From cyber-bullying to the pressures of social media to global pandemics, our kids are living it all.
Resilience is not an option for today's children. It's a necessity.
a
Resilience
is the ability to rise from the rubble when life knocks you down. Resilient people get back up after defeat, disappointment, and failure rather than be overcome.
According to the American Psychological Association, all kids are capable of working through challenges and coping with stress. But resilience, like so many other things in life, is upped with effort.
Want your kid to be good at soccer, piano or math? Have them practice. Focus on the goal. Put in the effort. Want your kid to be resilient? Well, it’s certainly important to focus on the goal and put in the effort. But how exactly do you have your kid practice resilience?
Unfortunately, building our children’s resilience is not quite as straightforward as becoming an excellent athlete.
Enter
The Biggies are a research-based tool for parents, teachers & caregivers that make it fun & easy to meaningfully connect with your elementary-aged child, while growing their emotional intelligence & confidence, as well as fostering their communication skills.
All of which build your kid’s RESILIENCE!
These conversation cards are BIG for a reason. 6” by 8” in fact. We’re doing BIG things here.
The concepts
The 25 social emotional concepts included with the deck teach children to:
25 BIG cards, 25 BIG social emotional concepts
Each card falls into a color-coded category: Body, Mind, Heart, World, or Spirit. Card topics are listed in black.BODY
Balance
Risk
Boundaries
Mind/Body Link
Listening
MIND
Patience & Goals
Perseverance
Creativity
Perspective
Being Mindful
HEART
Forgiveness
Belonging
Gratitude
Kindness
Accepting Others
WORLD
Connection
Curiosity
Choices
Rituals
Courage to Lead
SPIRIT
The Present
Meaning
Wisdom
Cycle of Life
Tough Times
don't delet
The Fronts
Each card is each uniquely illustrated. Short exercises, fun facts, real world examples, and quotes from well-known movies and beloved icons jumpstart conversations that will build your child’s emotional intelligence, foster their communication skills, and spark meaningful connection for all involved.
don't delet
The Backs
Additional thought-provoking questions help you expand a topic if you’d like to dig deeper.
Did You Know? What’s Your Take? I Wonder…
The makers.
don't delet
Were created in 2020 by Devin Tomiak.
After her youngest brother died by suicide in 2014, she was driven to understand resiliency, where it comes from, and how it’s bolstered. As a mom of two young boys, her preoccupation had a unique urgency. THE BIGGIES were born from her mission to strengthen her relationship with her own children, develop their emotional intelligence, and improve the communication skills of her whole family. She has found meaning in sharing her experience with other caregivers and children in the hope they can learn and benefit alongside her.
don't delet
Dr. Amy Engelman advised. Dr. Engelman is a Community Psychologist and the Founding President of Intentional Inquiry. She has over 15 years of experience fostering community-school partnerships, youth engagement, social emotional wellness, and data-driven decision-making through community-based participatory research and evaluation. She specializes in building communities and relationships that support children’s resilience and ability to thrive no matter what their individual circumstances may be. Her own battle with suicidality was an important lens in the creation of THE BIGGIES.
A portion of all proceeds from THE BIGGIES goes toward the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
