Stafford Student Support Newsletter
Family Fun and Togetherness!
Family and Play
Activities for the Family
Colored Candy Go Around
· Materials a pack of candy with assorted colors (skittles, jelly beans, M&M’s, fruit loops, etc.)
10-15 pieces will be given to each family member. Have each person sort their candy by color, remember not to eat them. Each family member will pick a color and say out loud how many they have of that color (example: 3 red). Then the person will give so many responses to the questions based on the color .
Green: Words to describe yourself
Purple: Ways you have fun
Orange: Things you would like to improve about yourself
Red: Things you worry about
Yellow: Good things about your family.
(Example: Timmy has 3 red candies, so Timmy would state the following: I am worried about spiders, sleeping in the dark, and monsters.)
After the one person answers the question have them pick someone else in the family. That person will pick one of their colors and answer the question. Candies can be eaten after the question is answered.
Be sure each person has the floor to speak and there is no interruption or side conversations.
Play a Board Game
This is good because it helps your kiddos with turn taking and understanding rules, plus it’s just fun.
Examples of games: UNO, Sorry, Trouble, Clue, etc.
Gross Motor Games and Activities:
These types of games help families have more energy and create bonding.
Examples: Hula Hoop, Ring Toss, Bean Bag Toss, Hot Potato, Simon Says
This is a great game to play as a family since it promotes building and working together, and if it falls you can talk about how it made the kids feel. This is a good time to show your kids how to handle disappointment or frustration (taking a deep breath, telling yourself “it’s okay, we can play again.”, etc.)
Parental Stress and Self-Care
Parenting can be very stressful and during this time, there is even more expectations added than normal. It’s important that as parents you take a break. Taking care of yourself will help with the following: stress, responding less re-actively to others, resolve conflict more effectively, develop a stronger bond with family members, and developing compassion and empathy for self and child.
REMEMBER, THERE IS NOTHING BAD ABOUT TAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF.
Often times, parents feel guilty for taking a little self-care time. This is mostly due to perceived judgments of others, or their inner critic that tells them….(If I were a better parent..., I should be able to handle this..., etc.)
Examples of Self-Care
· Reading a book
· Taking a walk
· Watching your favorite show alone
At Your Service
Anthony Romero, LMSW- Social Worker
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, need additional information, or are in need of assistance.