Instill® SEL with LUV™ at Home
Skills for Everyday Living™
What is SEL with LUV at Home?
For years, SEL meant Social Emotional Learning. The science is strong—but the conversation around it can feel divisive. SEL with LUV keeps the proven skills and pairs them with our LUV Framework (Learning Universal Virtues) so families can build character, resilience, and emotional intelligence—without social or political agendas.
SEL = Skills for Everyday Living.
Practical tools your family can use every day: calming big feelings, resolving conflict, practicing kindness, and building healthy habits.
Why it works for families
Simple & science-based: Grounded in child development and emotional regulation research.
Values you already teach: Kindness, respect, honesty, responsibility, perseverance.
Everyday friendly: Short moments, repeatable routines, real-life conversations.
The LUV Framework at Home
Ignite a Passion for Reading
Read together daily. Ask “What was your favorite part?” and “How did the character feel?”
Try this: Picture books, read-alouds, or audiobooks during car rides.Instill Social Skills & Emotional Intelligence
Name feelings, practice listening, take turns, and solve problems together.
Try this: “I feel ___ because ___; I need ___.” Model it yourself.Inspire Character & Virtue
Celebrate small acts of honesty, respect, and kindness.
Try this: A 2-minute “virtue spotlight” at dinner: “Who showed kindness today?”Ingrain Mental Health Resilience
Build coping skills: deep breaths, flexible thinking, gratitude, and routines.
Try this: 4-count breathing before homework or bedtime.
Tools to Make It Easy
Books & Read-Alouds: Stories that model empathy and character.
Puppets & Play: Safe, silly practice for big skills.
Printable Guides: Checklists, routine charts, and feelings menus.
FAQ (for Parents & Caregivers)
Is this political?
No. SEL with LUV focuses on universal virtues and research-backed life skills—no social or political agendas.
Do I need lots of time?
No. Small daily moments are most effective.
What if my child resists?
Start with modeling: you do the skill first (deep breaths, I-feel statements), then invite them to try.
For Families with Children Ages 4-8
Social skills and emotional intelligence skills are taught through play, hands-on activities, songs, and games, and are fun and easy to incorporate into your daily routines.
Deluxe Toolkit
Standard Toolkit
Spanish Toolkit
What can you expect once using Instill SEL with LUV at Home?
Improvement in understanding of self, emotions, and working within a community
Development in an understanding of diversity, self-management skills, and social awareness
Increased positive behavior and harmony at home
More Instill SEL with LUV at Home Products
Our Instill® SEL Emotion Cards provide children with emotional vocabulary and teach children to identify and label feelings. This can help them understand, express, and manage their own feelings.
Emotions that are included:
• Relaxed
• Nervous
• Surprised
• Scared
• Sad
• Happy
• Frustrated
• Confused
• Tired
• Mad
• Proud
• Embarrassed
• Lonely
• Loved
• Bored
• Excited
Card format:
• 2-pack of 16 Emotion Cards, totaling 32 cards
• Bilingual - English & Spanish
• 4” x 5”
• Thick, sturdy card stock paper
Our Instill® SEL Solve It! Cards provide children with ideas for solving conflict when stress can inhibit decision-making skills. With practice, they will rise up to challenges making confident and wise decisions.
Solve It! solutions that are included:
• Ignore. / Ignóralos.
• Take turns. / Tomemos turnos.
• Flip a coin. / Lanza una moneda.
• Use a timer. / Usa un temporizador.
• Ask for help. / Pide ayuda.
• Play together. / Juguemos juntos.
• Say, “Please stop.” / Di: “Detente, por favor”.
• Trade. / Intercambiemos.
Card format:
• 8 Solve It! Cards
• Bilingual - English & Spanish
• 4” x 5”
• Thick, sturdy card stock paper
Help your child process their feelings with our Instill SEL Feelings Journal! We recommend children participate in a daily time of reflection. Reflection provides an opportunity for children to internalize what they have learned or experienced and apply these skills to themselves and their world.
Each day’s journal entry shows our MVP Kids expressing different feelings for your child to color in the feelings that apply to them that day. Also included is a link to a list of reflection prompts that you can use to help your child write, draw, or craft on the blank page.
• 72 pages
• 8.5”x11”
• 16 feelings on each daily entry
• Instructions and prompts for using the journal provided
• Ages 2-8
Equipped with his arm crutches, our MVP Kid puppet, Leo Russo, is ready for children to learn to express emotions and for imaginary play! Puppets are great for social and emotional learning for early learners!
Bring Leo to life alongside his puppet by reading the MVP Kids stories that he appears in.
Puppet specifics:
• 14” long
• Meets child safety requirements
• Soft, plush material
• Movable mouths
• Embroidered eyes
What are families saying?
“My son struggles to manage his emotions and does not like to talk about feelings. When we opened the MVP Kids emotion cards, he immediately wanted to play adaptations of his favorite card games using these. As we played, he was able to discuss each feeling portrayed on the cards. He was also interested in learning the Spanish names for them. Now he sometimes brings me the deck of cards and says, ‘Mommy, we need to talk about my feelings.’ This is a huge success in our house!”