Hello Northwood families!
Two months into our school year and let me tell you, it has been moving at warp speed! Students are navigating a school year which appears like a “traditional year” but as we know, is not. Our 2020-2021 school year came with many new endeavours never experienced before causing a lot of new emotions to be felt. It can be daunting to try and make sense of how all these new experiences impacted us. I know for me, I try to get back to the basics when there is a plethora of information to absorb. So, you’re probably wondering how this rant applies to you as well as your kiddo. We all have reactions to events whether they are familiar or not, and some of these reactions may be large or small, it really depends on the person. What I have found helps sometimes is understanding the origin of these reactions, specifically, how our brain filters them. I found some really interesting (at least I think they are) resources showing the human brain, explanations of which part of our brain control what basic emotions, and some basic skills to help make sense of our reactions no matter the size. Hope you all find this as exciting and enjoyable to learn about as I do!
Resources:
Your brain when you're anxious
Have No Fear, the Brain is Here! How Your Brain Responds to Stress
The brain in 3D: Interactive way to see the human brain
MINDFULNESS AND THE BRAIN—HOW TO EXPLAIN IT TO CHILDREN
~ Mr. Alford