Helping Kids Grow with SEED + Keeping It SIMPLE

The boards and clings at Fern Family Co were never meant to be just organization tools. They’re a way to help kids feel capable, calm, and connected through the rhythm of daily life.

Every board follows two guiding frameworks: SEED and SIMPLE.
They work together to help kids understand what’s happening, feel secure, and build confidence over time.

🌱 Start with SEED

SEED is about slow, consistent growth. It reminds us that kids need time and visual support to develop independence.

Support growth with visual boards and reusable clings.
Place the board where kids can see and reach. Start with just a few icons.

Establish clear expectations.
Make sure kids know what’s expected. Reset daily or weekly so it becomes part of the rhythm.

Empower good choices.
Point to the board instead of repeating yourself. Let kids move clings and celebrate progress.

Develop healthy habits.
Keep showing up, even on messy days. Adjust as kids grow, and let the system grow with your family.

When you follow SEED, routines feel calmer and kids begin to take ownership. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s consistency and connection.

🪴 Then, keep it SIMPLE

Once your foundation is in place, SIMPLE helps you use the boards with confidence.
It’s the method that keeps everything clear and manageable—at home or school.

SIMPLE stands for:
Support, Include, Model, Place, Link, and Empower.

It’s a way to remember the small, practical steps that make the boards work best.

For example, with the First, Then Board | School, you can:

• Support consistency by showing what’s happening now and next.

• Include students when choosing the “then” activity so they feel part of the plan.

• Model transitions by moving the pieces together and talking it through.

• Place it where students can easily see it.

• Link it to classroom language you already use (“First math, then break”).

• Empower students by letting them move the tokens when they finish the first task.

Because if it’s not SIMPLE, you’re doing too much.

🌼 SEED and SIMPLE work together

When you use both frameworks, you’re not just organizing tasks—you’re teaching regulation, flexibility, and self-trust.
Kids see what’s ahead, feel prepared, and learn that progress happens one small step at a time.

These steps aren’t just for home. Teachers, therapists, and aides use them to create predictable routines and calm transitions in classrooms too.

Start small. Add one board, one routine, or one new visual.
Then build from there as your family or classroom finds its rhythm.

💌 Want the free printable handouts?

Print them out, hang them by your boards, or keep them in your planner as a quick reminder of what SEED and SIMPLE look like in action.