For families
Skills at Home
The same skills kids learn at school can be practiced at home, in the life you already live: dinner, car rides, chores and bedtime. And they aren't just for kids. They're for all of US, because families grow better when they grow together.
Easy ways to practice
Practice ideas for any day
No prep, no screens, a few minutes each. Pick one and try it tonight.
Character
Name it, place it
At dinner, name one feeling from today and where you felt it in your body.
Skill: Emotional Awareness
Character
Calm-down list
Make a family list of calm-down strategies and post it on the fridge.
Skill: Emotional Regulation
Character
Time it
Estimate how long making dinner will take, then time it together.
Skill: Organization, Focus & Time
Connection
Best and hardest
Ask each person, "What was the best and hardest part of your day?" and just listen.
Skill: Others' Feelings, Needs & Wants
Connection
Gratitude round
Each person names one thing that went well today and one person they're grateful for.
Skill: Gratitude & What's Going Well
Connection
Fair share check
List everything it takes to run the evening, then check together: is the work shared fairly?
Skill: Fairness & Inclusion
Connection
Make it right
After a conflict, practice the three steps of repair: name the action, name the impact, make a future commitment.
Skill: Conflict & Repair
Contribution
Make more than you scroll
Each person names one thing they usually consume and one thing they'll create instead tonight.
Skill: Consuming & Creating
Contribution
Noticing walk
Take a walk and bring back three questions to wonder about together.
Skill: Questions & Exploration
What colleagues say about US Project founder Rae Donovan
“She engages meaningfully with students, staff, and families, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.”
Gina Normand, School-Based Clinician, Ferrisburgh Central School
“She models the very qualities we seek to instill in our students: empathy, resilience, curiosity, and a growth mindset.”
Molly Struhammer, Math Interventionist, Ferrisburgh Central School
Name it to grow it
Use the skill words out loud
Kids grow the skills they hear named. Try noticing out loud, for kids and grown-ups alike:
- "I noticed you stuck with that even when it got hard. That's persistence."
- "You made room for your brother in the game. That's inclusion."
- "I'm feeling frustrated, so I'm going to take a breath before I answer."
- "I was short with you earlier. That wasn't fair to you. Next time I'll tell you I need a minute."
Two simple rhythms
Tech F.A.S.T.
Tech Free After School Tuesdays. From after school Tuesday until Wednesday morning, optional screens go in the basket, grown-ups' too. Cook, play, walk, read, talk.
Analog Hour
Exhale, breathe, set an intention, then go analog. Afterward, each person names one skill they used.
Family skills coaching
Want support bringing the skills home?
Rae offers coaching for families who want help weaving the skills into everyday life with their kids.
What coaching can look like
- A plan for your family's routines: mornings, dinner, bedtime and screens
- Language for hard moments: meltdowns, sibling conflict and "just five more minutes"
- Repair at home: how to make things right after a hard moment, for kids and grown-ups
- Practice ideas matched to your kids' ages and your family's goals
- Check-ins as you go, to adjust what's working
Coming soon
A family subscription is on the way
Monthly skill cards, practice ideas and Analog Hour cards, delivered to your door.