Welcome to the last newsletter for the term. Can you believe we are halfway through the year already and the weeks seem to be whizzing by? As we approach the holiday break the Senior Leadership team would like to wish you all a  happy holiday and safe travels if you are heading away. 

We all know that holidays can be pressure points for families with routine changes and additional people in the house. This can often result in parents wishing the holidays would end quickly and the kids get back to school! 

These three tips below were sent to us as a resource for “ happy holidays at home with the family ” and we thought they were worth sharing if things get a bit manic and challenging over the break. 

1. Model calm behaviour

If you’re feeling worked up, take a moment to calm yourself before responding. This will model your child to do the same when faced with situations that are frustrating. Try to model a growth mindset and positive thinking, self-belief and self-discipline. 

2. Feelings – name, identify and express the feeling

Naming each feeling is the first step to helping your child identify them. If they’re having a meltdown, calmly ask what they are currently feeling and say it out loud. Is it sadness? Anger? Embarrassment? This helps them to become more in tune with each emotion and develop empathy and understanding of other people’s emotions. This is important and a great way to do this is through books or online. Ask questions like “How do you think they are feeling?” “How would you feel if that happened to you?”

3. Talk about how to communicate

Set a good example and let them know feelings can be expressed through communicating and talking about them. Encourage them to express themselves whenever possible to you (the good, bad and ugly!) and ask them to let you know how they’re feeling by using their words and not yours. 

Happy holidays!