As we continue with the Speak Up, We Care campaign to better promote, communicate and link students and families with the Irvine Unified School District’s mental health and wellness services and resources, the second quarterly theme we are introducing is Be Kind. This theme builds on our first theme of Link Up and encourages students to build meaningful connections.
What can you do to help your child Be Kind?
* Encourage your child to engage in and demonstrate kindness through kind words and actions. You and your child can choose to participate in adding to Orange County’s One Billion Acts of Kindness Campaign.
* Encourage your child to show himself/herself kindness.
o Do something they love (reading, drawing, playing)
o Focus on the good
o Go outside
o Love who they are right now – every day is a fresh start!
o Keep being brave
* Encourage your child to show empathy. Before having this conversation, parents or adults can watch this video showing the difference between sympathy and empathy: Brene Brown on Empathy vs. Sympathy
* Encourage your child to embrace the differences and diversity of others by accepting them as human beings without judgment.
As a reminder, a website has been created that supports the Speak Up, We Care campaign. Please click on this link for additional resources: www.iusd.org/WeCare. Also on this website, you will find the 2-minute video encouraging IUSD students to Speak Up for themselves and others. If you have not already, you may want to watch the video with your child and have a conversation about the message.
* Start with an open-ended question such as: What do you think about the message in this video?
* If your child says that s/he cannot think of an adult s/he would go to, point out to your child that the video appears to be sending the message that the adults at the school care and want to connect. Give your child an opportunity to generate some solutions.
