Wellbeing

The Resilience Project: Empathy

Working on empathy helps us to identify, understand and feel what another person is feeling. When we show empathy or we do something kind for someone else our brain releases oxytocin. This leads to increasing our self-esteem/confidence, energy levels, positivity and overall happiness.

Whole Family Activity:

Neighbourhood Kindness Challenge

As a family, choose an act of kindness from the list below that you would like to do for a neighbour or family friend. Each family member can select one to commit to, or you can choose to do one together.

• Cook them something delicious like a cake, hot bread, or cookies.
• Write a note to put in their letterbox thanking them for being a great neighbour or friend.
• Design them a Thank You card.
• Pick or buy some flowers to deliver to them.
• Choose a little plant from your garden to give them.
• Make them a gift from things around your house.
• Offer to do a job for them, like wash their car or water their garden.
• Offer to take their pets for a walk.
• Invite them over for afternoon tea.
• Invite them on a walk.
• Recommend one of your favourite books to borrow and read.
• Ask them if they need anything from the shops next time you buy groceries.
• Say hello next time you see them, and ask them how their day is going.

Feel free to do more than one and spread the kindness even further!

Report back to each other in one week and share how your acts of kindness were received, and how doing them made you feel.

Family Habit Builder:

Every night at dinner, have each person thank another family member for something they’ve done or said today, or give another family member a compliment.

For more on the Resilience Project check out their website: The Resilience Project

And for more on building wellbeing and resilience at home visit:  TRP@HOME

Condolences

Our deepest sympathy goes out to the Connell-Calarco family on the sudden passing of Simon last week. We will continue to keep Stefania, Samuele, Oscar, and Sofia in our prayers over the coming days and beyond. It is during times like this that we are thankful for our St. Patrick's community, which comes together to offer strength and comfort to one another. 

Here are some practical steps you can take should your child need support navigating their grief and loss:

• Encourage your child to talk about their feelings. Use age-appropriate language to explain what has happened and be honest, yet gentle.
• Let them ask questions and provide simple, truthful answers.
• Acknowledge their feelings and reassure them that it’s okay to feel sad, angry, or confused.
• Avoid minimizing their experience or suggesting they should "move on."
• Provide a comforting environment where they feel safe to express their emotions.
• Maintain routines to give them a sense of normalcy and security

For more information you may like to visit rasingchildren.net.au and childbereavementuk.org

Bridget Troup

Wellbeing Leader