Kindness

This kindness calendar taps into the idea of gratitude and the positive effect that regularly practising gratitude has on our mental health and well-being. It encourages children to actively commit to 2 acts of kindness/day, 1 for themselves and 1 for someone else. You could discuss with your children what differences this could make,

It makes you feel good.                                                                                                         

It improves relationships.                                                                                             

It makes us all feel happy.                                                                                              

It can help to bond our communities and our families.  

You could look at each of the days and pick a favourite activity that you could do for each other in lockdown. Talk about why being kind might be difficult at the moment but why it is especially important and how it can bond you as a family. Discuss self-care and why it is important to take some time to be kind to yourselves - like when mum takes a bubble bath or when dad goes for a bike ride. Either create a family calendar of kindness or individual calendars - these can be a mix of self-care and kindness for others in the home. Remind the children of the calendar each day or share how you feel when they did a kind act for you.

Children Returning to School

The Government’s announcement that there is the possibility that children, in some Year groups, might begin to return to school at the beginning of June may have caused anxiety levels to rise in both parents and children alike. Children might need more support in managing their emotions in the run up and around the time when they, their siblings or friends begin to return to school. However, parents need to remember that ‘before we can help others we need to help ourselves’. The BiBorough Educational Psychology Consultation Service has produced a booklet giving this advice for adults. 

Try to

Take time out to get sufficient sleep, rest, relax and eat regularly and healthily.

Talk to people you trust and allow yourself to be comforted. You don’t have to tell everyone everything, but not saying anything to anyone is often unhelpful.

Reduce outside demands and avoid taking on additional responsibilities.

Spend time in a place where you feel safe and calm to go over what’s happened over the course of the day/week. Don’t force yourself to do this if the feelings are too strong or intense at the time.

Try to reduce your access to the constant stream of news from media outlets and social media. Try scheduling ‘digital power off’ times.

Use relaxation strategies e.g. slow breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, self-talk.

Build in opportunities for recognising hope and positive strength.

Allow yourself experiences of sadness and grief.

Try to avoid

Bottling up feelings. Consider whether it would be helpful to talk about them with someone you trust.

Feeling embarrassed by your thoughts, feelings or those of others. These are normal reactions to a stressful event and period of time.

Isolating yourself from those you trust and feel safe around.