It's World Mental Health Day 2019;
imagine if every day were mental health day,
a day in which we breathe hope, speak hope, live hope?
At my new school, we've started Wellness Wednesday,
a weekly wellbeing check-in for our fifth-grade students.
who started it to get an emotional barometer on her students.
And it quickly became viral ... and a little controversial.
At question? The worry about whether we really want our
mental health status displayed so publicly.
One could argue that it's private because the names are on the back
(and I've seen some teachers use a numbering system),
but the kids will be able to watch whose PostIt is where.
All of that is true. But isn't that the point?
It's a way to get kids to talk about their wellbeing.
It's an accountability system,
so we can lift one another up,
elevate empathy,
get intentional about kindness.
Give one another permission to not be okay.
Because it's okay to not be at the top of our game every day.
In fact, it shows that we're human.
Vulnerable.
Resilient.
Strong.
So I like it.
And I think it'll promote mental wealth.
At least I hope so.
For our younger learners, inspire mental wealth
by reading aloud titles like these and using them
as a springboard to validate feelings and help
our kids practice emotional regulation.
Kids also love emoting with puppets; during this brain break,
a second-grade friend is hosting a conversation about feelings
between Junior, the giraffe, and Lulu, the llama.
Need some self-care ideas for your family?
Check out this Facebook find;
if you know the source, please comment below
so that we can cite it and thank them!
Taking care of ourselves isn't a mental health guarantee,
but it's a really good start on our journey down
WellBEing Way.
Need a few Mental Health resources for your character building?
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