The Resilient Kids Space

Welcome

Why Bees Have Sweaty Feet...and other things

If you listen to the news, I'm sure you've also noticed more references to the health benefits of getting our kids out more into nature.

Here in the UK June is the month for #30dayswild. This image popped up from 2017 on my Facebook account. It was a random dialogue with the Surrey Wildlife Trust.

During our conversation he taught me "Why bees have sweaty feet"...I had to look that one up as I'd forgotten.

Needless to say, I took out a family membership with them.....which we all love.

Meanwhile, in a recent resilient kids session one of the children said:

Jane, what do woodlice eat?

Not sure, go and find out and then teach the rest of us

So he did. And now we know.

Answer at the end of this issue.

Resilient Kids centres around 3Vs - VISION VITALITY VOICE.

Too often content is thrown at kids and they aren't being encouraged to think for themselves or have a voice. The teaching system is geared towards tick boxing and targets. Our children are constantly compared, which erodes their self-esteem and confidence.

I'm a big advocate for "kids teaching kids" and also encouraging them to come up with questions they'd like to find out more about for themselves.

I step back and facilitate. It's always surprising what follows.

A natural side effect of this is kids will actually learn...and enjoy it too. One of the 5 Pillars of Wellness is to "Keep Learning". Kids are natural learners when they are interested. There's no need to force information on them. Just encourage a natural state of curiosity and wonder about the world around them, including bees smelly feet.

Education Revolution

Thought Cages - The Case Against Education - BBC Sounds

Should we have less, not more, education? Rory Sutherland challenges received ideas. Very thought-provoking. Have a listen...

Why paper based assessment is unfair and unreliable

Ian Grove-Stephensen makes a strong case for abandoning paper-based summative assessments (eg end of term exams such as SATs, GCSEs, and A-Levels) as soon as possible.

One always wonders how much these standardised tests are about showing how the school is doing, or for admissions to the next stage in the process....rather than about our kids really learning and developing.

Resilience Boosting Ideas

Celebrate Uniqueness - Parent Cue

Who I am is determined by a combination of things like:

My past experiences

My significant relationships

My personal interests

My spiritual beliefs

My personality traits

My physical characteristics

My natural talents

Each one of these things plays a role in shaping your child’s identity.

Sure, there may be a host of people who have things in common with your child in each of these areas, but no one has the same combinations as your individual son or daughter.

So, as parents, these issues become a way for us to think about the uniqueness of each of our children, and to help them begin a healthy journey toward understanding who they are.

Here are a few suggestions to create an atmosphere in your home that celebrates the value of uniqueness.

Magazine Ideas

The Best Magazines for Kids in the UK - Children's Spring Kids Activities

Are you looking for a magazine for your child, one without all the plastic tat? Here's a list...

Resilient Kids Spaces

Daisy Chains

It was surprising how many children didn't know how to make a daisy chain. We had great fun staring at the grass for signs of life too… This and other posts over on Instagram

Guiding The Group

"Jane I am so sick of the virus" the six-year-old boy looked up at me.

I continued to guide the group of children along the path into the woods.

Read the full article over at Resilient Kids On LinkedIn

8 Yoga Poses To Bolster Your Family Resilience

Funky Family Yoga" sessions, which will be kids yoga with a twist for parents and carers too.

Find out more here....it's fun!

Baking With Kids

Cath's Top Tip For Decorating Biscuits With Little Ones

It's still horrifically messy mind, you can't escape mess when baking with kids so just embrace it

Check out Cath's dino biscuits here

Resilience Booting Recipe(s)

Frustrated By Family Mealtimes?

Do you find yourself cooking different meals for everyone?
Buying more convenience food because it is?
Busy and out of balance with life, work and family?
Struggling for ideas for things to cook that you'll all enjoy?

Enjoy this blog I wrote a while back.

LIFESmart Learning

100 Days With Professor Rama Dasaratha

Stay focused and consistent in the short-term while being flexible and agile in the long-term.

I weave Rama's work into my Resilient Kids's spaces too.

Resilience Boosting Stories

Resilience is a term we hear all the time – but what is it exactly? by Lis Cashin

Becoming more resilient not only supports us to deal with the difficult times but it also empowers us to grow and even improve our lives as a result. This is known as post-traumatic growth.

So, the great news is that we can build our capacity for resilience over time. It doesn’t mean that we will become immune to the times when life throws us curveballs, as life always does, but that we will be able to face them with more strength than before.

Things You Might Find Interesting

7 Best Health & Wellbeing Primary School Tools & Resources

Here are 7 of the highest rated health and wellbeing tools and resources on EdTech Impact.

These online resources provide primary schools with an excellent range of tools to help engage students, and develop their understanding around mental health, wellbeing and physical activity.

NATURECAMS

Lots of webcams catching the wildlife in action.

Take a peek here...

The Value of Nature For Our Kids

BBC - Earth - How nature is good for our health and happiness

Intuitively we knew that nature was good for us as humans, but the results were beyond brilliant

Recent analysis of a large-scale nature challenge demonstrates how important feeling part of the natural world is to our physical and mental health. YES!

Surrey Wildlife Trust | Surrey Wildlife Trust

We are part of a grassroots movement that believes we need nature and it needs us. Across the Uk, more than 850,000 members and 35,000 volunteers work together with their local Wildlife Trust to create a wilder future for people and nature.

I really value what the Surrey Wildlife Trust does. Love visiting as a family....and when I need to get away from it all on my own, or with another mum.

Meet the Queen of Decomposition who's on a mission to make #compost trend on Instagram

Single Mum Shout Outs

It’s half term!

If you're searching for creative ideas look no further... join illustrator and single mum Rachel drawing this cool trike in a step by step tutorial. It just takes 10 minutes- a bit longer if you want to add colour- and you need a pencil, pen and paper.

Rachel is a freelance illustrator and 2021 Association of Illustrators Mentee creating modern and accessible line-based art with a touch of humour.

And Finally

It's good to have you here.

Thank you for reading

Jane

So Where Do Woodlice Hang Out?

"Woodlice will feed mostly on decomposing plant material and wood. They’re actually thought about as the recyclers of the insect world. They prefer damp environments, which they thrive in. If you have a compost bin, consider finding some woodlice around the garden."