It is that time again, back to school!
Sending my two kiddos back to in-person learning has been full of both joy and anxiety. We are vaccinated, but there’s still an element of worry about COVID. The kids were excited and felt nervous after being away from school for so long. Some of the families I know have switched to independent study, which brings a whole set of different challenges, much like the new protocols those of us sending our kids back to the campus are experiencing.
If you find yourself, or your student, being off center at the start of this year, remember that we are all facing new unknowns. For our children, re-entering campuses can feel both foreign and familiar and independent study can at times feel isolating, but also empowering.
During these times, it’s valuable to remember our Five Types of Resilience, but especially the three that best support us in practicing our Resilience Skills of centering, connecting, and collaborating. We may need to lean on our Centering Skills to build up our Personal Resilience in order to help us encourage the children in our home. It is also good to remember how powerful our Relational Resilience Connecting Skills can be as we reestablish connections and support one another during all the changes. As our children’s classrooms become established, the initial Group Resilience may take time to build as we find comfort in the new rhythms we are being asked to embrace, but our Collaborating Skills can help us meet those challenges head on.
I hope going back to school, whatever that looks like for your student, goes smoothly and that your resilience supports you along the way.
With resilience,
Kristie