DW's Corner

Tips and Tricks from DW, your friendly School Social Worker and Mother of 2.

Parents of Primary Students:

Want a confident child? Send the verbal and nonverbal message “You’ve Got This!”

Give choices when you can (but choices where you are happy with either option).
Mean what you say and say what you mean. Kids need boundaries and it’s easier for them (and you) when you stick to them. It’s ok to say “I don’t know” then circle back with an answer or direction when time allows.

Practice taking deep breaths with your kids. Google “balloon breathing” or “5 finger breathing” to learn more.

Talk about how rules at home and school look different. At home, we may be able to run inside, or jump on furniture, wrestle/rough house, leave a mess on the table, or yell at our sibling. At school, we walk inside, keep our hands and feet to ourselves, clean up our messes and practice using kind words.
Help your kids be independent. Teaching them independence helps them feel more confident and capable all around. Practice doing snaps, zippers, and buttons together, have them put their coats, shoes, boots, snowpants on. Show kids how to unpack/pack their backpacks, have them help you make their lunches. After reading the library book, have them put it in their backpack.

Screen time. While it’s an easy, quick thing to use, the research on what extended screen time does to children’s brain development is alarming. Please limit it. Are they playing outside, or doing creative play inside, for the same amount of time they are watching a tv or phone? Not all shows and video games are created equal. The pace and intensity matter. Here is the recommended amount of screen time according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

0-2 years | No screen time

2-5 years | Up to 1 hour per day of high-quality educational programming

6-8 years | Up to 2 hours per day of high-quality content

9-12 years | Up to 2 hours per day of a mix of screen time and other activities, such as physical activity and social interaction

Schreiber Center For Pediatric Development:
Finally, sleep is critical. According to According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Elementary school students (ages 6-12) should get 9-12 hours of sleep per night. This recommendation is based on research that shows that adequate sleep is essential for children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Sleep deprivation in elementary students can lead to: Difficulty concentrating and learning, Irritability and mood swings, Increased risk of accidents, Weakened immune system, and Obesity.”

Some good books, podcasts, and websites include:
Parenting with Love and Logic
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
Good Inside
“Good Inside with Dr. Becky” - podcast
“Raising Good Humans” - podcast
ProjectStand.org is a great website to help parents with technology recommendations for kids
CommonSenseMedia.org is a website that reviews movies, video games, books, and tv shows that your children may be interested in.
VanessaBehan.org is a great local resource that offers free parenting classes, stay and play sessions, and childcare on an as needed basis.

My final note: Dan Siegel, a leading researcher in child development and co-author of The Whole-Brain Child, has found that parents only need to get it right 30% of the time for their children to thrive. That means you can mess up—quite a lot—and your child will still be just fine. Mar 1, 2025
You can do it, I’m here to help.

Tips and Tricks from DW, your friendly School Social Worker and Mother of 2.

Parents of Intermediate Students:

Give choices when you can. (But make sure both choices are acceptable to you.)
Mean what you say and say what you mean. Kids need boundaries and it’s easier for them (and you) 
when you stick to them. It’s ok to say “I don’t know” then circle back with an answer or direction 
when time allows.

Practice taking deep breaths with your kids. Google “Square Breathing” or “5 Finger Breathing” to 
learn more.

Talk about how rules at home and school look different. At home, we may be able to run inside, or 
jump on furniture, wrestle/rough house, leave a mess on the table, or yell at our sibling. At 
school, we walk inside, keep our hands and feet to ourselves, clean up our messes and practice 
using kind words.

Keep up the good work teaching your kids how to be independent. Instead of telling them what to do 
next, ask what they think they should do, then problem solve from there.

Screen time becomes more common as kids get older. According to Psychology Today Feb, 2014, 
“Studies on screen time and the brain have shown gray matter atrophy, reduced cortical thickness, 
and other effects.” The current research is staggering. That being said, it’s really important to 
familiarize yourselves with parental controls and guidelines for technology use.
ProjectStand.org is a great website that has current information and strategies to help parents 
navigate this area. Best practice is to keep all screens in the common living area of the home. 
This means kids don’t take their devices to bed with them, and tv’s/video games are not in kids’ 
bedrooms. “We found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioral problems, and 
kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope” research published by the American 
Psychological Association June, 2025.

Here is the recommended amount of screen time according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC):
0-2 years | No screen time
2-5 years | Up to 1 hour per day of high-quality educational programming 6-8 years | Up to 2 hours 
per day of high-quality content
9-12 years | Up to 2 hours per day of a mix of screen time and other activities, such as
physical activity and social interaction

Schreiber Center For Pediatric Development
Creating good sleep habits continues to be important. According to According to the American 
Academy of Pediatrics, “Elementary school students (ages 6-12) should get
9-12 hours of sleep per night. This recommendation is based on research that shows that adequate 
sleep is essential for children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Sleep deprivation in elementary students can lead to: Difficulty concentrating and learning, 
Irritability and mood swings, Increased risk of accidents, Weakened immune system, and Obesity.”
Let your kids make mistakes, and let them experience the consequences of their choices (when it is 
safe to do so). Better they experience this now, while they are living under your roof and have 
your support, than when they are on their own.
Teach your kids that different doesn’t mean “better or worse than,” it simply means different. Help 
them understand that people have different points of view, or perspectives, and when we pause and 
listen to one another, we are creating a space where our own points of view are more likely to be 
heard.
Life is full of events we can’t control. Some of those events are quite difficult. Our power is in 
the pause, the space to take a few deep breaths before we respond. While we can’t control the 
event, we can take advantage of the pause and, with practice, choose how to respond.
Some great books, podcasts, and websites include: Parenting with Love and Logic
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk

Good Inside
“Good Inside with Dr. Becky” - podcast “Raising Good Humans” - podcast
ProjectStand.org is a great website to help parents with technology recommendations for kids
CommonSenseMedia.org is a website that reviews movies, video games, books, and tv shows that your 
children may be interested in.
VanessaBehan.org is a great local resource that offers free parenting classes, stay and play 
sessions, and childcare on an as needed basis.

My final note: Dan Siegel, a leading researcher in child development and co-author of The 
Whole-Brain Child, has found that parents only need to get it right 30% of the time for their 
children to thrive. That means you can mess up—quite a lot—and your child will still be just fine. 
Mar 1, 2025
You can do it, I’m here to help.