DCRC Blog

When teachers and families build strong relationships/partnerships based on respect and trust, they can work together to provide continuity for children and promote resilience. This is why the importance of teachers/caregivers building relationships with children and their families cannot be overlooked. With that said, it can be challenging for those relationships to form. Busy programs, busy families…we all know the drill. So we want to give you seven ideas for building relationships with children and families we feel are simple and that we hope you’ll try.

We can imagine that social and emotional learning (SEL) has become a big focus in your work because children seem to be needing even more support to engage in healthy social dynamics and cope with emotions in constructive ways. Adding more SEL to your already expansive to-do list probably feels like one thing too many. We are here to thank you for what you are already doing and to offer a little hope in knowing that SEL does not have to be “one more thing.” SEL can be about making the most of everyday, ordinary moments with children. It doesn’t have to be about adding to your list, but rather, finding the social and emotional learning in what you’re already doing.

Establishing connections with young children is so important, and we’d say especially important when they are babies, toddlers, or preschoolers! Here are some points to consider as you work on that relationship building.

Children throughout the country are facing mounting mental health issues, and parents and educators need to tend to children’s social and emotional well-being, primarily by being fully present and knowing how to engage in challenging, age-appropriate discussions, even with toddlers. Young children need guidance to make sense of the world even with topics that are difficult for parents.

I deliver a keynote message which carries this same title. During my keynote address, I try to use humor and practical experiences to help the audience understand the importance of doing what you can with the time you have. Life is ever changing, and sometimes things seem grim. I encourage you to control what you can. You may wish to start by taking a few of the following suggestions to live today well…

Several research studies have shown that the DECA Program does improve young children’s protective factors, and the promising new research findings from a 2020 peer-reviewed journal article offers further support that the simple process of providing teachers with “social and emotional feedback” about the children in their classrooms is a valuable intervention. Check out DCRC Director Susan Damico’s summary of the study and how it truly does support the DECA Program.

The importance of this year’s International SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Day theme, “Building Bonds, Reimagining Communities,” cannot be underestimated. As Americans confront the devastating consequences of racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic, we must acknowledge that a brighter future depends on all of us bonding together, and reimagining a future for our communities that is different from the past.

Traditionally, the holidays are a time for family and friends to gather together to celebrate the season and make lasting memories. While this year’s festivities may look a bit different due to COVID-19, Devereux Center for Resilient Children Director Susan Damico says that doesn’t have to stop you and your family from finding creative ways to make the season special.

In this blog series, DCRC Director Susan Damico, M.A., discusses the mental health effects of the pandemic on children, educators and families. She also offers a few strategies to help all of us get through these challenging times … together.

The DCRC Team is glad to have this blog post entry from The SOURCE – Elkhart County’s System of Care. They have put together this brief social story for those children still attending childcare, helping them understand what’s going on while also reassuring their safety and the safety of their “School Family.”