Open and Honest communication: why is it so hard, especially with our kids? Fear is the answer. We are afraid of how the person hearing our request or complaint will react.
The three main ways people respond to a situation are being passive, being aggressive and being assertive. In my opinion, assertive is the best. Being assertive means honestly communicating our thoughts, feelings and needs to others in appropriate ways and takes into account both the way we say something as well as when we say it.
When we react passively, we say nothing. This results in the person who said nothing to feel more and more annoyed and may even end the relationship. This leaves the other person not knowing why it happened or if there was anything they could have done differently to save the relationship.
When we react aggressively, the other person usually goes on the defensive. They may respond with aggression or they may stop communicating all together. Either way. aggression is not the way to achieve a healthy relationship.
When we react assertively. we describe the behaviour that is concerning us objectively, we express how we feel about it, we specify the behaviour we want and we state the consequences, which are positive wherever possible. For example, instead of nagging children to clean their room, we could say: ” Having a clean and tidy home is important to me. When your room is a mess it annoys me. I would like you to put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket and have your things put way in your cupboards. When you do this you can spend 1/2 an hour on your PlayStation.” (you choose the consequence that works best to motivate your child to do as you ask)
Be brave and have fun with this. You never know, the results may surprise you.
Teachers Tips : The 11 Times Rule
Use this strategy for two digit numbers only. Multiply 11 by 18. Write down 1 and 8 with space between them
Add 8 and the 1 and put that number in the middle: 198
Note: If the sum of the digits is more than 9, you will have to “carry the one”, so for the product 11 x 67 we have…
Monthly Joke : The Taxi Driver’s First Day on the Job
During a ride in a taxicab, the rider touched the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question.
Upon the touch, the cab driver flinched, screamed, then went into panic and almost wrecked the cab.
Finally the driver got control and pulled to the side of road.
Still shaking, he turned to his rider and apologized.
He said, “Sorry about that. This is my first day as a cab driver. For the past 20 years I have driven a hearse”.
Coping with Anxiety
Anxiety is the major mental health issue of modern society, with one in four people estimated to suffer from it. Anxiety can also co-exist with mental health conditions like depression, adjustment disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Anxiety symptoms may be managed by following these steps. The first step is to work out both the nature of your symptoms and the possible cause. Once that is done, you can target the symptoms, for example, by practicing relaxation techniques to wave off negative thoughts. Anxious thoughts are one of the most common causes of anxiety, and one good tip is to learn Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which involves challenging negative thoughts not just with positivity but with logic and reason.
Mindfulness, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation can also be used to manage bodily symptoms of anxiety such as heart racing, shallow breathing, nausea, dry mouth, and the muscle cramps.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing anxiety symptoms, then the following websites may be helpful:
www.beyondblue.org.au, www.headspace.org.au, www.lifelinehunter.org.au
Sudoku
Fill in the blank squares with the numbers 1 through 9.
Every row, column and 3 x 3 region of a 9 x 9 grid must contain each number only once
Student of the Month
“He is more confident in answering questions in maths and I am very proud of him. Brock has make an outstanding improvement in his Maths. Well done Brock.”
-Jo (Brock’s mum)
Brock– Award for Outstanding Improvement in Maths
Child-made School Lunch
A suggestion for a healthy and irresistible trail mix that provides protein and vitamins to keep kids growing strong:
Dried berries, banana chips, raisins, craisins, dried apples, any dried fruit your kids prefer, yoghurt covered fruits and nuts, coconut chips, whole grain cereal, nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashew, pistachios, peanuts, seeds like sunflower or pepitas. Set out all the bags and let them build to their hearts content.
