it's reading your favorite book, listening to some music, or watching Netflix - will help reduce stress levels and increase happiness over time! Taking breaks to focus on your SELF is important, even if that means simply sitting still for one minute. Everyone’s self care will look different, so find what works for you and start with a small practice.
We hope this blog post was helpful with finding new ways to practice self-care—we wish you all the best on your journey towards wellness.
Meet the Blogger!
Hi, my name is Cristina and I'm a Digital Marketing Consultant. I moved to Acton in 2012. Ever since, it has been my home. I love blogging, books, dark chocolate and Disney movies (my favorite is Mulan!). My husband and I have two kids who keep us busy and happy. You can always count on me to help you with almost anything - I'm always happy to lend a hand!
Time Capsule Project
A downloadable time capsule for kids and teens to reflect during the coronavirus pandemic.
Started in May 2020 - We are still in the midst of a global pandemic, a time in history we will all remember. While we hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, we wanted to offer a space for youth and teens to reflect upon their experiences.
Below are two free downloadable PDF Time Capsule Workbooks. Feel free to print out and fill in the pages in your own time. Complete it individually or as a family. If you don’t have a printer - no problem! Just use the PDF as a guide and create your own with whatever paper or notebook you have handy. Stay well!
Self Care Action Plan
A worksheet to break down different self care strategies.
A big part of self care is knowing when a specific strategy is appropriate based on how you’re feeling. What does THAT mean? Here’s an example: You’re really stressed out: you have 2 tests and a research paper due. You decide you need some self care because you are feeling stressed, so you decide to watch a TV show. Before you know it, you’re feeling more relaxed… and 5 hours have gone by. Now you still have 2 tests and a research paper, and you’re more stressed than you were before! Yes, watching a TV show might be a form of self care in some instances, but in this instance, it seems more avoidant. Sometimes self care isn’t “fun.” Sometimes, self care is not taking the easy way. In order to keep yourself accountable, try coming up with your own Self Care Action Plan.
Before creating your own action plan, check out this video:
Now, fill out this worksheet to create your own action plan:
Like we said before, it is helpful to know which strategies are appropriate depending on the situation and how you’re feeling. When do you need to connect with friends, and when do you need to take some time and space for yourself?
Try this worksheet to break down different self care strategies based on different feelings:
Download these worksheets as PDFs here:
Self Care Wheel
A tool to evaluate the ways you care for yourself.
Sometimes self care can seem like a really big, vague thing that you know you “should” do, but you don’t really know exactly what TO do. Lots of articles are beginning to come out about self care, providing suggestions for how you can practice self care. But the important thing to remember is that self care is very individual depending on each person’s unique needs.
One way to process and discover what self care looks like for you is by creating your own Self Care Wheel. The self care wheel is a tool to evaluate ways you care for yourself in different categories. Below is an example of what one might look like once it’s filled out. Again, remember that what is filled out in this example may not be what you need for self care.
Ready to try it out? Make your own by printing and filling in the Self Care Wheel below.