Navigating our way in the new normal

Everybody has different feelings about going back to ‘normal’. It's normal to be both excited and to feel stressed or anxious about it. Young people can have many worries and concerns during this time:

Grief/loss over changes in lifestyle
Return to pre-COVID stresses, like school bullying
Feeling safe at home and unsafe/out of control in public
“Normal’ won’t be the same as before COVID-19
Life was better in isolation, e.g. more time with family
Fear of another lockdown

Headspace and Kids Help Line have some great resources and tips to getting you back into life and supporting a worried child

https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/20200525-YP-COVID-19-Tips-to-get-back-into-life-Fact-Sheet-hN.PDF

https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/returning-normal-after-covid-19

Parenting, alcohol, parties and sleepovers in Year 9

Webinar for parents and carers. Why this year group can be so challenging and the importance of putting things into place now.Thursday, 20 January 2022; 7.00-8.30pm

If you're a parent of a child about to begin Year 9 it's important to prepare yourself for issues around sleepovers, parties and gatherings. Putting things into place now can prevent potential problems in the year (and years) ahead. This presentation will focus on the positive influence that parents can have on their child’s drinking behaviour, even during adolescence, as well as the barriers that they may face during this time. Peer influence is a significant issue at this time and it is important for parents to have clear rules and boundaries in the area of sleepovers, parties, gatherings and alcohol. This presentation will also examine the latest data on Australian teen drinking behaviour and the growing evidence on the risks associated with this practice. Register here.

Pronoun lowdown

He. She. They? Ze? Not sure what all these pronouns mean? If you are nervous about messing up and offending someone or are confused about how to use gender neutral pronouns, the Transgender Training Institute are hosting a Pronoun lowdown youth event. Family and friends of young trans and gender diverse people are also welcome.

Getting Comfortable with Pronouns - 12/2/21, 4-4:30pm ET/1-1:30pm PT Tickets, Thu, Dec 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM | Eventbrite

Self-compassion: what is it?

Self-compassion is being kind to yourself even when things don’t happen the way you expect. It’s being aware of your feelings and treating yourself with the same warmth, care and understanding you’d give to someone you care about. It’s also acknowledging that struggles and challenges are a part of life and that everyone goes through them.

Self-compassion: why it’s important for teenagers

Teenagers can be very hard on themselves. They can also be very self-conscious, care a lot about what others think of them, and compare themselves to others. And they might experience intense emotions like shame and humiliation.

Self-compassion helps teenagers deal more positively with failures, mistakes, setbacks and other tough times. For example, if your child gets a bad grade on an assignment or isn’t picked for a sports team, they might feel disappointed. But self-compassion helps your child to handle the disappointment positively. Your child might say to themselves, ‘It’s OK, I’ve tried my best’, ‘I’ll keep practising and try again’ or ‘I might ask for some help next time’.

When teenagers treat themselves with self-compassion, they are happier, get along well with others, have the confidence to try new things or try again if things don’t work out as planned, take responsibility for their actions, have more resilience, so they can ‘bounce back’ during or after difficult times.

Self-compassion helps protect teenagers against mental health problems like anxiety or depression. Teenagers with self-compassion are also less likely to self-harm, feel suicidal, or show signs of eating disorders or substance abuse.

Self-compassion and strong parent-child relationships

Adolescence can be a difficult time. During this time a strong relationship with you helps your child feel loved, accepted and secure, no matter what’s going on in their life. When your child feels like this, they also feel more confident to face challenges. And they’re more likely to be kind to themselves when things don’t work out. This is because they know you won’t judge or criticise them.

You can build a relationship that helps your teenage child feel secure and nurtures self-compassion in many ways. Here are some ideas:

Spend time with your child doing things they enjoy. It could be shopping, cooking, playing sport, watching TV and so on. This sends a simple message – you’re important to me.
Actively listening to your child’s feelings. To listen actively, stop what you’re doing when your child wants to talk. Try to understand your child’s perspective, even if it’s not the same as yours. For example, ‘It sounds like you’re feeling left out because you’re not going to the party on Thursday night’.
Forgive your child. This shows your child that it’s OK to make mistakes. For example, your child forgets to call when they’re late home from a friend’s place. You could say, ‘I stayed up late because you didn’t let me know when you were going to be home, but it’s OK. It’s easy to forget about calling if you’re having fun. What would help you remember next time?’
Think of ways to show kindness in your family. For example, your family routines might allow for your child to have a break from the washing up on nights when they have a lot of homework. Or as one of your family rituals, you might take turns choosing favourite desserts for Sunday nights.
Praise your child when they show themselves compassion. This builds your child’s self-compassion even more. For example, you could say to your child, ‘I know you’re disappointed that they didn’t pick you for the team. But it makes me so proud to hear that you’ll try out again next season’ (https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/mental-health-physical-health/about-mental-health/self-compassion-teenagers)

Get Active Kids Voucher Program

A reminder about the Victorian Government Get Active Kids Voucher Program. The Program was a Victorian first and provides support to under-represented groups experiencing barriers to participation in sport and recreation.

The Get Active Kids Voucher program supports the delivery of 100,000 vouchers to support children get involved in organised sport and active recreation activities by providing up to $200 towards the cost of membership, sports equipment or uniforms.

Now that community sport is opening up again, find out more about the Get Active Kids Voucher Program and to apply visit Get Active Victoria

Year 9 Sculpture

Creating action figures in wire