As we get to grips with another round of school closures and remote learning, things might seem even harder than they did in the sunny summer months when we could at least enjoy the outdoors a little more!
We know it’s an especially tough time for young people who have had their exams cancelled and still don’t know exactly how they will be assessed. Dealing with this uncertainty and lack of control over your own future is very difficult.
We are working hard with schools to identify what support students really need, and to adapt some of this term’s planned projects so that they can take part online. This week, we have our first online drop-in session of The Lounge, and there’s a lot more in the pipline.
For now, here are some other things that might help:
- The Lockdown Vlog. The whole series that we filmed during the last round of school closures is still up on our YouTube channel and worth a re-watch. The 3-minute episodes address some helpful topics like self-care, hope, not comparing yourself with others, celebrating small achievements, what we can and can’t control, breathing exercises, and more (alongside watching Anna trying to learn to juggle, eating dog food and cutting her own hair!)
- The BBC Bitesize website not only contains a wealth of educational resources perfect for the pandemic, but also useful articles for parents trying to hold it all together. We particularly liked this excellent article: “Top tips for understanding your teenager in the new normal“.
- Goody bags for young people. Local businesses have helped us make up lockdown goody bags to give ten Wokingham teenagers a nice surprise and a treat! Parents can nominate their young people – see our Facebook page for details. Right now being kind to yourself and others is a great way to improve your mood. Take care!
