Welcome to Term 3

Small Steps Anxiety program for parents

 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is offering a 'Small Steps' Anxiety Information Seminar for parents and carers on Tue 16th of August. Small Steps is a program aimed at raising awareness and improving the recognition of anxiety disorders in children.

Topics covered during a Small Steps session:

•       Signs and symptoms of anxiety
•       Different types of anxiety disorders and how they present
•       Evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders
•       Referral and treatment options
•       Stressors including COVID-19 and natural disasters

The Small Steps session is run by an independent facilitator, and Doreen, our school Counsellor, will also be attending.  The session runs for one hour, with plenty of time afterwards for discussion and questions.  If you think your child might have anxiety, or if you are just interested in what to look out for, please come along. 

Date: Tuesday, 16 August

Time: One session at 2pm. This session will be repeated at 5.00pm

Location: School Library

Children and Change

Big life changes can be difficult for all of us, and especially for children.  The three most important things you can do to help your children with change are to model calm and resilience yourself in the face of change; to increase childrens feelings of connectedness and support; and, as much as possible, continue to provide them with a sense of predictability and routine in their lives.

Some simple tips for helping kids cope with change:
   1. Teach your children to understand their emotions. What are they really feeling?
Anger may be the most obvious emotion, but it is often underpinned by other
emotions such as frustration, disappointment, insecurity, fear, guilt, etc.
   2. Create an environment where children feel safe to ask any question about the
changes they are facing. This will help them understand why the change is
happening and what to expect. Understanding why and how will help them
process it.
   3. Do not spring change on them out of the blue or all at once. Start talking about
the changes early so they can start to understand it and start thinking about
what they need from you that will help them on the journey.
   4. Stick to your basic routines. If you have daily routines in place, try to keep them. But do not be rigid and inflexible.
   5. Buy a visual planner or diary for your child. Encourage them to write down their
feelings, explore the pros and cons of the situation, and start planning a positive
path of what will happen, and what they need to make it happen more smoothly.
If appropriate, remind them that when one door closes, another one opens. What
might the chid like to find on the other end?
   6. Where there is change, there is loss. It can be big or small, but your child will be
leaving something behind. Encourage children to talk about what they miss and let
them grieve what they have lost. This may be their first experience of loss, so it is
an important learning/growing opportunity.
   7. Remember that children take time to adjust, so do not expect it to happen
overnight. Try not to feel guilty if you instigated the change. Life happens. Change
happens. You are doing the best you can.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at the school, or by email
doreenw@catholiccare.dow.org.au

Doreen