Home Is…
Bigger ideas about what “home” means can help us see past the label of “homeless.”
Watch the video with children and point out that home is not necessarily a house or apartment—it can be wherever one is feeling safe and loved. It can mean a sense of comfort, or connection, or of confidence. It’s a feeling in one’s heart.
After hearing what the children in the video have to say about what home means to them, talk together about what home means to children. For instance, children might say, “Home is my city,” “Home is my classroom,” or “Home is my grandma’s lap.” Reinforce the idea that families experiencing shelter insecurity are much more than their current circumstance, its labels, and its stigma.
If you have an extra sheet of paper, write “Home Is…” at the top, add an outline of a giant heart, and invite children to write or draw their ideas in the heart.
Special thanks to Women in Need, a provider of shelter and supportive housing for families experiencing homelessness in New York City.
Hooray for Hands
Hands remind us of the power of helping, sharing, and caring.
Ideas Into Action: Sharing Comfort Strategies with Children
You can show children how others use strategies for self-soothing.
Provider Workshop: Healthy Goodbyes
In the face of these challenges, you can model healthy goodbyes.
Promoting Healing Through Play in Shelters part 2
It’s not just the things you put into an environment that are important—a play space is made even more effective when adults interact with children in positive ways.
Talk About It: For Children Experiencing Homelessness
Honest, age-appropriate ways to respond to children’s difficult questions.
Ideas Into Action: Grown-Ups Come Back
A bag of ribbons can go a long way!
Provider Workshop: Healthy Goodbyes Resources part 2
In the face of these challenges, you can model healthy goodbyes.
