Less Tears, More Laughter- How to create successful structure and what to let go of
Navigating our new normal can is often overwhelming for children and parents alike, especially for those who are just finishing up 1-5th grade. Christyn and teacher, mother, and mindfulness expert Aine O’Malley Papps recently discussed how structuring the day gives our kids some of the agency and control they are missing from school life. They also talked about how to help kids manage the feelings of frustration and what to let go of. Watch their video below!
Everyone is experiencing some level of powerlessness these days; we feel a lack of control from old routines lost, from new routines shifting and changing as the Covid situation continues to shift and change. One place we can have some more agency is how we choose to frame our experiences, to frame our day. Sometimes this can be choosing to focus on the positive, and sometimes what is needed is just the chance to air disappointments and grievances in a setting that is not about resolution but about what we choose to share and how we feel.
A helpful classroom tool for this is “The Story of the Day.” At the end of the day, the class comes together to create a record of what happened during their time together. Students raise their hands and take turns sharing a sentence or two. The retelling is based on the facts of what really happened but also allows us to share what parts felt most salient and memorable to us.
Applying this technique at home can help children, parents, and all stakeholders to process the unusual situation we find ourselves in due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Try looking back at the day over a meal. This can be an effective way to add structure to our days by offering a supportive and dependable framework for discussing highs and lows and what worked and what didn’t. Everyone gets a chance to share and there are myriad ways to organize it – from the more specific to the more open-ended. For example, each family member can share a high and low, or a sweet and a sour, from the day. Another option is to walk through the day and retell the events. It is empowering to allow folks a chance to voice what is important to them, to use their agency to co-create this narrative. There is no need to evaluate what kids share or to try to make it sound good, or cheerful, or effective. We allow what is to be and listen with the intention of understanding the experiences of our loved ones.
“Story of the Day” doesn’t have to be every day but setting up a consistent plan is a good practice. The ritual of it helps us become more willing to open up over time. Give it a try at dinner tonight – it can be like a game - have everyone add a line to the story to see where you all have been and where it can take you!
About Aine O’Malley Pappas
M.A.T., RYT 200, RCYT, RPYS
Aine’s passion is in empowering youth in their learning, exploration, and compassion. She earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood from Tufts University's Eliot Pearson Department of Child Development in 2005, studying under Rebecca New, who introduced her to the Reggio Emilia philosophy and student teaching with renowned local educator and Project Zero researcher Ben Mardell (“From Basketball to the Beatles”). Aine taught kindergarten at the Mather School in Dorchester for Boston Public Schools before having children of her own. As a mother of two young children, she lead playgroups with song, story and movement for the Medford Family Network. She has been facilitating the Medford New Parents’ Support Group for Jewish Family and Children's Services for many years as well.
Aine merged her passion for educating young children and her dedication to yoga through her Radiant Child Yoga Teacher Training with Checka Antifonario in 2013 and has been teaching and learning about children’s yoga ever since. She has completed many training modules (RCY and KidPowerment) and is particularly drawn to the ones that focus on inclusivity. Aine formally added her longtime passion for music and singing into the mix with Music Together Teacher Training in 2015. She created a full school-wide integrated yoga, music and visual art curriculum at a Montessori Preschool in Winchester, MA, which in addition to ongoing classes also included concerts twice a year and co-created dramatic performances with the Kindergartners. Currently, Aine enjoys teaching for Christyn with the KidPowerment team, as well as teaching adult yoga classes and teaching yoga clubs in local elementary schools.
Aine is inspired by a child’s ability to communicate about themselves and their lives both verbally and physically in yoga, music and movement classes. She seeks to use her training and insight to encourage children to confidently venture deeper into self-expression. The inherent joy and honesty of children inspires Aine, and empowering them to breathe, sing and move with a freedom that allows them to share their feelings is the greatest gift of her teaching.