Hello ISD Community,
As we enter into week eight of online learning, please take a moment to congratulate yourself, whether you are a student, a parent, or a teacher! You are no doubt doing great, as we all navigate these times together.
Keeping Things Positive and Maintaining Structure
As parents, we know it can be hard to stay positive when our kids or teenagers are testing their limits. We often end up saying “Stop doing that!”. But children are much more likely to do what we ask if we give them positive instructions and lots of praise for what they do right. Using positive words when telling your child to do something and genuinely appreciating good behavior are a couple of tips that can be found here from UNICEF’s Tips for Parenting During the Coronavirus Outbreak. In addition to staying positive, we know that maintaining structure makes us all feel more secure. Try sticking to a flexible but consistent routine that kids have a say in creating, include exercise each day - it is a great stress reliever - and take a moment at the end of each day to acknowledge one positive takeaway from the day. See more tips for staying structured from UNICEF here.
Try Belly Breathing to Help Focus and Find Calm
Belly breathing, or abdominal breathing, helps us to relax and focus and relieves stress by lowering the body’s cortisol hormone levels. Sesame Street character Rosita helps little ones find calmness through belly breathing in this video from Sesame Street’s COVID-19 Initiative Caring for Each Other. Tips for belly breathing and a meditation game with Cookie Monster using the five senses can be seen in this video here.
Cheers to your Health and Stay Safe,
Nurse Jen
Office Hours: Mondays and Thursdays 11:00-12:00pm GMT