COVID/Equity

The physical health challenges posed by COVID-19 has brought home the need for parenting with social and emotional skills. It’s challenged all of us to create new ways to manage big feelings and promote social and emotional development in a time when our children are frequently isolated. There are some truths that cannot be ignored as we live through this global pandemic:
- Social and emotional skills are vital for parents and families to manage stress, fear, and challenging times in ways that build strength and intimacy and not deteriorate it.
- Our children’s social and emotional skills are cultivated in relationship with others through modeling, coaching, practice and supportive (recognizing and reinforcing) environments.
- Schools cannot operate without families as partners. Education begins at home and requires community to support it.
- Relationships are a cornerstone to learning.
- Children and parents can thrive during tough times but it requires a commitment to their own social and emotional learning.
- The active inclusion of all individuals who may be categorized as “different” because of race, culture, learning ability, gender identification, or sexual orientation among other factors (such as, arts-oriented boys, science and engineering-oriented girls) is vital to a safe, healthy and just community.
- Our individual self awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills and responsible decision-making have a significant impact on the health of our family, community and planet.
Here at CPCK, our community of writers and thinkers have produced a number of articles and resources in 2020 to support you. We’ve placed our “best of…” COVID-times resources here to help you as we continue to manage life during a pandemic. Here’s to you and your families’ health, safety and well-being over the coming year!
Articles
My Kids’ School Is Closed So, Now What? by Pamela McVeagh-Lally
On the Front Lines… Parents and Educators as Servant Leaders; Our Call to a Greater Purpose
The Missing Link in Social and Emotional Learning; Why Social Justice and Equity Are Essential to Social and Emotional Learning by Shannon Wanless and Tia N. Barnes
Learning about our Planet Together
Social and Emotional Learning Around the Clock
Parenting and Dealing with Illness
Helping Children Understand Death
Navigating the COVID Storm — Together; Understanding Group Dynamics to Improve your Family’s Collaboration and Resilience by Julea Douglass, Ph.D. and R. Keeth Matheny
Resources
Learning about Racial and Social Justice at Home – A Series of Resources including children’s book recommendations
Tools
Family Relationships, Conflict and Communications:
Do You Have a Family Emotional Safety Plan?
Family Responsible Decision-making – includes the traffic light problem solving model by Roger Weissberg
Developing Family Guidelines for Fighting Fairly
Family Fighting? Use the Peace Rose

Global Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish: La Promesa Global de Lealtad
Challenging Feelings:
Daily Feelings Temperature Checks
Healthy Coping Strategy List for K-4
Healthy Coping Strategy List for Grades 5-12
School and Home:
30 Ways to Build Caring Relationships on Zoom
The Stress of School, The Safety of Now
A Parent and Educator Manifesto
Mindset:
Media
Highlights for Children Podcast: For the Love of Reading – How Reading Helps Social-Emotional Learning (and dealing with anxiety and fears) – Listen now on YouTube https://bit.ly/2XvOFgA or Apple Podcasts https://bit.ly/3cgK1ap 🎧
About the Global Pledge of Allegiance (Video produced by CASEL):
Collaborative For Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Cares Webinar:
So What Now? Supporting Social and Emotional Learning at Home
