At Rapoport Academy, we are committed to encouraging, supporting, and empowering our students to become their best selves. The counseling team appreciates the opportunity to support your child's mental health and wellness.

A coping skill is any strategy we use to help manage stress or emotions in the moment. Coping skills help us calm our bodies, think more clearly, and respond (rather than react).

Children and teens often experience strong emotions but may not know how to express or manage them. Coping skills give them healthy tools to navigate frustration, anxiety, excitement, and everything in between. Learning these skills builds responsibility, confidence, and emotional independence.

There are plenty of different strategies we can use to teach children coping skills but the key is to be patient,to remember that every child is different so you may have to try different techniques until you determine what is best for you specific child, and to practice practice practice!

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Box breathing is a kid-friendly strategy that helps slow the body down and reset the nervous system. It uses 4 equal steps, just like the sides of a box:

Movement helps release energy and improve mood. Make it fun:

Research suggests that people who practice gratitude tend to feel happier and more fulfilled. Gratitude boosts joy, resilience, and connection.Try a daily family ritual: each person names 3 things they’re grateful for, Big or small — it counts!

The holidays can be:

It’s normal to feel more than one thing at a time. Our wish is that your family finds moments of peace, silliness, and connection during this season.