Personal and Social Capabilities 

CURRICULUM FOCUS

Personal and Social Capability: 

This week in Respectful Relationships, we are learning to identify activities and events that make us feel stressed.

VOCABULARY

Stress - the feeling we get when we are under pressure.

Coping - to deal with or attempt to overcome problems, stresses or difficulties.

ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING

Talk with your child about what they think is meant by the word stress. Explain that you are going to do an activity that is good in helping identify what they find stressful.

Point out an imaginary line across the floor. It stretches from the ‘deep end’ where things are very stressful, to the ‘shallow end’ where things are easy. In the middle is the place where it is a bit stressful.

Explain that you will tell them a situation, and they will go to the place on the line which shows whether they think this is very stressful for them or not.

STRESSFUL SITUATIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD:

• Your mum asks you to get your school jumper, but you have left it at school, and you are not sure where.

• Your friend is away sick, and you don’t know who will play with you at lunchtime.

• The teacher outside asks you to put your sunhat on and you have left it at home.

• You have to sleep over in a dark and scary house.

• Your dad made you a cheese sandwich for lunch and you hate cheese, and the teacher has said you can’t play until you finish your lunch.

• You want a turn on the slide and some big kids are blocking the slide and you can’t get through. You can’t find a teacher to help.

• It is your little brother’s birthday, and he is getting lots of presents and you are not getting any.

• You broke something, and you have to own up that it was you who did it.

As your child moves, ask them to explain why they went to that part of the line. 

Ask:

• What is challenging about that situation?

• What might you be afraid of?

• What can you do to help you cope?