Gurnee Park District issued the following announcement on Nov. 16.
Blog Author: Lisa Lombardi, Certified Life Coach and President of Lisa Lombardi Coaching Inc. | School is wrapping up and getting ready for holiday breaks! You're finalizing holiday plans with your family and friends, in addition to your family's day to day schedule. Here are a few ways to stay engaged with your child, should the holiday season add a bit of extra stress.
1) Listen
Don't be distracted when your child is explaining their anxiety. Make eye contact and really listen. Even if you don't have the golden answer, just listening will help them know someone cares.
2) Inspire
If their concerns are about something they are having trouble achieving, be sure to use the impact of the word YET. They can't do it YET, BUT WILL someday. It is powerful.
3) Be on time
Arrive on time or early to your child's activities and be on time to pickup. Anything less will elevate their worry behaviors.
4) Build their self esteem
Build your child's strengths to "fill their bucket". Building self-esteem is more important than trying to fix their weaknesses.
5) Have realistic expectations
Expect realistic growth and not perfection. As long as your child is moving in the right direction, no need to be a perfectionist.
6) Be a selective sharer
Be careful to not share all your childhood fears and pass on your anxiety to them.
7) Provide options and insight
Playing out scenarios in a safe setting for a worrying child can help offer them language options how to handle a real situation. This does not have to be "overdone", even 5 minutes can be enough to get their wheels turning in the right direction.
Lisa Lombardi provides a variety of classes to build self esteem and confidence in children. This winter, she will be hosting a variety of one day workshops! Click each program to learn more and enroll.
| Program | Date and Time |
| Santa Slimeology Lab | December 2, 2018 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm |
| Communication and Confidence | December 2, 2018 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
| Slimeology Lab | January 19, 2019 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Enroll starting December 6, 2018 |
| Critical Thinking Lab | January 19, 2019 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Enroll starting December 6, 2018 |
Original source can be found here.
Source: Gurnee Park District
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