Families: Connection and Resilience
 
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Snapshot September 2021
Preparing for School: Resilience, Connection and Skills for a Successful September Transition
The transition back to school will be a big change as schools move to larger cohorts and more routine, in addition to once again facing a September of uncertainty. For these reasons some students might be apprehensive or worried about returning to school. The focus of this Snapshot is to help families and students prepare for these changes so that it is a successful process of celebration, resilience and safety. 
In general, going back to school is a major adjustment for families. It’s a whole new setting, especially for kids who are transitioning from elementary to middle school or middle to high school. These changes may be particularly challenging as many typical transition activities were curtailed this spring. Many students will be able to manage this change effectively, but others may need more support.  
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Humans tend to repeat certain behaviors when they are stressed. Think about what your child does when they get stressed and the behaviors that they usually revert to. It might be hiding in the background or acting out and trying to be the funny kid. Once you recognize what they tend to do under stress, that’s probably what you’re going to see as they transition back to school.
Emotion Coaching
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Researchers have been studying the mental health of children and families since the start of the pandemic to develop strategies that support those who are struggling. One easy strategy parents can use is called emotion coaching. This is a two-step process that parents can use when their child is distressed/stressed.

1. Parents first validate the emotion. This requires that they identify the emotion by saying something like: “I can understand you might be feeling worried …” and then by explaining the emotion: “… because it’s almost time to go back to school." This conveys to a child that their feelings make sense, that they are not wrong or bad for feeling the way they do, and that their parent understands them.
When you validate your child‘s experience it activates a release of brain calming chemicals in the emotional center of the brain. Once calm, they will be more flexible, connected and cooperative. 

2. Then parents provide support. This may be emotional support that is comforting, reassuring and hopeful. It could also be a sign of togetherness, in saying something like: “I will be here with you every step of the way."  Practical support can take the form of redirection, problem-solving or encouragement. 
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It is helpful if parents take time to talk with their children before school starts. For an anxious child, this might be five minutes of validation and support each day. For another child, checking in occasionally may be enough. Families can also reach out to school Administrators and/or counsellors to provide school support as well. School counsellors can also provide community resources if more wrap around services are needed.
Connection
Belonging is a basic need for everyone. Feeling a sense of connectedness to family, peers, school and community is one of the most important assets for a child’s well-being, health and success in life. Research shows that children with positive peer relationships feel better about themselves, and experience greater mental health.
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They are more prosocial and perform better academically. A single caring adult, be it a family member, coach, teacher, an elder or a neighbor, can positively influence a child’s life and promote resilience. Children’s life satisfaction is related to their sense of belonging with peers and their supportive relationships with adults even more so than family income or personal health. This is true across cultures. For children, connectedness to land, language and culture also can play an important role in encouraging a strong healthy sense of identity. 
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In January of 2021 SD 61 elementary (grade 4) and middle (grade 6) students participated in the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI). MDI is a self-report questionnaire that asks students how they think and feel about their experiences both inside and outside of school. 
The questions are related to the five areas of development that are strongly linked to well-being, health and academic achievement. Below is their responses regarding connection to adults. You can access the full MDI reports in the resources section.
Grade 4 MDI Data on Connection
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Grade 6 MDI Data on Connection
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For more information on how to strengthen the connection with your
children visit these previous Snapshots! 
Hold on to Your Kids

Hold on to Your Kids

Connection and Relationship

the importance of sleep
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The summer holidays often means getting up late and staying up even later! So, when it comes to going back to school, it’s no wonder students often feel sluggish and struggle to concentrate. The recommendation is that you try to get everyone back to their normal sleeping pattern one week before the start of the new school year. Following are some tips:
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Go Gradual. The body can‘t handle a huge shift in sleep routine—that‘s why jet lag frequently accompanies a trip to another time zone. Therefore, it is important to plan ahead and move sleep schedules up or back in 15 - 30 minute increments. It may feel tedious but small changes make the adjustment a great deal easier, and are more likely to be maintained.
Be Enlightened. The body relies on light for signals that it‘s time to be awake or time to go to bed. To help adjust sleep schedules, open blinds or turn on the lights in your child's room as soon as it is time to wake up and dim them as they prepare for bed. If their sleep schedule is not in sync with daytime and nighttime, use blackout curtains or a sleep mask as you support them on gradually shifting back to a day/night schedule. 
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Nap Smart. When sleep schedules are in flux, people might find themselves more tired than usual. While a short 20-minute nap in the early afternoon can give a boost of energy, sleeping for much longer or too close to bedtime will confuse the body’s sleep rhythms even more than they already are. So youth should try to power through and head to bed early.
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Sleep = Happier According to studies the strongest correlation with happiness is sleep!! Teenagers need about 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Teens who say they get more than seven hours of sleep on most nights report being happier. This makes sense as sleep deprivation is a major risk factor for both physical and mental health issues. Unfortunately, today's teens sleep less than teens once did, possibly due to spending more time on their phones and other devices.
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Resources and sources
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