I often think of a school term as a sprint. Have you heard of the project management terms sprints and scrums? A sprint is a short, focused burst of effort on a specific task. After each sprint, the team meets to review progress and refine goals before embarking on the next one. The scrum is the grappling work team building, constant feedback, and collaboration. For me, it mirrors the rhythm of a term of learning…and yes it can be exhausting for the children and the teachers.

The holidays offer a valuable opportunity to rest, reflect and restore. They also provide time and space to reconnect as a family. I know how busy life can get, the Butcher family often falls into the work trap too. Like in parallel play, we may be nearby but not truly connected. So, it is good to jump out of our lanes and be playful. These rainy days lend themselves to a family jigsaw puzzle, a mammoth game of Catan, or getting creative with some LEGO while watching a movie. Or just wrap up and embrace the weather!

Parents may carry heavy roles and responsibilities. It is therefore quite the achievement to also manage family’s logistics not to mention preparing a packed lunch that meets our children’s high standards! At times parenting can bring challenges we did not foresee. Remind yourself you are not alone many parents face similar hurdles and there is help at hand. If you have not signed up yet, you may be interested in attending the Resilient Kids Conference.

“There’s no getting around it anxiety is hammering this generation of kids, from early primary right into their teens. And we adults are often not far behind. – Resilient Kids Conference”

At this conference I see the psychologist and author Steve Biddulph is speaking. I met Steve many years ago and appreciated his wisdom. He sees a child’s emotional development as a shared responsibility between school and family. He believes teachers take on a co-parenting and mentoring role an extension of family.