We are at a wonderfully exciting time in the St Pat's school year with the dance concert preparation well underway. It is also the tiring time of the year as we approach the end of Term 4. How do we manage and support our children through this energy sapping time? One critical answer is helping them get enough sleep.

I was listening to one of Meg Durham's podcasts this week that is VERY VALUABLE for all of us to listen to in support of our children, and our own sleep habits and sleep health. I highly recommend this to you. Meg talks with Professor Roxanne Prichard about

• How good sleep affects our brain function, energy, immunity and wellbeing.
• The serious detrimental effects that poor sleep can have on our bodies, leaving us more prone to anxiety and depression disorders.
• What we can do to listen to our bodies and improve our sleep habits and health. LISTEN HERE

On another note, we have been having regular conversations with our teachers who have noticed that our primary school children are finding IMPULSE CONTROL harder and harder. We are seeing students unable to manage impulses that we would have expected many of them to have developed in their preschool years. Here are six important foundations that can help our kids develop better impulse control.

1. Patience: Teach children the value of waiting. Simple activities like waiting for their turn during a game or waiting for a treat can help them develop patience. Learning to wait helps them understand that good things come with time and effort.
   
2. Self-awareness: Our children need to experience many different places and spaces to understand themselves and grow awareness of their bodies and emotions in the world. Having regular visits to places like the library, supermarket, park, restaurants, builds children's experience bank. Going to new places, or spaces that have specific rules, can help children recognise how they feel and react in various situations. And give you as parents ‘teachable moments.’
   
3. Attention control: In today’s world where screen-time is a growing preferred activity for our children, they often struggle to focus. Encouraging activities that build attention including creative play, gardening, construction, or even watching cloud movement can help a child to build attention span. These moments are crucial for their development. Practicing focus in fun ways can improve their ability to concentrate on more challenging tasks.
   
4. Emotional regulation: It’s important for children to feel all kinds of emotions, even the tough ones like frustration, anger and sadness. When they experience these feelings, through the social coaching of their parent, or school staff, they learn to recognise and to manage their emotions. Recognising, accepting and managing emotional experiences helps children develop resilience and coping strategies.
   
5. Memory: Children need chances to use their memory through games, conversations, and daily activities. Don’t let devices do all the remembering for them. Strengthening their memory helps them retain information and improves their learning skills.
   
6. Problem-solving skills: Encourage kids to solve problems on their own. This can be through puzzles, games, or real-life situations where they need to think and find solutions. Problem-solving fosters critical thinking and independence.
   

We all know just telling kids to “stop” certain behaviours isn’t enough. We need to help them build these important skills through play, movement, and real-world experiences.

Thanks for working together to help every child to learn and grow as happy, engaged and active participants in the world of home, school and community.

Blessings,

Jo