Latest Updates for Healthier Young Lives
Stay connected with stories that support your child’s well-being. Here you’ll find helpful tips, new resources, and updates from Healthy With Harvey—all created to make healthy habits easier for families and teachers. Each post offers simple guidance and real-life ideas you can use right away.
Healthy With Harvey March Newsletter
Simple Stories. Strong Science. Healthier Kids.
This Month's Feature:
When Feelings Get Big (Harvey Has a Plan)
🐾 Harvey's March Message
Big Feelings Happen
Hi Friends,
Sometimes my feelings feel bigger than I am. Last week I was building something with blocks. I worked really hard on it. And then — crash — it fell down. I felt hot inside. My paws felt tight. I wanted to bark. I wanted to knock the rest down.
But then I remembered something I’ve been practicing. I went to my Quiet Corner. I took three slow breaths. I told myself, “I feel frustrated. I can try again.”
Feelings aren’t wrong. They’re information. They tell us something is happening inside.
This month I’m practicing noticing my feelings before they get too big — and choosing a calm next step. What do you do when your feelings feel big?
Love,
Harvey 🐾
📖 Story Spotlight
In this story, Harvey learns that strong feelings don’t mean he’s “bad.” They mean he needs a pause. With help from a trusted adult, he builds a Quiet Corner — a safe space to breathe, notice, and reset.
⭐ Healthy Habit of the Month
Self-Regulation: Pause, Name, Choose
Self-regulation isn’t about stopping feelings.
It’s about managing them safely.
Why it matters:
Children who can name feelings are better able to manage behavior, build friendships, and recover from frustration.
Try this at home:
Create a small “pause space” — a chair, pillow, or corner — where your child can sit when feelings feel big. Practice using it when things are calm.
Talk About It:
“What does your body feel like when you’re frustrated?”
“What helps your body feel calm again?”
🌿 Parent & Grandparent Corner
Coaching Emotions (Not Controlling Them)
Children are not born knowing how to regulate emotions. Self-regulation develops gradually through modeling, repetition, and safe relationships. When a child is overwhelmed, logic is not immediately accessible. The brain’s emotional center is activated first. What helps most in those moments is calm presence.
Instead of:
“Calm down.”
Try:
“I see you’re really frustrated.”
“Your body looks tense.”
“I’m here. Let’s take a breath together.”
Naming feelings builds emotional literacy. Practicing calm tools when a child is not upset increases success later. A Quiet Corner is not a punishment space. It is a regulation tool — a place to practice awareness, breathing, and choice.
When adults coach instead of correcting, children learn something powerful: feelings are manageable.
🌍 Village Builder Spotlight
This month we’re celebrating children who:
- Use calm words
- Take deep breaths
- Ask for help
- Try again after frustration
- Give others space when needed
Harvey notices brave hearts.
🏫 Coming Soon
We are developing the Healthy With Harvey Village Builders™ School Program, beginning with a focus on Big Feelings and self-regulation in early childhood classrooms.
If you are a preschool, elementary teacher, or school leader interested in piloting this program, we would love to connect.
👉 Email to learn more at info@healthywithharvey.org.
🏠 Be Part of Our Village
- Share this newsletter with a parent or grandparent.
- Follow Harvey on Facebook & Instagram.
- Tell us: What helps your child when feelings get big?
Together, we are raising thoughtful, confident, emotionally aware children.
With gratitude,
Healthy With Harvey Team
HealthyWithHarvey.org
Community Events and Special Activities
Join us as we share fun contests, reading events, and community moments inspired by our mission. These activities help families learn together, build healthy routines, and stay engaged with our growing community. Check back often for new ways to get involved.