Hockey and Basketball

By MsAlgar.

               

We had some sticks donated which have been great to introduce our younger children to the game of Minky.  Well done Room 2.

Another key sport, played this term, is Basketball.  Here is our Inter-school B team in a very tight match with Duncraig.  All games were hard fought and close with the Duncraig teacher saying how he enjoyed working with the Glengarry teams because players were all good sports.  All four teams can feel very proud.

Inter school Cross country training

By MsAlgar.

Firstly thanks to all of the parents who helped with the House Cross country event, clearly we couldn’t have done it without you.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 1st August, I should be able to get to Davallia   for 3:15 for anyone who wants a quick guide of the course.  I’ll stay on for training 3:30 to 4:00.  I’m sorry I can’t take responsibility for your child.  You could come and walk/run with your child or take a post where you would have the best view.

Anyone who wishes to practise can use the track at any time out of school hours so I hope you can give your proud inter school competitor a few chances.  I can try to get back to meet you another time if need be.

My email –  pam.algar@education.wa.edu.au

BRING A RAIN JACKET !

Don’t forget to check out the latest Blog on You Can Do It! Parents

By MsAlgar.

Child and Parent Factors That Impact Child Anxiety

A considerable body of research has identified various child and parent factors that contribute to and maintain anxiety symptoms in children. Yet relatively few studies have examined child factors (including threat-based cognitive bias, neuroticism, gender, puberty and age) as well as parent factors (including maternal anxiety and child-rearing style) and the extent to which these factors serve as predictors of child anxiety.

A Griffith University team in Queensland set out to examine the extent to which child and parent factors are uniquely associated with child anxiety symptoms. They also set out to determine whether associations of child factors (which included child neuroticism and cognitive bias) with child anxiety were indirect via maternal rearing behaviour.
The participants were a large sample of children between 7 and 12 years of age with varying levels of anxiety, including those with diagnosed anxiety disorders. Data were collected from both children and parents, and age, gender and pubertal status were also considered.

Key findings:

  • Parental anxiety is a significant risk factor for child anxiety, given the higher than expected incidence rates of anxiety in parents of anxious children, compared to the general population.
  • Mothers who self-reported more trait anxiety had children with higher levels of self-reported anxiety symptoms.
  • Mothers’ anxious child-rearing and over-protection were associated with elevated child anxiety symptoms.
  • Child temperament characterized by high levels of arousal and emotionality may evoke child- rearing behaviours from mothers focused on minimising potential risk exposure and harm, which in turn, could elevate anxiety symptoms.
  • Early maturing girls experience more symptoms of anxiety and depression, and these symptoms are more stable over a subsequent four-year period than in normally maturing girls.
  • Pubertal stage is considered a more powerful predictor of girls’ internalising symptoms and disorders than chronological age and in comparison with boys.
  • Children were more anxious when they were reported to be more advanced in pubertal status by their parents, when they had a tendency to interpret more threats in ambiguous situations, and when they self-reported more neuroticism.

Things you can do:

  • Chill out more often. Make time for yourself and time for your kids. Take a long walk together, visit a bookshop or library where kids can relax without having to talk).
  • As a family, practise relaxation techniques (deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, exercise, visualisation, laughing, stretching, dancing, listening to music, singing, reading together, meditating together).
  • Reassess your parenting style. Are you a helicopter parent or in danger of becoming one?
  • Keep screen time to a minimum, especially if your child is excitable or easily agitated.
  • Encourage age-appropriate independence – and not just for your kids. You need time out to be as independent of them as they are of you.
  • Talk often about fears and how they can, in many cases, be unfounded.
  • Make sure your kids know how and where to contact you in an emergency – not every five minutes.
  • Ensure everyone has a good night’s sleep and that healthy family nutrition is a top priority.
  • Parent from the heart, rather than parenting from online advice and the myriad of books on how to be a ‘super’ parent.
Source: Waters, et al., Journal of Anxiety Disorders 26 (2012) pp737-745

Takeaway from Professor Michael Bernard: 

If we are significantly anxious about our parenting, overprotective, over-nurturing or constantly worried about perceived threats to our kids, we run the risk of our kids becoming anxious and fearful as a result. If our kids happen to be prone to symptoms of anxiety and neuroticism, over-protective parenting can serve to reinforce their fears. The onus is on us, as parents and adults, to consciously try to monitor our own stress levels, to help our kids with theirs.

For more information and resources on positive and effective parenting, visit: www.youcandoitparents.com.au

Michael E. Bernard, Ph.D.
Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education
University of Melbourne
Founder, You Can Do It! Education
To view previous issues of ParentingWorks, please visit our website: www.youcandoitparents.com.au/blog-home/newsletter
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Inter-school Swim Squad training

By MsAlgar.

All children who think they may be in the top seven swimmers for freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke should attend training if possible.  All children are welcome.

We want to field our best six in each stroke and need to have a reserve listed.

Training dates for the Inter-school Carnival are: Tuesday 14 March, Thursday 16 March and Tuesday 28 March.

It will be helpful to record times again and places to be sure we have all in the correct divisions.  Each session will also have practise for the  medley and freestyle relays.

The list will be on my window in the morning.  I am not permitted to publish it here.

Once again we rely on parent help at training.  Thanks for all of the help to get us to this point!!