Health and Wellbeing
Our children are experiencing a whole mixture of emotions as they transition back to school. There is lots of joy, delight, enthusiasm and activity as they reconnect. At times, there is a sense of being overwhelmed with these positive emotions or by worries about how they now fit again. They are not alone in these feelings. It is really important that we acknowledge the validity of these thoughts and feelings and that they are normal reactions. Be You is a website that we are using as teachers, and is available for you as parents, to help support the mental health of our students. In a webinar provided by Be You last week, we heard psychologists provide the following tips in supporting our children back to school:
- Ensure a safe, supportive environment
- Encourage approach and not avoidance – so if our children are worried or anxious, instead of suggesting they avoid the situation that may be causing the worry, we need to support them actually participating or giving it a go. Avoidance will only increase the anxiety.
- Encourage realistic thinking
- Encourage independence and don’t offer too much reassurance
- Pay attention to and acknowledge courageous behaviour (remember being brave doesn’t mean not being scared or worried but it does mean giving it a go)
- Be a calm, coping role model.
Another very useful website is the Macquarie University, Centre of Emotional Health “We’ve Got This Covered” which has short videos and factsheets for parents and carers about anxiety generally and especially in relation to the current situation.
Lynn Wyllie-Watson
