Chaplain's Corner
THE TRICKY ISSUE OF 'RELATIONSHIP'
Hi Everyone,
I have had two regional meetings with other Chaplains this week, covering a large percentage of Melbourne and some regional areas, and the most common issue schools are seeing is the unsettled, adverse behaviour of students as they endeavour to negotiate yet another change – back to school, including the reality of re-negotiating relationships ‘in person’. Social/emotional issues have a large impact on learning. Underlying this is also the change in family relationships as parents/carers return to working outside the home, resulting in changing family dynamics once again – no matter the make-up of your family. May I also be ‘brave’ enough to add, as I am finding amongst students, the difficulty in weaning off their devices.
Kids Helpline did a survey of young people about their feelings around going back to normal:
Kids Helpline: Returning to normal after COVID-19
Everybody has different feelings about going back to ‘normal.'
We also asked young people on Instagram whether they were ready to go back to ‘normal’. 39% of young people told us they weren’t ready.
Here are some direct quotes from young people about why they feared getting back to the way things were.
It’s normal to be both excited to get back to normal and to feel stressed or anxious about it
Why is going back to normal challenging for some people?
There are many reasons why going back to normal might be anxiety-provoking for your child. Here are some of the main concerns young people had:
Grief/loss over changes in lifestyle
'Normal’ won’t be the same as before COVID-19
Return to pre-COVID-19 stresses, like school bullying
Life was better in isolation, e.g. more time with family
Feeling safe at home and unsafe/out-of-control in public
Fear of COVID-19 - new wave
………………………………………………………………………..
QUITE AN EYE OPENER. I found the remark in the box – “I’m afraid of people in my class, they threaten and hurt me but they can’t do that digitally”. Hmmm… or can they?
Outside school sports teams, after-school programs, scouts, interest groups, friendship catch ups (eg Fun Fields, movies, bike rides, sleepovers, etc,,) provide critical opportunities for kids to learn social-emotional skills and build strong connections IN PERSON.
“The more PERSON TO PERSON relationships we can put in the path of children, the better,” building their social skills and social confidence.
With school holidays coming up, which includes Easter and a long weekend due to ANZAC DAY, I encourage you to plan ahead with your children and discuss and organise PERSON TO PERSON social activities with their friends/new friends, and FAMILY ACTIVITIES. Also have some family discussions around the dinner table which involve how do we know when people are respecting us, what a good friendship looks like, what respectful language involves.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO HELP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE ALL LIVE. ADULTS AROUND THEM NEED TO DISPLAY RESILIENCE AND POSITIVITY AND RESPECTFUL, CARING RELATIONSHIPS - WE ARE ALL BORN FOR RELATIONSHIP and do our best growing and learning in a safe and nurturing environment.
Take care & stay well!
Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)