Welp, the slump is here.
This is the toughest month of the semester, BUT it is temporary. Try to keep in mind, our kids will begin to bounce back next month. We just need to get them through the second semester slump.
We may not be able to take their pain away, but we can help their brain strike a better balance.
It's predictable: Expect an all time low level of energy and motivation, layered in self-loathing, anxiety, and sadness. Our struggling students' mental health goes to an all time low during the slump phase. Though temporary, the psychoemotional needs are still very real, and very painful, for them.
This is the month in which suicidal thoughts and self-harm begin to creep into their inner dialogue. Watch out for self-harm talk, and signs of a sudden onset of depression.
I strongly recommend reading up on the Take Five To Save Lives resource (https://www.take5tosavelives.org).
How We Can Help: This month we lean into our role as the loved ones and caregivers. While maintaining the routines, time mapping, and logging that we established last month, we will direct more of our focus into caregiving.
Here's the plan:
We will reset and prioritize our parent powers to enhance our students overall health. (See.. Reset & Prioritize)
We will bring focus towards managing our student's mental health. Though certainly not forgotten, schoolwork will need to take a backseat for a few weeks, because mental health matters more. (See.. Mental Health Matters More)
We will strategize fixes to any breaks in the school-to-home-to-school "homework chain" which should cut back on the missing and late assignments. (See.. Homework Chain Breaks)
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Consider getting the overviews of every month in the Predict & Plan Guide, below.
