As we savour the final days of summer and begin our transition to the fall, we invite you to be kind to yourself. Parenting through a pandemic is uncharted territory and we need to look at this year’s return to school through a new lens that affords us some latitude. While some families may feel a sense of relief that their children are back to school, learning in-person and reconnecting with classmates and teachers, others may feel anxious about the face-to-face return. Some of us may fall somewhere in-between on this spectrum flanked by delight and worry; wherever you land, and this may shift from one hour to the next, go easy on yourself. The million-dollar question is: how?
Treat yourself the way you would treat others – think about how you would advise a friend or family member and then give yourself the same flexibility with regards to your expectations of yourself
Pause to take a few deep breaths before tackling a task or chore – to ease the mind and approach tasks with calmness and clarity, begin with a few deep breaths to allow yourself to become centered and focused
Be aware of your “shoulds” – instead of “I should”, try “I could” or “I might try” to give yourself the opportunity for flexibility around task completion
Practice single-tasking – when possible, direct your attention to one thing at a time and give yourself the luxury of intentional single focus
Exercise self-compassion – if you fail to meet your own standards, remind yourself that making mistakes is part of the human condition
Make a conscious decision to focus on what is important to you – decide where you need to direct your time and energies and release or let go of what you can
As we move through the transition back to school, be kind to yourself and recognize you are doing the best you can amidst the uncertainties we face.
Contributed by Wendy Turriff, Junior School Counsellor