SWPBS

The week 7 & 8 focus for SWPBS is Respect - I will respect my friends’ choices during playtime.

Playtime is an important opportunity for students to develop friendships, practise social skills and have fun together. This fortnight, we are focusing on showing respect by understanding and accepting that our friends may make different choices during playtime. We all have different interests, ideas and games that we enjoy, and that’s okay! Students will learn that respecting a friend’s choice might mean listening to their idea, taking turns, finding a game you both enjoy, or being okay when someone chooses something different. If a friend doesn’t want to play the same game, we can respond calmly by saying, “That’s okay. Maybe next time!” We can also choose to play together another time, invite someone else to join us, or try something new. Remember, being a good friend doesn’t mean always getting our own way. It means listening, compromising, including others and respecting their choices.

How Can Parents Help at Home?

Parents can support this focus by talking with children about times when they have wanted to do something different from a friend or sibling. Encourage children to practise phrases such as “What would you like to play?”, “Let’s take turns choosing,” “That’s okay, we can play something else,” and “Maybe we can do your game today and mine tomorrow.” At home, give children opportunities to practise compromise, turn-taking and accepting that others may have different preferences. Praise them when they handle disappointment calmly or consider someone else’s ideas. Together, remind children that respect means valuing other people’s choices, even when they are different from our own.