Remember January?
Ah, January. When life was all confetti and fizz.
We welcomed in a new year, full of hope and determination that it was going to be our year!
Oh, the challenges that were waiting for us.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?
If we’d known at the beginning of the year that COVID-19 and all its associated challenges would unfurl before us, would we have taken different measures to prepare?
I don’t mean panic buying loo roll or even getting a last minute cut and colour to see us through lockdown (which, frankly I wish I had done).
I’m talking about what we could have to done to prepare our maturing families for the practical and emotional challenges that were lying in wait for us.
While some children are returning to their schools, the official start of summer is just a few weeks away. And rather than wait for the new obstacles of yet more unstructured family time will bring, why not reclaim your parental power through my new, boredom-busting Positivity Academy?
Don’t let the name fool you.
This isn’t going to be 6 more weeks of Hegarty Maths or lessons via Teams. This is a guided adventure of activities designed to boost resilience, problem solving skills and mutual respect for one another.
Positivity is at the heart of development in the Summer long program of challenges. We will explore mindfulness, connection, sleep, outside time, creativity and problem solving to name but a few.
Each week we’ll be working through topics that will benefit children and adults alike. To give you a feel for the program, our weekly focuses will be:
Week 1. Setting Up for Success – Whispering, cuddling, shouting, ignoring. There are a myriad of ways we show each other how we feel. Some more methods are more successful than others. We’ll explore the different ways we can communicate with those we love, even when our message is one of correcting unacceptable behaviour. We’ll also focus on an often overlooked skill, that is essential for a positive family dynamic — listening.
Week 2. Keep calm – Emotions in our children, as in ourselves, are like a pot full of water — ready to boil over when things heat up. Learning to acknowledge and name our feelings is the first step in understanding and managing the emotions that can quietly run our lives the swell of the tides or sweep in like the chaos of a hurricane.
Week 3. This Could Get Messy – Did you know it’s not just kids who need to play? When we enter freely into the joy of play and discovery we relieve stress, improve brain function and stimulate both mind and body. Collaborative play — when we play together as a family group — we stand to improve our relationships and connections to each other. Not only do we individually feel energised, but teaching us to cooperate with others it helps develop our social skills, which benefits us at every age and stage of development.
Week 4. Celebrate Good Times, Come On! – Let’s not pretend that parenting is all rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes family life is downright hard! In those times when our patience is ragged and our smiles have gone, the fastest way to banish feelings of overwhelm is to embrace gratitude. We’ll explore ways to integrate a regular practice of gratitude into daily family life.
Week 5. Seize the moment with Mindfulness – Building on all the skills and knowledge we’ve worked on through the summer, we’ll explore how mindfulness and reflection can benefit our kids (and us) to make good choices and maintain a feeling of calm, no matter what is thrown at us.
Week 6. Transitions – When one phase ends and another begins, it can bring upheaval and feelings of overwhelm. We’ll finish up our Positivity Academy time together preparing to move from one stage of life to another. A skill even adults struggle with. Supplied with practical solutions, you as a family will be ready face any challenge.
Come September, when classes begin, whether back in a bricks and mortar school or your kitchen table classroom, the kids (and you) will have prepared for all the twists and turns that rest of 2020 has in store — equipped with increased confidence, a richer understanding of emotions and improved family communication. All wrapped up in fun family memories, and no surplus loo roll in sight.
Ready to join the 2020 Summer Positivity Academy? The 6 week programme is only £60. Places are limited, so… On your marks. Get Set. Go on and book.
Still want more info on how you and yours can join in the fun and get your family’s place on my 2020 Summer Positive Academy? Email me today: anisa@positiveparentingcoaching.com
Practical Bits
When does the Positivity Academy Start and Finish?
The 6 week programme commences on Monday, 20th July and will run until Friday, 29th August 2020.
How will I get the Positivity Academy activities and resources?
Resources will be emailed to you each week (to the email address that you sign up to the programme with). It will contain a drop box link to allow you to access the materials.
When will the email be sent?
The email will be sent on a Thursday of the week before to allow you to to explore the resources and plan for the following week.
What can I expect in my Positivity Pack each week?
There will be a range of activities and tools taught and they will be presented in different ways, practical hands on activities, more worksheet led work and possibly the occasional video from yours truly!
Each week will have a theme (see above) and then an additional cross section of activities picked from: mindfulness, outside adventures, play and discovery, feelings, resilience, celebration and more.
You can pick and choose what you do from the resources sent, you know your family best but I do encourage you to have a go at most things, as the results may surprise you.
How much time will the activities and resources take?
All the activities can be fitted around work, life and holidays or can be a ‘feature’ of your day to plan the day/week around, the choice is really yours. It could also be something that you build into an activity that you already do in the day, such as discussing something over breakfast.
We have a holiday planned, what can I do about the resources sent through from the Positivity Academy?
Depending on the type of holiday the activities could go along with you and be incorporated into the holiday or simply give yourself and your family the time off. The materials are yours once you have invested in the programme and are time less so can be done at any point within the 6 weeks or indeed at another point in the year.
What age group is the Positivity Academy suitable for?
Although, this programme is accessible to everyone from the age of 3 to 103, it is designed to be an enriching programme for those of us with Tweens and Teens. If there is a specific requirement or a tweak to be made for a particular age of child then I will make mention of this and give tips on how this can be achieved. The activities are chosen to allow all participants in your family to get something from them.
Do I have to be based in the UK to take part?
This is a programme that families the world over can benefit from and learn together.
Can I share the Positivity Academy work with other families and friends?
By all means spread the word as people can join at any time but the materials are created for those who invest in the programme and them only.
What is the cost?
The cost of this action packed 6 week programme for the WHOLE family to enjoy is £60.
Think about it like this, the cost of taking 2 adults and 2 children to the cinema, along with buying popcorn, sweets and drinks for a 2 hour experience would cost the same as the WHOLE summer of positivity academy!
Ready to invest, click here, you know you want to.
Anisa Lewis 