Dr. Emily AronoffSupport Social-Emotional Learning this Season
Seeking a fun, familiar way to help children learn about the big ideas of Yom Kippur?
I’m exploring repentance and repair with the youngest members of the tribe with the help of a secular song from the popular kid’s show Daniel Tiger (a modern adaptation of Mr. Roger’s). Mixing the familiar with the novel can captivates our brains and provides an engaging learning experience for all ages. Remember that this song is to be shared year-round; teaching how to apologize isn’t seasonal.
PBS has blessed us with incredible resources in this clip through which Daniel Tiger teaches kids how to say sorry. The catchy chorus resonates: “Saying I’m sorry is the first step, then how can I help?” In my model presentation, I’ll show you how I’d support kids thinking through real-world examples of how to help when things go wrong, such as breaking something, knocking over someone’s tower, or accidentally hurting someone. The essential life skill of recognizing when to apologize and make amends can be learned early on.
Yom Kippur is a Time To Say Sorry
Yom Kippur is a sacred day for introspection, repentance, and repair in the Jewish tradition. As we approach this special holiday, it’s important to share and model these values with our children.
“Saying I’m sorry is the first step, then how can I help?” is a simple song that provides a practical strategy. Practice it with your kiddos in this playful way when they are calm and regulated and ready to learn so that we can prepare to practice those skills in real time when feelings come fast. With this catchy little diddy, even our youngest members can practice repentance and repair (sometimes better than their adult counterparts)!
Daniel Tiger Song Teaches Repentance and Repair
Support Social-Emotional Learning this Season Seeking a fun, familiar way to help children learn about the big ideas of Yom
My Favorite Yom Kippur Storybooks Aren’t “Jewish” (+Todd Parr celebrates the New Year with us!)
Life would be much easier if we were able to prepare for the big questions our tiny humans ask us. Many parents of young children struggle to feel confident navigating religious and spiritual matters because we feel like novices ourselves. Thankfully, we’ve got access to an enormous selection of literature on these topics if we are able to look with a wide lens and an open mind.
10 Yom Kippur Songs for Kiddos
Yom Kippur is a tricky topic to explore with young children. “Repentance” is a cognitively complex and ethically complicated concept that your children can explore for the rest of their lives. I like to explore the big ideas of Yom Kippur including self-reflection, self-regulation, and repair after conflict. This collection of tunes is a diverse set that includes updated versions of some traditional tunes, simple fingerplays for babies, and story songs that help explain Jonah.
