The Sweetest Thing Ever
By Nadine Briggs and Donna Shea with guest contributor Jesse Lowe.
Both Donna and Nadine hosted events for the kids and teens who attend their centers this spring that were as heartwarming as they were fun.
Awesome Night at Simply Social Kids (Nadine)
A special thank you to Jesse Lowe for guest blogging this section.
A child in a dinosaur costume, several teen boys, a few tween girls, and a couple of their younger siblings all spontaneously dance to a well-known pop song together at the front of the big room at Simply Social Kids. As this group dances the “Nae Nae” together, the mood in the room could be described as “joyful abandon.” It’s Awesome Night at Simply Social Kids, a night for any child or teen involved in our program to bring some contribution to a unique talent show. Many of our group members bring their pets to share. Some come just to take in the show and cheer on their group mates. A soft-spoken 6-year-old brings a single magic trick to share. After he has finished the trick, he looks out unblinkingly to a warm wave of applause from the room and smiles, a warm recognition of the support of the entire room.
Awesome Night welcomes kids to share something, truly anything that they feel awesome about. Here they choose to try the things that require them to be brave. Simply Social Kids is a place that provides complete acceptance. Our group members learn to step into their “awesome” by hanging out with friends who have things to learn from and, share with, them. If there was ever a place where kids could feel like they can perform and have it be cheered, it’s here.
At the end of the night, encores are asked for and given. Parents and grandparents come up to us coaches and share how important this place has been for their child. Comments such as “He’s finally found a place where the other kids appreciate what he brings” and “It’s amazing to see her coming out of her shell” are common. I feel incredibly fortunate to get to be a part of a community in which everyone’s awesome is not just included, but actively valued.
So when a spontaneous dance party erupts at the end of Awesome Night, and kids run up to the stage one by one to join in, it is absolutely the sweetest thing ever.
Prom at The Peter Pan Center for Social and Emotional Growth (Donna and the Center’s team of staff and the teen parents)
Decorations in Harry Potter theme set the stage for a teen prom unlike any other. The social skills center was transformed with twinkle lights, decorations, floating candles and it set the stage for a magical evening. Teens have been anticipating this night knowing that this prom would not have the social difficulties that their school prom would likely have. The night was phenomenal.
The teens were social coached throughout the evening. Almost everyone joined in with the popular line dances, YMCA, Chicken Dance, etc. Donna, who also teaches dance classes, taught the girls how to dance in a circle and have each girl take a turn in the middle. They even stopped the music and did a lesson on slow dancing.
How to move your feet.- How to hold your partner (around the neck if it was a boyfriend/girlfriend, regular dance hold if it was a friend or someone you didn’t know well)
- How to ask someone to dance
- How to refuse a dance (be polite, offer to do something else like getting a snack, and don’t dance with another partner to that same song)
- And from Donna’s past experience as a teen, she made sure that everyone received the message that dancing a slow dance with someone just means they are your partner for that song and do not magically become your boyfriend or girlfriend
The prom was awesome, and several of the boys got the girls out slow dancing. The sweetest thing ever.
