Hello parents and carers,
Last time we had a look at two things:
- How to recognise and managing our own anxiety;
- Importance of spending 20 mins a day in one-on-one play with your child, where the play is led by them to help calm their brains alarm response.
Today, I want to focus on how your child’s brain needs and craves a predictable and consistent environment, and that this period of pandemic is anything but!
So how can we create these types of environments for our children in these unpredictable times? You probably have heard that this can be done through the use of a visual timetable.
Let me explore with you why this is a brain smart strategy
When we are having big feelings of anxiety, worry, sadness we are mostly processing information through our right brain. Our right brain is also known as the creative brain. When we use visuals, we are using the side of the brain that is already activated for our anxious or worried child. So when we communicate with them through visuals, we make information easier to process, which requires less effort. However, when we use words, our child needs to access the left side of the brain that may not be so active at this time, because of the big feelings they are experiencing. Our left brain is known as the logical and analytic brain.
Introducing visual timetables initially might be a little challenging for you and your child because you might encounter resistance from them, but it’s important to change this, so that your child’s brain can start to regulate its self in a consistent and predictable environment.
Here are some well-known sites that you can join up with and develop your visual timetable:
These are just two of many sites. So if they don’t have what you need, don’t give up, rather research the web and you might come across a daily routine that fits you.
