Imagine that your kids could all regulate themselves. You don’t have to imagine, try this!
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- Print and post the Kimochis® Try Before You Tell: The Talking Hand (A Tool for Grabbing) in all classrooms, common areas and anywhere that kids gather or play.
- Let your students know, BIG feelings such as excited and frustrated can accidentally make our bodies say and do things that are not helpful for learning and/or friendships.
- Continue to remind students, It’s Okay to be Mad. It’s Not Okay to be Mean.
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Hi Eileen,
This is a great resource. I love the visuals.
I really liked it I feel it’s simple enough for my students to do or say the statement and using hand gestures and face is great. I will definitely try it out. Thank you
This is great! I’m wondering if I could use this tool when kids are grabbing eachother instead, in a not nice way? Would I approach it the same way?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
The simplest and most straightforward approach would be to direct students to the “Try Before You Tell” Tool (3-Step Escalation Process) so they have an opportunity to problem-solve on their own before involving an adult. If the grabbing is happening because a student is trying to get someone’s attention, I’d pair this with Key #1: Getting Someone’s Attention and reinforce the “Stop Hands” (Excited Kotowaza-ECC Guide pg 165) as a simple, consistent reminder to keep hands to themselves.
Together, these give students both a process for handling the situation independently and concrete language/strategies they can use in the moment.