LIFE IN THE MIDDLE: May
A Mental Health and Wellness Newsletter from CMS Counselors
Upcoming Dates
Tuesday - May 18th - 7th Grade Locker Items Pick-up
Wednesday - May 19th - 8th Grade Locker Items Pick-up
More information coming to schedule your Pick-Up time.
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!
Thanks to all parents and students who provided a photo or video for our Teacher Appreciation Week video for our CMS teachers!
Resource Resilience:
The information provided in each update is from WhyTry.org. We trust this information will be useful to you. Helping our students learn to bounce back when things are tough is a key skill that will serve them well today and into the future.
With our current restrictions, some ideas may not be practical for today, but they can be utilized in the future as you continue to develop resilience.
This issue also contains information about HOPE!
Resource Resilience:
What Are Your Resources?
Take a moment to think about – even write down – the resources you possess in life that help you with your parenting. Having trouble? Let’s break it down:
If you’re a working parent, what skills do you possess that help you thrive in a career that supports your family?
What skills at home contribute to your success as a parent? Your ability to cook, do laundry, unclog a toilet, or change a diaper are all resources.
How has money and a budget benefited your family?
What services do you have access to that help you or your children? Think about medical care, the education system, after-school groups, public parks, school lunch programs, counseling services, the local library, public transportation, community sports, church groups, etc.
Have you ever used Google to solve a parenting problem?
If you lack resources, realize that this lack can actually be a thing that makes you MORE resilient. It will make you hyper-attuned to the resources you do have and use them to their maximum capacity. It will stretch you to find resources and services that you didn’t know existed before.
What are some physical possessions that make life easier for you and your children? This list can be quite long as you think both small and big – a family pet, your handy pancake spatula, phone, Internet access, air conditioning, a favorite stuffed bear, the family car, Netflix, bunk beds, baseball mitts…
Finally, who are the people in your life and your children’s lives who make your job easier? Your parents, neighbors, or close friends might immediately come to mind, but if not, there is still a vast network of people who have your child’s best interest at heart. Think about the school principal, school counselor, teacher, and bus driver, doctor, daycare worker, softball coach, or the nice lady at the grocery store checkout who gave your screaming toddler a sticker.
Your list by now should be fairly long. Take a good look at it – maybe you never thought about all the resources at your fingertips that have the potential to make you a better and more resilient parent. Do you feel you’re using all of these resources to their maximum capacity? If you wrote your list down, circle a few that you feel you could focus on a little more.
Potential Resources
This brings us to the final point of Resource Resilience – the recognition that there are potential resources out there that maybe you haven’t even thought of yet. Let’s say you’re in a bind with finding a job.
- What skills could you acquire that would make you more qualified for the work you’d like to do?
- Who could you get in touch with to help you made the connection you need?
- Is there volunteer work you could do to get a little more experience under your belt?
These are the kind of questions that someone with Resource Resilience asks regularly, continually expanding their resource pool, as they actively seek out more doors to open.
Discussing Resource Resilience with Your Child
Talk to your children about some of the things they are grateful for. Explain that these things are all resources. Discuss the ways these things can help your children be more resilient in life.
Ask your children about a craft or hobby they’d like to get good at, then talk about how they might connect with people or resources that could help them develop this new talent.
RESOURCE RESILIENCE
Reflection
Think about an area where you’re struggling right now as a parent or spouse. What are some resources you currently possess that could help you with this challenge? What are some resources you could acquire that might help you address this challenge?
I used to look at people I thought had it all and think they had it made… I can look back and see that because I had to work really hard, because I had to really dig deep to access strengths that have gotten me through, I’ve become much stronger. I’ve developed abilities that I never would have if my life had been easy.
Christian Moore – The Resilience Breakthrough, page 157
RESOURCE RESILIENCE
Resource Resilience Booster
Boost your family’s ability to tap into their resource resilience with this bonus chapter on Resource Resilience. Inside we offer several strategies to use with your children.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Activities:
Videos
How can my child meet with their counselor?
1. Teacher Referral
2. Parent Referral
3. Self Referral
Digital Counselor Request Form
We meet with students for many reasons:
1. Academic - Performance, struggles, test taking strategies, study skills etc.
2. Friendship/ Peer/Social Concerns
3. Personal Concerns
4. Behavioral Concerns
5. Stress/Anxiety
6. Responsive Services - meeting their immediate needs and concerns
If you have a concern and you would like for a counselor to meet with your child, please contact your child's grade level counselor via email or phone.
CMS Counseling Staff
8th Grade Counselor
Allison.adams@southlakecarroll.edu
Jane Kea
7th Grade Counselor
Paula Lynn
7th/8th Grade Counselor
Paula.lynn@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: http://cmscounselor.edublogs.org/
Phone: 817.949.5400