W e teach a Growth Mindset to view each experience as an opportunity to progress and learn, rather than as a defeat or embarrasment.
The Key to coaching mindset beliefs in children, lies in how parents and teachers praise and motivate them.
Social emotional learning (SEL) harnesses self-awareness, self management through breath work and body clues, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision making and perseverance.
The Acronym for LIFE is:
- Learn to be mindful
- Inner helpful thoughts
- Feeling Like a resilient person
- Enjoy a healthy Lifestyle.
What does that look like in a classroom? Firstly we Intentionally teach our children social and emotional skills just like you would learn to read and write. Discussing feelings, pivoting from disappointment, listening to body clues, learning helpful thoughts Verses unhelpful thoughts, choosing behaviour choices wisely and the natural consequences to unfavourable choices, incorporating healthy eating, and learning confidence through being brave and self help skills.
The education system is failing in the areas of social and emotional development. Today 1 in 5 people suffer from Anxiety. Components of Anxiety are:
- Affective ( feeling of fear, panic, irritation)
- Cognitive ( worry, negative thoughts. Poor concentration)
- Physiological ( increased heart rate, stomach aches, muscle tension, insomnia
- Behavioural ( flight, fight, freeze, reassurance seeking)
More schools are incorporating resilience programs for this purpose. We are one of the few childcare centres on the coast rolling out a certified, curriculum based program, recognised by the World Health Organisation. We see this as an extremely valuable life tool but especially in preparing children for a smooth transition into their preparatory year of formal schooling.
Role modelling of Positive reinforcement at home is key to consolidating and sustaining tools taught at kindy.
We encourage you to engage in conversations with your child/children about the resilience program and invite you to speak to the educators or the kindy teacher if you have questions.
It’s the start of a mindful life long journey and you will enjoy watching your children flourish.
Watch this video to see a snippet of the Resilience program in action.
Flexible Bodies= Flexible minds, which cultivates a growth mindset, open to endless possibilities. Yoga also develops both gross and fine motor skills.
There are five key areas where children benefit from yoga practice and each of them improves their overall well being.
- It enhances Physical Flexibility- promoting physical strength and learning to use their muscles in new ways which challenges various muscle groups.
- It refines balance and coordination – Balance is a key element. Balancing poses promote mental and physical poise such as mental clarity and stability emerge from the effort of calming and focusing. Coordination and balance promotes overall dexterity.
- It develops focus and concentration – the act of practising poses encourages children to clear their mind and focus on the effort. This flows over into concentration at school.
- It boosts self esteem and confidence- it teaches them to persevere, be patient and work towards their goals. When a child masters a pose it gives them confidence and builds self esteem as it is the child who has to work to succeed.
- It strengthens the mind-body connection – it helps children achieve a sound mind in a sound body by exercising the physical body and calming the mental spirit. This will teach children to behave with mindfulness, compassion, being brave and to know love and happiness through the practice of inner peace.
