Ms. Monaghan's Message - June 15
Challenge, Inspire, Empower, Serve
St. Patrick Garage Sale
Volunteers are needed! Sign up here: www.volunteersignup.org/XHCWR
Donations accepted at the doors of St. Patrick School on the following Wednesdays from 5:00 – 7:00 PM:
•May 23, 30
•June 06, 13, 20, 27
•July 11
** Call Denise Wilderson at (816)718-5062 for questions or other drop-off times.
•Tuesday July 17, 6:00 -9:00 PM (Parish & School EARLY BIRD SPECIAL- Shop & enjoy FREE ICE CREAM FLOATS SERVED BY DEACON MIKE).
•Wed. Thurs. Fri. July 18,19, 20 : 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
•Sat. July 21 8:00 AM-12:00 PM ( $2.00 Bag Sale)
Yearbook Signing Party
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FZkOrsS5joGJ7YypPXang6nh7Nfp_OgkD8Xt14r6qFs/edit?usp=sharing
Are you raising a resilient child?
2018 Areas of Focus
Academically:
** Improve reading comprehension in all grades.
** Improve math computation in all grades.
Culturally:
** Inspire resiliency.
** Increase motivation.
** Implement mindfulness.
** Encourage positive mental well being.
Throughout the rest of the summer, I will focus on these areas in my newsletter. I'd love to hear your comments, thoughts, and suggestions!
Why resiliency??
I see this in my own children. They are brave souls who never cease to take on something new, yet when the going gets tough, I'm sad to admit, their first response is not always to dust themselves off and try again.
My oldest son called me from college one day this week. Below is our conversation:
19 year old son: They aren't giving me enough hours at work. I might just have to quit and find a new job.
Me: (thinks) Seriously?? You can't just quit!
Me: (says out loud): Oh really? Have you asked them to give you more hours?
19 year old son: No. They probably won't though.
Me: Hm. I'd think you would want to ask before assuming that.
19 year old son: They probably won't.
Me: Maybe. But wouldn't it be easier to ask first and then figure out your next option if they say no?
19 year old son: I guess.
Me: (thinks) You guess???? Who raised you???
The moral of the story is: he asked, they offered him more hours which he gladly took, and all is well. #momwin
I have worked really hard for the last 19--almost 20-- years as a mom. I have read books, encouraged creativity, practiced math facts, and spent hours at the table doing homework. I drove to practices and games, made lunches and dinners and snacks and whatever else they needed, did laundry, cleaned house, and worked hard to provide for them. I feel like I've done mostly all of the right things....with a few (or more than a few) mom fails thrown in there from time to time. So why now, when my child is 19 and in college, is his first thought to just give up when the mere suggestion that something might not go his way was put in front of him? Why, when faced with a simple problem, did he immediately think of giving up?
The reality is, things happen. No matter how great of a job parenting we think we are doing, our children are going to face some adversity. In fact, we want them to face adversity, so they learn to pull themselves up and try again. When we shelter them from these experiences, we actually take away an opportunity for them to grow. How can we do this, while still letting them know that we love them and are here to support them along the way? After all, we don't just want to throw them to the wolves, right?
10 Ways to Build Resiliency in your Child
1. Make connections. Encourage your child to be a good friend, practice empathy and compassion. Maintain strong family connections to support your child when a challenge arises. Build connections in your church community, allow faith and scripture to help when things get hard.
2. Encourage your child to help others. Children feel empowered when they can help someone in need. Get involved with age appropriate service work, or just inspire service in your home. Chores are a great way to serve the family!
3. Maintain a daily routine. Get up at the same time, eat breakfast, get to school ON TIME, come home, make time for homework, make time for dinner, make time for kids to just be kids!
4. Take a break. Teach your child to focus on the good, rather than on worries and fears. Build in time for relaxation and exercise. Put away the electronic devices and get outside! Take a family walk or play a board game.
5. Teach your child self-care. (I'm really bad at this!) Teach your child how to eat healthy and exercise. Make this a priority in your home. Allow for unscheduled time in your child's day so that he/she has downtime.
6. Teach goal setting. Encourage your child to set small, attainable goals. Help him set a plan for achieving those goals, then celebrate when he does and use it as a teachable moment when he doesn't.
7. Nurture a positive self-view. Listen to the way your child talks about herself. Say positive things that you notice about your child. "I notice that you worked really hard cleaning up your room today! You did such a great job on your test. I noticed you worked really hard to prepare!
8. Maintain a hopeful outlook. Help your child see that there is more to life than one small challenge. "It's tough when you strike out, but the next time you get up to bat, you have a chance to try again!" Or, "Losing a game is hard, but you can use it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, so that you feel better prepared for your next game."
9. Help children see their talents. Remind your child of his accomplishments and of the good in his life. "Remember when you worked so hard to learn to ride a bike, and after a couple of days, you were riding all by yourself! You should be proud of yourself for not giving up!"
10. Accept change. Change is part of life. Teach your child that it's okay to change course if something isn't working. If a goal set is something that seems unattainable, it's perfectly okay to set a new goal! Encourage your child to be open to change.
St. Patrick School
The mission of St. Patrick School is to develop young men and women with active and creative minds, a sense of understanding and compassion for others, and the courage to act on their beliefs. We stress the total development of each child: spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical. Encouragement is given to students to bring their lives into conformity with God's will and plan, so that He is glorified.
Email: kmonaghan@stpatrickkc.com
Website: stpatrickkc.com
Location: 1401 Northeast 42nd Terrace, Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816-453-0971
Facebook: facebook.com/St.PatrickKC
Twitter: @StPatrickKc