Many of these activities will have an accompanying demonstration video which you will be able to find on the Unlocking Potential Youtube Channel and on the site below. We hope you enjoy receiving our Weekly Well-being activities and find them useful!
In this week’s activity, we are going to be thinking about connections and how your child can learn to talk about their feelings to better connect with others. Watch the video below as Jenny, one of our team managers talks your child through this exercise. This video is a little bit longer than our usual ones, so make sure that you and your child have time, space, paper and a pencil to watch a listen!
Week 2 of our special memories book is here! It has spaces for your child to draw and write about their special memories from Primary school. Head back to Week 8 to download the first two pages of the book if you missed them last week.
** Click the Memories Book button below for the next page **
Click on the transitions button below for the second instalment of our 6-week transitions programme. This week we are thinking about what school means to us with a fun A2Z activity and we start to think about the differences between primary school and secondary school. Your child can do this on their own or with your help.
Our May COVID timeline is here! Download from the COVID Timeline below and help your child think through what happened in the UK in May. There are a few questions for your child to answer, and a few vocabulary words for them to learn!
Name the feelings
Little children, and even some older children, don’t have the vocabulary to talk about their feelings. Help them learn by keeping a close eye on their facial expressions and body language and, as often as possible, naming their feelings for them. Once you’ve done this you can make links to why they feel this way. This will help them to identify and manage their own feelings better. Let them know how you’re feeling and how you think others are feeling too. Set aside a little time every day to talk and listen to each other, for instance during mealtimes or before bed.
Just ask
If you think your child might be worried or upset, in a straightforward way, ask them what’s wrong. It might sound obvious but by doing this, you’re letting them know that you’ve noticed their feeling and that you think it’s a good idea to talk openly and honestly about feelings. Then give them some time – they might need time to think before they can talk about it. If they don’t come to you to talk, show them you’ve remembered by revisiting it with them during a quiet moment when it’s just the two of you.
Play together
If your child is still having difficulty talking about their upset or worried feeling. Try doing a calm, one-to-one activity together. Suggest something you know they’ll enjoy, such as an art or craft activity or a walk outdoors. Children are often more relaxed and open when they’re doing something, especially if it’s something that you’ve chosen because you know they’ll enjoy it. Once you’re both engaged in the activity, gently bring up the subject and let them know that you’re here to help.
Don’t rush
When children try to talk about their feelings, listen closely and don’t rush to make things better straight away. By doing this, your child will learn that their feelings matter. Rushing straight to solutions can dismiss or minimise the feeling and, rather than getting rid of it, can lead to it coming out in a more unhealthy way – they might take their anger or upset out on their friends, teachers or siblings, for instance.
Practice
Once your child has completed the exercises in this pack. Invite them to ask you the same questions. Use the first template to match your feelings to colours and then recall a time in lockdown you had this feeling. If you and your child recall the same event, you can use this as an opportunity for discussion and reflection about feelings. Were you feeling the same thing or different? Imagine what your child felt in this moment and reflect together on each other’s feelings, inviting acceptance and curiosity for those feelings. Perhaps you might even be able to validate their feelings with empathy too. This allows your child to understand you are able to imagine their emotional world which will strengthen your sense of emotional connection.
Another video this week from Elle, the OT lead at Unlocking Potential. This week Elle talks about sitting and posture, why this is important for children to practice, and how you can help them practice their posture with things around the house!
