Welcome back to Term 2 parents and students!

As you’ve most likely already seen in the return to school, transitioning back to a school routine can find students experiencing a wide variety of emotions, from excitement and happiness to apprehension and fear. Emotions may be at an all-time high right now, and coupled with increased exhaustion from long school days, here are some reminders to keep in mind that parents can do to help students develop their emotional regulation skills at any age.

Create an emotionally expressive environment at home and school. This means creating spaces where they are free to say how they feel without fear of being judged or "shut down".

Talk to them openly about emotions and feelings. When you are feeling an emotion, share that with them. Talk to them about your emotions and tell them how you cope with some of the hard emotions yourself.

Model appropriate emotional regulation skills yourself. Let them see you when you are happy, sad, or angry, and show them appropriate responses to those emotions. They need to be able to see healthy responses to all of the emotions.

Help them understand how to take care of their physical needs. Helping them get a good night's rest, eating healthy foods, and exercising the body are all essential to being able to feel satisfaction in life.

Help them engage in activities that build a sense of achievement. Doing one positive thing every day can lead to a sense of achievement and contentment. The things that bring us joy have been shown to decrease negative moods and increase positive moods.

Parents are welcome to contact the school counsellor via phone or email (Shandelle.steere@catholiccare.cg.org.au) should you have any questions concerning your child’s emotional regulation abilities or mental health concerns.