Welcome back for Term 3, PPN family.

The two weeks break from school routine was something I found refreshing, and I hope you did as well.

I recently travelled to Brisbane for a family get together and the flying part turned into crazy jumble. My first flight was cancelled the afternoon before I was to fly, and I was redirected on a later flight via Melbourne rather than direct to Brisbane. All sorts of alternative pick-up plans had to be made, and different family members had to change plans to make sure we could catch up.

Then as I was driving into the airport to come home, my return flight was cancelled and moved to the next day. I had to find accommodation for the night in Brisbane, transport to the airport the next morning, and something to eat as well.

As I reflect on that weekend, the word that jumps to mind is 'rollercoaster'. The anticipation of spending time with my sisters and their families was great, but that became frustration as time was cut short. The sweet memories of a good time together were soured with the frustration of not being able to make it home that last afternoon to be ready for the responsibilities of the following day. As an adult, I was drawing on my past experience, patience, and emotional resilience to remain relatively calm and functional throughout the highs and lows.

You will likely have experienced something similar at some stage, either in your personal, family, social, or work life. It is good to reflect on how we were able to regulate and cope with those situations and learn from them. I think they also give us a little insight, and hopefully empathy, into the challenges our children face as they learn to make their way in life. As adults, we hopefully have the benefit of experience, developed self-control, and anticipation that our children are still learning and developing, and it is still difficult.

As we step into a new term that is likely to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride for us all, I thought I would share a poster I read during the break from the makers of Big Life Journal – an excellent resource we use with our upper grades here at school. It is really practical and insightful, and I think you’ll find it helpful for the children, and a great discussion starter as parents.