Of all the holidays to promote wellness, Thanksgiving is NOT the one that first comes to mind! But I feel like there is an opportunity at Thanksgiving to promote some important ideas around wellness to students and their families. Since Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, it is relatively free of controversy and universal. Second, Thanksgiving is about do just that: giving thanks and being grateful and celebrating empathy, kindness and the gift of togetherness. Is there any better time to teach the meaning of gratitude and giving back to the community? Here are a few ways I can think of to engage your campus’s family and students during the holidays, I am sure your wellness team can think of many more! Happy Thanksgiving!
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1. Get out!
Even a 10 minute walk has been shown to improve health so share different ways families can stay active when not in school. Share easy to access ideas like Go Noodle with parents ! Or encourage participation in local charity fun runs that take place during Thanksgiving and Winter Break each year!
2. Off the tech!
Many parents are unaware of just how much time their kids spend on social media, TV and gaming. Provide resources to your families on how to plan and create a family media plan. For older students, resources on how to have a conversation of how to best manage social media and what the warning signs of too much media can look like can be useful for parents.
Social Media is not just a kid problem…adults that are connected often miss the opportunity to connect to their child. Increasing awareness of the problems of excessive use of technology has been outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Feel free to share the AAP Family Media plan toolkit. It is available in english and spanish at http://www.healthychildren.org and created by American Academy of Pediatrics.
3. Be Grateful
Encourage your families and students to find small ways to give back this holiday! Maybe it is as simple as clearing the table at home or serving a meal to those less fortunate- a little giving gives purpose! (AND it aligns with FBISD Profile of a Graduate, so there’s that.)
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4. Eat dinner TOGETHER!
I am a proponent of low hanging fruit! Why work hard to complete a task when it is practically being given to you!? Even if students don’t celebrate Thanksgiving for some reason, there should be at least one opportunity to share a sit down meal with the family! Ask parents to use this opportunity to just talk with their kids. That is it! Goal complete! Okay if you have some overachievers, you could also share resources on social conversations, etiquette at the table and whatever else comes to mind! But just eating meals together has been shown to decrease stress, improve mood and attitude of students, which is always good for schools!
5. Celebrate your success!
Holidays help keep us grounded by reminding us of the importance of family that is with us and those that have gone. Celebrating the small and big successes of our community is a vital key to keeping our parents engaged at the campus level and beyond. With the increase in stress and violence in our society, taking the time to point out the great things that have happened for the district, your school, or your students is important. It gives all of us perspective and hope.
I hope you enjoy your time with your friends and family and Happy Thanksgiving!
Wellness Geeks Consultants 