Resources for Parents
Welcome back everyone,
We are excited to welcome students back into our buildings this fall! We have missed seeing and connecting with them these last couple of months. Starting a new school year comes with a lot of mixed emotions during a normal school year, this year will be even more so. We wanted to share some tips on supporting your child with the transition back to school and the school routine. Please remember that feelings are very individual and there is no right or wrong feeling to have. Some kids will be excited to return to school while others may be nervous about coming back after being out of school for so long. Helping your child normalize their feelings and understanding that their feelings may change day to day can help. Any reaction is okay but if your child is upset here are some tips.
Help they know that it is normal to feel nervous when doing something new
Share about a time you were nervous about something and how you handled it
Help them to talk about their feelings: ask them to name their feelings and talk about any worries or concerns they may have
Answer any question they have that you are able to or let them know you will get the answers, kids mostly want reassurance that things will be ok and they are safe
All the Waterman and State Street Staff are here to support them either in person or remotely
If they are expressing uncomfortable feelings (sad, mad, frustrated, etc), help them to relax their body through deep breathing exercises. Here is the link to the website page that reminds them how to do many of these techniques https://sites.google.com/skanschools.org/elementarycounseling/ms-weeds-mental-health-minute-videos
Remind them that their uncomfortable feelings are temporary
Help them to turn their feelings by focusing on positive emotions - what they are looking forward to, what fun things they would like to do at home today, a distraction like a game, etc
You are the expert on your child(ren) but if they are struggling with their emotions during this time please know we are here to help. In the upcoming weeks these feelings may come and go which is normal but can be unexpected. We will all get through this but please remember it is ok for all of us to get support. That is how we can choose to shine together!
Take care and please reach out if you like any help or support for your child,
Marcy Weed (Waterman) and Abbie Paine (State Street)
mweed@skanschools.org (Waterman) or apaine@skanschools.org (State Street)
COVID-19 Emotional Support Links
Coping With Holidays and a Pandemic
Coping-Booklet-1.pdfEven Sesame Street's muppets are affected the virus. In the video linked here Elmo's dad is reminding parents it is ok to take care of themselves, to take a good breath and know that you are doing a great job!
These were taken from the Cayuga County Department of Health Facebook page.
Caring for Our Emotional Health During the Coronavirus Pandemic
By: Jeanne Elmer
Social distancing does NOT mean social isolation! Maintain social interactions with others who get you, support you, laugh with you and there is permission to avoid those who bring you down. Positive social connection is the most powerful stress buster. Thankfully, technology can keep us connected while keeping us safe. However, please limit the time you spend on social media and media that purely focuses on the coronavirus. Balance is the key.
Maintain a regular routine. Plan your day. Continue to schedule all the things you would naturally do as much as possible while continuing to maintain safety for yourself and others...planning for meals, preparation of meals, eating together, purposeful relaxation time, cardio/strength building sessions, routine hygiene such as showers, teeth brushing, getting dressed, other activities you can continue at home. Online classes are available for almost anything such as martial arts, exercise and dance routines, cooking, and crafts.
Remember to breathe. As silly as this may sound, learning and practicing relaxation breathing lowers our anxiety and brings us back to our best thinking within minutes. When we breathe deeply and spend more time exhaling, we positively affect our nervous system. There are several free apps to explore, some with guided imagery experiences. A simple exercise is deeply inhaling and spending twice as much time on the exhale by pursing the lips, 5 to 10 times.
Make crafts, start and finish a house project or other project. Use this protected time (that we very seldom have) to get something done!
And, please keep in mind the following:
· This, too, shall pass. There will be a vaccine. This will end. We won’t be social distancing forever.
· Self-care is crucial always and even more so now! Get creative with exercise, nutrition, connection with others, relaxation, time alone, gratitude focusing, hobbies, activities that bring you peace, joy, humor. And by the way…Practicing needed boundaries is good self-care.
· Don’t judge yourself for any feelings that come up. All feelings are normal reactions to this unpredictable, anxiety producing season we are in. Anger, irritability, lack of patience, sadness, lack of motivation, reactivity, too much or too little of any emotion…. all normal. We need to be forgiving of ourselves and others.
· Lastly, we will get through this. The unpredictability of this and our warranted anxiety puts us and sometimes keeps us in a fear place. Try to spend time trusting in our individual and collective resilience as members of this human race. Historically, we have made it through wars, pandemics, disasters, recessions and a severe depression. We are programmed to adapt, to heal, to support and care for each other. In addition, each of us have survived our own hardships, contributing to our own strengths. We will survive this. We will recover and rebuild. And we will do it together.
Jeanne Elmer, MSW is a counselor and mental health consultant with 35-plus years of experience providing support and education to individuals and groups experiencing distress and trauma. She continues to chair the Onondaga Community Trauma Task Force, a group of dedicated individuals addressing trauma awareness and needs in the local community.
Coronavirus-Anxiety-Workbook.pdf