Prayer for a Happy New Year

May the Lord make my New Year a happy one…
Not by shielding me from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening me to bear it if it comes.
Not by making my path easy, but by making me sturdy enough to tread any path.
Not by taking hardship from me, but by taking all cowardice and fear from my heart as I meet hardships.
Not by granting me unbroken sunshine, but by keeping my face bright even in the shadows.
Not by making my life always pleasant, but by showing me where men and His cause need me most and by making me zealous to be there and to help …
God, make my year a happy one.
—Guideposts magazine (January 1973)

     I hope that everyone had a blessed and peaceful Christmas break, as well as a wonderful start of a new year and new decade!

     There are some exciting things happening in January!  The guidance lessons are focusing on self regulation (a relatively new way of saying coping skills).  All of the classes are learning about identifying personal feelings through physical clues and actions.  We talk about "small feelings" and "big feelings."  Then students learn about ways to cope with various feelings.  The first basic coping skill taught is breathing.  It is referred to as "belly breathing" in a lot of classes.  This involves learning how to take slow, deep breathes to help get oxygen to the brain and calm the mind.  In some of the upper classes we compare the loss of control to "flipping your lid."  Pretend that your thumb is the part of your brain that controls emotions, while the other four fingers are the "thinking part" of the brain.  If you make a fist with your hand, tucking your thumb under the other four fingers, it can demonstrate how the "thinking part" of the brain has control over emotions.  When a person "flips their lid," the four "thinking" fingers rise up, causing the thumb or feelings to be out of control.  As a person takes slow deep breathes, the thinking part of the brain gains control again, resulting in the feelings part of the brain to be controlled as well.  It may be difficult to explain in writing, but when the classes use their hands to demonstrate, it seems to be a very effective way to learn about feelings and coping skills.  The older classes will learn about a larger variety of coping skills, such as journaling, using positive affirmations, coloring and exercising, just to name a few.
     On to an exciting piece of news!  In January, the counselor at the 4-6 Campus, Natalie Anderson, and I will begin a program called Coffee with the Counselors.  We will be meeting once a month to discuss parenting issues.  Krystal Goins and Debbie Crowe will be joining us to teach about the Love and Logic method of parenting.  Here are a few statements, from the Love and Logic website, introducing this style of parenting:

"Raise happy and well-behaved kids with positive, loving tools

The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of caring and respectful relationships.  An authentic, loving connection between parents and their children forms the foundation of good behavior and healthy decision-making.

Sounds easy enough but never before in history have parents been faced with so many challenges! Our approach provides a variety of simple and effective strategies for parenting children from birth to adulthood. Whether you’re embarking for the first time with your new baby or navigating the turbulent teens with your child, our strategies and techniques will help you create calm and loving solutions."

Please join us for the first presentation.  Both Debbie and Krystal are retired educators from Daviess County Public Schools.  They have been teaching the Love and Logic method for several years and are quite entertaining in their presentation.  I have attended several of their trainings and presentations, which are not only fun and engaging but also full of wonderful techniques for parenting in this day and age.  Coffee with the Counselors is open to any parent or guardian of a student in the Owensboro Catholic Schools, kindergarten through 12th grade.  Our first presentation will be on January 24th, from 11:30 to 12:30, at the K-3 Campus.   Coffee will be provided.  I hope to see you there!  Here is the link to the Love and Logic website if you would like more information on this style of parenting.   https://www.loveandlogic.com/a/info/love-and-logic-parenting

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  I can be reached at (270)-684-7583 or at kim.bennett@owensborocatholic.org.