Program Background
Calming Ourselves in Stressful Moments™, Second Edition incorporates research on child development, educational neuroscience, and stress management from leading experts in the field. The program benefits from the author’s and program developer’s combined 30+ years of experience developing materials and training educators.
Victoria Tennant, M.Ed. is the creator and lead writer of all editions of the program. Victoria, an educational consultant for 30 years, bridges the academic world of research and the “real” world of caring for, teaching, and working with children. Supporting writer for the First and Second Editions, Jan Faul, is a parent educator and author of parenting books and columns for various publications, including the Seattle Times.
Sue Anderson, former Comprehensive Health Education Foundation's C.H.E.F.©'s Children and Families Initiative Director, led the program development process. Sue worked with Victoria and a team of health and education partners. Primary content advisors included: Elliot Herman, Social Skills Training Specialist, Seattle, WA; Meg Molton: Director of the Early Childhood Education Department, Columbia Basin College; Elaine Ruhlman: Public Health Nurse and Coordinator of the Child Care Health Program, Benton Franklin District Health; Kathryn E. Barnard: Former Professor, Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington.
Program Evaluation
Calming Ourselves in Stressful Moments™ consistently receives high ratings. Surveys show that program materials are successfully implemented by hundreds of child care providers, early childhood educators, health professionals, parents, and families.
Links to find the following information
• Program Overview
• Program Materials
» Program Background
• Program Evaluation and Testimonials
“Children are increasingly exposed to situations that are new, changing, and perplexing. The strategies outlined in the Calming Ourselves in Stressful Moments™ program will be useful to the teachers and caregivers of children. Knowing how to bring down their state of anxiety is the best insurance for children being able to cope with demands for change, which increases as they enter school and become adolescents.”
—Kathryn E. Barnard, PhD, FAAN, Former Professor, Family and Child Nursing
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
"For the past two years, this has been the most requested staff training in our program for pre-service, and also at the local Early Childhood Conference in the spring. The teachers and early learning professionals, both at our agency and in the community, take it over and over again."
— BJ Hellman
Children's Programs Coordinator
Chelan-Douglas Child Services Association Wenatchee, WA