By Debbie West-McInnes—Head of Primary
Be kind to yourself; Be kind to others. Have courage and talk about it. There’s a lot of love out there.” Ellie Goulding
Today, we recognised RUOK day which is an annual day reminding us that we need to check in on others throughout the year and a time to ensure we have the check-in skills needed to support others if they are not OK.
Reachout.com has excellent strategies when checking in with family or friends who may not seem OK.
Having the Chat
Pick the right place — somewhere quiet and away from other people.
Try to remove distractions before you start
Don’t push it — if they say they don’t want to talk, let them know you’re there if they change their mind.
Starting the Conversation
How have you been lately?
What is happening?
You haven’t seemed yourself lately.
Is there something you would like to talk about ?
How are you doing?
How to Respond
Be a good listener by paying attention, asking questions and checking you’ve understood what they have said.
Don’t try to solve the problem for them.
Let them know you are there for them.
If a child says they are not OK:
Listen and acknowledge their feelings
Ask what they think will help them to feel better
Ask if they have considered talking to an adult
If you are worried, let someone know.
We have learnt that we need to let our children know that it is OK to not be OK. When something does not go right it is important we don’t always reassure our young ones that everything will be alright. We need to let children know it is OK to be upset – feelings are a part of life. Life does not go according to plan and we are going to have a range of negative feelings (sad, mad, afraid, ashamed or hurt) but how we deal with those feelings will determine whether we bounce back. Resilience is a skill needing to be taught in order to cope with challenges that come our way. Strategies to support the health and wellbeing of our young people include being a good role model as adults when we go through life’s ups and downs. We can also use books, television shows, movies and the news as a catalyst for open discussion. Letting your child make mistakes, and not propping them each time they fail or make a mistake, are important strategies.
Today, students were involved in a range of activities during school and during lunch breaks to promote connecting, caring and being there for others. There are a range of websites we will be drawing from on Thursday to promote health and wellbeing and are also accessible to families.
https://www.ruok.org.au/every-day-resources
https://parents.au.reachout.com/
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/young-people/helpful-contacts-and-websites
Be part of our supportive St Peters Springfield community and contact enrolment by email s.enolments@stpeters.qld.edu.au or call 3470 388
