​As I write this blog, I am looking out the window at a beautiful sunny morning. Truthfully, I wish I was out in it right now, enjoying the warmth of the spring sunshine and cleaning up my backyard and garden area instead of writing this blog.  If I had written this yesterday, as perhaps I should have, I’d be out there now right now. However, since yesterday was a “no-school day”, I made the conscious decision to take a complete day off from anything school-related. (Well, I did finally vacuum the room where I plan lessons and record my videos, but I don’t think that counts 😊).
​This week we received a letter from our Mrs. Hoefer, our head of school, which emphasized the importance of self-care to help manage stress and worry.  While I know this is an important practice, I’m not always good about doing it.  In fact, I’ve been pretty bad about it lately, which could possibly account for my high levels of stress and worry!  So, I decided to take her advice, and I took yesterday completely off from anything work-related.  I spent my time cooking some freezer meals (which I enjoy doing), cleaning up outside, raking my front yard, and playing with my dog in the sunshine.  While these tasks may seem mundane, I can’t tell you how much better I feel today!
So, you’re probably wondering how this relates to preschool?  I’ve talked more than once about the importance of the social-emotional learning which takes place in preschool and in the home.  As adults, we forget sometimes that young children experience the same feelings of stress, worry, frustration during challenging times that adults do, however children often lack skills in expressing their feelings appropriately. They don’t have the life-experience to put these feelings in perspective, nor do they have much knowledge of the self-care practices which can help them during these times.  Consequently, during this difficult time your child may be having meltdowns, tantrums, or they may be misbehaving in other ways.  These behaviors should not be too surprising, but they certainly can be difficult to deal with!

​Schedules and routines are very important for young children because they provide a sense of stability and security.  As teachers, we have tried to be consistent and intentional as we have planned and implemented our distance learning lessons. And we know that families are trying hard to be consistent and intentional in sticking to the provided schedules and teaching with the materials which we have provided.  You have been doing an awesome job, notwithstanding everything else you have to do!  But, the other thing we need to consider is the social and emotional learning which can take place during this time.

As we continue to “hunker down” I invite you to consider the following questions (which were put forth to me) for both you and your child:

• Who will I connect with today?
• When will I get into nature today?
• How will I move my body today?
• What am I grateful for today?
• How will I be creative today?

These are just for starters, but perhaps you could consider talking with your child, in terms which are age-appropriate, about the importance of self-care.  During this unprecedented time, you have the opportunity to help your child develop skills in this area; and this development can set the stage for further growth and success in dealing with challenges they face in the future.

So, be watchful for the signs that your child may be struggling, and perhaps that would be an opportunity for you to set the scheduled activities aside for a day, and focus on a little self-care, both for your preschooler, and yourself as well!