Kirk Day School

In this week's podcast, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey interview three KDS teachers (Mrs. Engel, Mrs. Bowman, and Mrs. McCracken) to chat with them about various aspects of distance learning. Each of these educators share a different viewpoint on the joy, sadness, and uniqueness that this shift in learning has brought to our educational paradigm. 

First, a disclaimer. This episode has mature content. We recommend parents listen to the podcast before deciding if they want to share it with their kids. Our intention in having a conversation about sex and sexuality is to help equip parents to have this conversation with their kids. 

Possibly the most challenging conversation to have with your child is on topic of sex and sexuality. It is a loaded conversation. It can make us feel uncomfortable. We know the importance of teaching and shepherding our kids in their view of sex and sexuality but can struggle with what to say and when to say it.

This is a re-release of a podcast we recorded last year with Mollie Pfuetze where she shares some tips on how to have “the talk” with your kids. She challenges parents to broaden their scope of the conversation past “the birds and the bees” to include a healthy view of their body. She shares about tangible ways parents can model of their kids healthy relationships between the opposite sex. Most importantly, she discusses ways to normalize and celebrate the way God created sex and sexuality.

Helpful Resources:

God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies, By Justin and Lindsey A. Holcomb

I Said No! A Kid-to-kid Guide to Keeping Private Parts Private, By Kimberly King and Zack King

 Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids, By Kristen A. Jenson M.A. and Dr. Gail A. Poyner

Generation Z Unfiltered by Tim Elmore

The Period Book, by Karen Gravelle and Jennifer Gravelle

The Talk: 7 Lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality, By Luke Gilkerson 

 The Ultimate Guys' Body Book: Not-So-Stupid Questions About Your Body, By Walt Larimore MD

 The Ultimate Girls' Body Book: Not-So-Silly Questions About Your Body, By Walt Larimore MD, MD Amaryllis Sanchez Wohlever

Internet Protection -

Net Nanny

ClearPlay

Cybersitter

Safe Eyes

Besecure

Cyber Sentinel

K9 Web Protection

pkFamily

X3 Watch

In this week's podcast, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey focus on some of the positive things quarantine has brought into our lives. For many of us, this quarantine has given us bonus time and space in our schedules. With less activities in the evenings outside the home, we are all trying to find ways to fill time within our home. In this podcast, they share some ideas to get kids outside and doing fun activities. They also highlight a few creative ways to spend time with family during the evenings. This episode is light and fun.

As part of the prospective parent process, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey typically sit down and go over portions of the school handbook that affect the day-to-day life of the school. However, because of the stay-at-home order, we've transitioned this to a podcast. Listen as we examine the mission of the school, volunteering, student discipline, and conflict in our community, all through the lens of KDS. 

This week our guest on the podcast was Jeana Roth, a counselor at Revision Christian Counseling. Jeana's training is in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) which is a form of therapy that focuses on mindfulness, emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Jeana shares about the  benefits of mindfulness from a Christian perspective and some helpful ways to integrate mindfulness and emotional regulation skills with yourself and with your kids.

This week, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey interview Kirk of the Hills senior pastor, Ben Porter. They discuss how the holiest week of the Christian calendar may be influenced by social distancing and how we can move towards Jesus even when we're told to move away from others. 

In today’s podcast Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey interview Dr. Leo Hsu, director of over 13 Emergency rooms in the greater St. Louis area, who discusses his medical observations of the area impact of COVID-19 and how we can respond as parents and believers in this time of struggle. 

This week, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey chat with Emily Nienhuis, Director of One Heart Family Ministries, about Trust-Based Relational Interventions (TBRI) and how to implement this practice in our classrooms and parenting. A little over a week ago, our teachers participated in a training all about TBRI interventions. This training was created by Dr. Karyn Purvis, former Director of the TCU Institute of Child Development, to help caregivers provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. TBRI is used in orphanages, residential treatment facilities, group homes, foster and adoptive homes, churches, and schools.

In this podcast, Emily helps us understand the basics of TBRI and explains how it is helpful for all children, in all situations. The three main aspects of TBRI are connection, regulation and mindfulness. Below, you'll find further information about TBRI as well as some recommended resources if you want to continue learning more. 

• Videos: 

• https://child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/#sthash.F85QT4lH.dpbs   

In continuing a series on new habits for the new year, our guest this week is Lindsay Schertzer, founder of Moms Into Fitness. Lindsay’s background and education are in exercise science, and she has spent her career working with people to assist them in the nourishment of their bodies through exercise and fitness. Topics discussed include: the benefits of exercise, ways to make exercising more accessible and tips for incorporating fitness into your family’s lifestyle. If you would like more information about exercise and fitness, visit Lindsay’s website www.momsintofitness.com. 

To start off the new year, we are beginning a new series on healthy habits. This week, Mr. Clement and Mrs. Massey sit down with Deb Meyer, author of Redefining Family Wealth: A Parent’s Guide to Purposeful Living and owner of WorthyNest®, a financial planning and investment advisory firm. With over 13 years of wealth management experience, Deb advises families on how to build wealth in a way that aligns with their values; and for KDS families, while kids are still in the home. In this podcast, she offers her expertise on questions about financial management from developing a budget to talking to your kids about finances, to defining your family's values and future goals, among other topics.