September again?!
Well that went quick didn’t it? Back to the geese practicing to leave for sunnier climes and the leaves gently shedding their leaves letting us know that it is definitely not summer any more and Autumn is on its way. What does that mean for your kids?
September brings a whole new set of things to tackle: new school; new teachers; new uniform; new, new, new! You can consider yourself lucky if there’s not a lot of newness going on. And that means change. Which is not always easy to navigate. Here’s some ideas to ease the disruption.
Practice gratitude
I’ve talked about this before in this blog, but it’s a goodie, so worth mentioning again! This ‘finding something positive’ habit is a winner and can really change your mood for the day. So as the days get cooler and darker, I think this is especially helpful and definitely something that the whole family can get on board with. And it can change all the ‘new’ into interesting or even exciting.
Keeping some consistency
When everything is changing and new, it’s comforting to still keep some things going – clubs, family traditions or routines, visits to grandparents – things like this that have always happened help to keep us grounded and put things into perspective. When everything is changing, this is sometimes exactly what we need.
Talk through how you deal with change
Your child may well feel like they are the only person that is feeling anxious about all the new. Spend some time talking about how you deal with change and how it makes you feel. Talk about how we often mask what we are really feeling and that is why sometimes it looks like everyone else is doing ok. This is a good segway into social media, but I’ll leave that with you for the time being (it’s also the subject of my next blog!).
Explain that the new will just become how it is
As a coach, I used to talk about your life and all the things that you do as a well trodden path. The same habits, routes and thoughts form an easy to follow path. If you need to change what you are thinking and doing, that’s hard, because you have to cut down branches, keep the grass short and repeat this until it is passable. That’s what change is all about, but eventually the old path will be the overgrown one and the new path will be the easy route. That’s what change is, it’s exciting, but hard work. However, eventually, it will just become normality. Talking this through my well make the interim easier – for everyone!
Change is exciting, but wearing. Approach it mindfully and face it head on and you’ll all get through!
SUE
Owner of Red Bird Tutoring
Sue launched Red Bird Tutoring in 2018, combining her 20+ years experience as a teacher and school leader with her interest in coaching.
Since its launch, Red Bird has helped hundreds of learners achieve success!