Weekly Wellness

As you are likely aware, the Premier has announced the requirement for all Kindergarten to Grade 6 students to switch to at-home learning as of Friday, May 7th.  This will mean that all students will be learning online; returning to in-class learning on Tuesday, May 25th (after the Victoria Day long weekend).

Well … we have made it to the end of the school year! No doubt you are looking forward to enjoying some of your favourite summer activities as a family.  While the summertime looks different for everyone, we ideally want to capitalize on the warmer weather and more flexible schedules, in order to infuse our lives with restorative things such as rest, laughter, nature, and connection.

With so much happening in the world right now, this is a particularly important time for all of us to treat each other with respect and compassion. We are more likely to do this when we have empathy for others.  Empathy involves the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

The strange times continue. Over the past few weeks, the world has been highly focused on navigating new health guidelines as we begin to cautiously venture back into public life. And this week, individuals across North America have become united in a growing call for solidarity against racial injustice.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we all have new information to process; decisions to make, and public behaviours to adjust – so this is a good time to reflect on how we communicate with each other!

It is definitely okay to have mixed feelings about the evolving situation, but we also need to recognize that we still have a lot of things in our control. Focusing on identifying what is the right way for us, and our families, to proceed is an empowering opportunity to practice tolerating the ambiguity in the world.

This week we are focusing on ways in which we can further support the healthy development of young people. So much has changed over the past couple of months, but our basic parenting goals remain the same – even if it looks a little different right now!

Families are rising to the challenges of COVID-19 and demonstrating their resilience in the face of adversity. As our home lives have evolved to meet the societal expectations of physical distancing, new challenges have emerged for or children and teens. This week we are answering the parenting questions you have submitted to us.

Right now there is a lot of talk about compassion – being sensitive to the suffering and needs of others.  Compassion is incredibly important in times of great stress in society.  The experience of COVID-19 impacts every family and individual differently, so there is a valuable emphasis in our society on being sensitive to each others’ needs.  And as parents, our children are typically at the forefront of our thoughts, and our compassion for them can be all-consuming!

It is hard to believe, but we are a month into physical-distancing.  I have found that (like anything in life) there are associated challenges and joys in this unexpected situation.  I hope you have too. As we are all getting oriented to this new way of being, it can be helpful to look past how we can ‘cope’ with the circumstances, and look at how we are actually fostering resilience in ourselves and our children.

Connection is key to our mental health and happiness, but connection is looking a bit different these days! We are all trying to create a ‘new normal’ in our homes, while coping with the loss of our typical daily routines. With so much more free-time suddenly on their hands, we need to be cautious of how our children and adolescents can get stuck on devices for many hours each day. Since we are all trying to do our part to stay at home more, electronic platforms can play a uniquely valuable role in helping us stay connected to the outside world. However, we also know that there are some pitfalls to avoid when making decisions about the use of technology. Below are some Q & As about navigating all types of screen time in your home.

Some families started back to school this week after an extended break and others are just getting back to school next week. Regardless, we are all just beginning to navigate this new world of online/distance learning. With school resuming, there is more need for structure in our days, which can also be good for our mental health in the long run. Here are some things to consider so you can set your household up for school success.

How are you doing? The need for Social Distancing (or, more accurately Physical Distancing, since we want to maintain as much social contact as possible!) has many unintentional impacts on our home lives. No doubt, all this unexpected “togetherness” is causing increased tensions in many households. Along with heightened concerns about health, and the significant adjustments to our lifestyles, there are also financial impacts for many families. According to an Angus Reid survey released on March 25th, half of the households in Alberta said that they had already experienced work or job loss due to COVID-19. These added stressors can put pressure on all the relationships in a home. And, given these realities, we all need to find ways to regulate our emotions and communicate effectively. Below are some Q & As to support those goals.

The amount of information we are all getting is overwhelming as we try to adjust to the new realities of COVID-19. We are all trying to make decisions and make sense of something the world has not seen in over 100 years. And as we are trying to adjust, our children and adolescents are looking at us to help them make sense of it as well. Welcome to our new Weekly Wellness E-news that will be written while the schools are closed. It is intended to support families as we navigate this new territory. Below is a Q & A for families regarding some common concerns.