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Building Resilience Through Conversation
Building Resilience Through Conversation
The coronavirus (now officially named COVID-19) has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and uncertainty around this can bring about fear and worry with our students. It is important to remember our children are looking towards us for reassurance and cues on how to react and respond.
Five strategies to build resilience, and have reassuring conversations with our children are:
1. Stay Positive: Remember to keep calm. If you show anxiety or fear, your child will pick up on this and also feel nervous and afraid. Changes to the environment and routines can create unease. Having calm, panic-free discussions can ease emotions around these changes. Check-in on how your child is feeling and acknowledge and address their worries rather than ignore them.
2. Stick to the facts: It is important to have thoughtful conversations regarding the coronavirus to minimize anxiety, worry or fear. Look at the facts. Consider your child’s age, processing, and emotions to determine how to frame these conversations to ensure your child understands. Let them know that South Korea is doing everything they can and you are up to date on current information. If they have additional questions you can look to find the answers. Check-in on what your child is thinking and address their worries. Discuss that not everything they hear or see is real. It can also be comforting to be reminded that doctors around the world are looking for ways to address the coronavirus and highlight positive news as well (eg. 30 people have recovered and been discharged in South Korea).
3. Consider Media Consumption: When looking online, consider the source and fact-check to prevent fake news, and think before you share. Be mindful of how much media you are checking and minimize how often you are reading stories. Try to keep a healthy balance (both online and offline) in your daily routines and lifestyle.
4. Eliminate Stigma: It is important to be aware of how the coronavirus is explained to your children to avoid any person/group being blamed. Also to communicate that if someone has a fever or cough does not mean this person has the coronavirus.
5. Boost Your Coping Strategies: When anyone has change or uncertainty this can create some levels of worry or anxiety. When this occurs, it is important to use positive coping strategies to manage those emotions. As every person is different, so too are our coping strategies. Regardless, it is important to practice positive strategies to calm down or modify our thinking to improve our outlook and overall well-being. Coping strategies can include: positive self-talk, singing, dancing, reading, drawing, music, Netflix/movies, create a gratitude list, meditation, yoga, coloring, exercise, cooking/baking, talking to a friend or family member, or doing other activities that are fun or give you joy and make you feel good.
If you notice your child is still worried or anxious, be assured that this is a normal reaction, and continue conversations and providing care for your child. If you find that additional support is needed, please reach out to your child's grade level counselor. Counselors can refer you to outside counseling or schedule time with you or your child to make a plan on how to support them during this challenging time.
Balancing Virtual Learning & Well-Being
Balancing Virtual Learning & Well-Being
As parents, we all want what is best for our children. What can we do to help our kids be successful while ensuring their health and well-being? What do we need to do to ensure our own health and well-being as parents?
To learn more about helping children cope with their fears over COVID-19, click here. For more information on how to care for yourself as a parent during Virtual School, read this article.
Talk to your kids!
Talk to your kids!
Our students are stressed. Many of them are inundated with news on social media, listening to adult conversations, and the coronavirus outbreak is causing increasing fear. The significant changes to their daily routines, virtual learning and being confined to home, are also increasing their anxiety causing added stress. Students are sad about missed sports events, cancelled tournaments, recitals and concerts, many of the outlets they use to relieve stress and increase happiness. They miss their friends. They miss the autonomy they have when they walk out the door every morning for school. They need a safe space and time to vent. Ask them how they are feeling and what they are worried about. Let them know that however they're feeling is okay and that you will continue to get through the changes and challenges together.
Give them space!
Give them space!
Many of us are spending the majority of our day in isolation within a confined space - home, apartment, or hotel room, some of which are only temporary but are challenging nonetheless. Frequent check-ins on our kids are important but giving them breaks is vital to their success and well-being. Allow them to take brain and screen breaks, encourage them to listen to music and tune out for short periods of time throughout the virtual school day. If they're sitting in front of their screens all day, their minds and bodies will inevitably burn out. Make sure they are taking time off and give them space to unwind.
Give them some new responsibilities!
Give them some new responsibilities!
Use this opportunity to encourage your children to be contributing members of the household and help them develop important life skills. Teach them to do their own laundry and have them help you make meals. It's good for children to learn these valuable life skills. It will get them offline, keep their bodies active, boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Keep them social!
Keep them social!
Continue to encourage and support your children's social development. Most students are still communicating with their friends in virtual school, through Google Hangouts, Google Classroom, email, Flipgrid or the countless other amazing tools teachers are using to promote social, engaging learning. Face-to-face contact is important too. Schedule indoor and outdoor play dates to make sure students continue to experience direct physical contact with friends and family to decrease stress and increase well-being.
Encourage exercise!
Encourage exercise!
Maintaining a healthy level of physical activity under our current circumstances is challenging. Most of us are and will need to continue to self-quarantine, but when the weather is nice get yourself and your family outdoors. We are fortunate to have 425 kilometers of coastal olle trails in Jeju. Take your pick and get lost in the woods. On smoggy or rainy days do the PE personal fitness activities assigned to your children as a family. Do a yoga or HIIT workout together. It’s amazing what a little exercise can do for the mind and soul.
Keep to a schedule!
Keep to a schedule!
Develop and do your best to maintain a routine daily and weekly schedule. Make restful sleep a priority. Eat meals together as a family. Make sure everyone takes time to connect to themselves and others daily, apart from and without their technology devices.
Parents, these are all valuable tips to maintain your health & well-being!
Parents, these are all valuable tips to maintain your health & well-being!
Be aware of your mindset and use positive coping strategies to relieve your stress. Talk to people you love and trust. Create a space in your home where you feel calm and secure. Take time to exercise your mind and body. Most importantly ask for help when you need it! There is an extended network of people at KISJ and within our GEC community willing to serve – our leadership team, teachers, counselors, support members, and fellow parents. Take the time to fill your cup, no one can pour from an empty cup.
Copyright © Korea International School, Jeju Campus. All rights reserved. All original content contained on the virtual learning platforms of Korea International School, Jeju Campus, remains the property of Korea International School, Jeju Campus, and the teacher who created it.
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