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A Playful Approach to Preparing Children to Return to School During COVID: Part 3

August 25, 2020 by Shannon Eidman

When to seek extra support

Hopefully by now you have plenty of ideas to support your child in their return to school, but you may still be wondering if it’s enough. So let’s consider when it might be most appropriate to seek extra support.

It is important to remember that anxiety is a normal feeling, and it plays a very important role in keeping us safe. It is natural for children to be feeling anxious in the run-up to school! Anxiety is “the expectation of something bad happening” (John Piacentini, 2016). Where anxiety becomes problematic is when children feel a real sense of danger when they are in fact perfectly safe, or when the anxiety (or attempts to avoid the anxiety) has an impact on their ability to function. If your child is avoiding things which they enjoy doing, or is exhibiting behaviours which are concerning or out of the ordinary (not sleeping, eating, refusing to go to school, isolating themselves, complaining of frequent stomach aches or headaches, etc), it may be time to seek assistance with the issue. Check in with your GP and check out www.iaptp.ie and www.iahip.org where you can find play therapists and child and adolescent psychotherapists in your area. There are excellent behaviour support services available also, such as www.reachchildrens.com.

Most importantly, be easy on yourself and on the little ones, too. We are all figuring this thing out together, and children are looking to the grown-ups to see how we are feeling about this big change! Let’s show them safety, reassurance and compassion. You’ve got this.

Resources

My top recommendation at this time is a book by an Irish Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Malie Coyne. “Love In, Love Out: A Compassionate Approach to Parenting your Anxious Child” is a beautifully written book which guides parents through an evidence-based and compassionate approach through supporting your child through their anxiety. There are many resources inside this book which might be helpful in navigating the back-to-school transition!

The Whole Brain Child, by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel & Dr Tina Payne Bryson

The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears, by Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen

Raising a Secure Child, by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, and Bert Powell

References

Piacentini, J. (2016) ‘Recognizing and Treating Problematic Fear and Anxiety in Children’, Youtube, Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQnKJvuWXf8

Eleanor is a Child and Adult Psychotherapist and Play Therapist at her private practice. After years of working as a Social Care Worker and SNA, Eleanor felt that play was the missing piece in her work (and life!). Jumping back into third level education, Eleanor recently finished her MA in Creative Psychotherapy! During her training, Eleanor also became a mother to her now 2 year old daughter and has since developed a strong interest in empowering and supporting parents.

Uncategorized back to school,  COVID support,  prepare for school,  school anxiety,  special needs

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Mindfulness and connecting with the present benefits all ages, but it can often be difficult for younger or very busy children to see the benefits. So it's very helpful to find meaningful and playful ways to embed brief moments of mindfulness into the day.

Here's one activity that we find many children enjoy. Have a competition and see who can walk the furthest.
... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago

Mindfulness and connecting with the present benefits all ages, but it can often be difficult for younger or very busy children to see the benefits. So its very helpful to find meaningful and playful ways to embed brief moments of mindfulness into the day. 

Heres one activity that we find many children enjoy. Have a competition and see who can walk the furthest.
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The holidays are behind us, and we're into the new year. It's been a rocky start so far, and there's certainly plenty that is beyond anyone's immediate control. For some of you, just getting through each day may feel like a monumental success. Others may not feel accomplished unless affecting some bit of change.

There's no one right way to navigate through these tough times, but know that we're still here to help. If you have concerns about your child's development, or are struggling to understand their behaviour, don't hesitate to message or email info@reachchildrens.com to ask about our:

⭐ Early intervention
⭐ Play and social skills
⭐ Parent coaching
⭐ Behaviour Support
⭐ Anxiety support
⭐ Online training
⭐ Life Skills Programmes (toilet training/sleep)
... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

The holidays are behind us, and were into the new year. Its been a rocky start so far, and theres certainly plenty that is beyond anyones immediate control. For some of you, just getting through each day may feel like a monumental success. Others may not feel accomplished unless affecting some bit of change. 

Theres no one right way to navigate through these tough times, but know that were still here to help.  If you have concerns about your childs development, or are struggling to understand their behaviour, dont hesitate to message or email info@reachchildrens.com to ask about our:

⭐ Early intervention
⭐ Play and social skills
⭐ Parent coaching
⭐ Behaviour Support
⭐ Anxiety support
⭐ Online training
⭐ Life Skills Programmes (toilet training/sleep)
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Learn more at www.reachchildrens.com

Some really simple, but useful tips. 💕 ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

Some really simple, but useful tips. 💕
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