Helping Our Kids Cope

Wed, Sept 15 - Oct 27 Shawnigan Thu, Sept 16 - Oct 28. Duncan Fri, Sept 17 - Oct 29. Ladysmith RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY

THE GLENORA STORE & CAFE IS A LOCAL CORNERSTORE WITH A TWIST! Stocked with basic groceries and produce.

The cafe offers fresh baked goods, hot lunch specials, drinks, and snacks. We also sell hand-woven products, beeswax candles, and prepared herbs from Glenora Farm Outdoor heated seating 5090 Indian Road (corner of Glenora Rd & Indian Rd)

250-746-5313 I www.glenorafarm.org

Sometimes things get in the way of the healthy happy lives we want for our children. Sometimes situations occur that you simply can’t ‘fix’ on your own. A new school year is a huge emotional and social rollercoaster our children are going to have to ride. This year is going to be particularly challenging as the COVID pandemic continues to impact family, social and community lives. There are many challenges that can sometimes be too hard for our children to cope with. They can be a change in routine such as a move or a new baby in the family; they can be traumatic events such as being bullied, or from grief, or from divorce. We can often recognize when someone is struggling with negative issues in their lives – adults will work longer hours, or develop addictive behaviours to escape an unhappy home life. Teens tend to deal with problems by spending time on their phones and social media, or playing video games to escape. With children, changes in their general behaviour can indicate they are struggling to cope with an issue. It might be unprovoked aggression, sleeping difficulties, difficulty adjusting to new situations, sudden changes in their performance at school, perhaps over anxiousness or worry. We as parents are emotionally invested in making sure our children have happiness in their lives, but when the challenges become too much, or our child has a problem they can’t

CHILD & FAMILY cope with alone, or when problems

COUNSELLING affect how our kids Helping Our Kids Cope feel, or act, or what they do, it could be time to get support from those with expertise Counsellors who work with children teach them it’s ok to have conflicting or confusing feelings and give them skills to manage them. They use different activities such as art or play therapy, journaling, physical exercise, and learn how to name their emotions and engage in positive selftalk. Kids learn by doing, by talking through feelings and working to solve problems. Counsellors offer a safe space for kids to process their thoughts and emotions, and can help children find the strength to cope in a world that is not ok. Cowichan Family Life is once again offering Child and Family counselling at their agency beginning in September, thanks to new funding support from the United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island. This is intended for children ages 5-12 who are impacted by complex issues including divorce, separation, substance abuse, anxiety, fear, grief/ loss, bullying, challenging behaviours or negative peer influences. One on one sessions are one hour long and held weekly for 8 weeks; cost is $30 per session. Please reach out to us for more information. www.cowichanfamilylife.org Submitted by Madelaine MacLeod, Executive Director of Cowichan Family Life Association