Wellbeing

Back to school Wellbeing Tips

At the start of the new school year, we are all hoping that this new school year will bring some normality back into all our lives. And so far, so good! But pandemic aside, new starts for children (and parents) are inevitably filled with a mixture of emotions.

So how can we help our children to make a positive start to the new school year?

1. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Try to re-establish sleep routines as soon as the school year commences. Plan for the following day the night before and stick to a weeknight bedtime and routine. 

2. Set up an after-school routine. Routines help provide certainty and increase feelings of security, so it will help to re-establish routines and plan for the return. They may need some and together choose a time and place where they will do their homework every day. Have some device free time and outside play time. Children will be (emotionally) tired in the first weeks so pick your battles with them and aim for them to have some down time when they get home such as some wellbeing activities. (See below for resource link)

3. Encourage graduated independence. Children learn independence and gain confidence in their abilities if you give them responsibilities. From Foundation, they can begin to learn how to make their own lunch and empty their school bags each evening.

4. Acknowledge the range of feelings that they will likely experience. After a disrupted couple of years, new school routines of being back face to face will be challenging, and for some children. Contact your child’s class teacher and school if they need some extra support.

4. Focus on others. Practice conversations with school mates where they learn how to focus on being kind and interested in others. Making meaningful social connections is about learning how to be interested and kind to others. 

5. Control the controllables. This is an essential skill for happiness- help your child realise what they can control (themselves, and their own responses to situations) and to not focus or worry about the unknowns and what is out of their control (like the behaviour of others). This will include the possible disruptions to plans and learning due to the pandemic. Prepare your child for the possibility of change and new school procedures. Stay up to date with communications from the school about arrangements to keep the school community safe and discuss these with your child and plan together how these changes will be managed. The more your child understands the changes, the more comfortable they are likely to feel

You can find some wellbeing activities to do with your child in the Department of Education’s Wellbeing Activities Booklet here 

Mrs Lucinda Thom and Mrs Fiona George