KarenLately, I’ve found that on a regular basis, Rowan is reluctant to move from one activity to another. He gets upset and quite angry sometimes when he’s asked to do something other than what he had planned, and that in turn makes the whole process of whatever it is we’re trying to do far more difficult. Rowan’s not a great lover of school (to put it mildly) and once he’s home he just wants to do his own thing. That’s okay to a certain extent but when there are swimming lessons to get to, or homework and spellings to be done, it can be very difficult indeed to tear him away from his ipad, his favourite TV programme or the game he’s playing.
In an attempt to help him and to give him a better idea of what each day entailed, we used the create function on the Twinkl website to create labels for everything we do during the week, then made a daily planner so he can see how the following day is going to go.
We do have a fairly busy schedule so I know it’s important to factor in some free time for Rowan. After all, he’s still only five.
I love the new create function from Twinkl. If I didn’t love them enough before, I certainly do now!
We started using our home made daily timetable about a week ago, and I can honestly say that things have improved. Rowan sets out the timetable each evening ready for the next day. While this method doesn’t allow for any last minute changes of plan or impromptu activities, that’s okay for us just now. Life this last week has been considerably less stressful and that is absolutely fine with me!
Another resource I’ve used is to read through the anger management pages with Rowan from the Twinkl website. He sometimes struggles to process his emotions – especially anger – and I found that by reading and repeating some calming strategies, he has not only learned to identify rising anger and frustration in himself but he can often use what he has learned to shift his focus elsewhere. Simple strategies like taking a deep breath or counting to ten have really helped him, and he remembers them because he really enjoyed reading the Twinkl cards independently.
I’m really hoping we’ve turned a corner with managing changes in the day and emotions, though I guess only time will tell. I really hope to update this post with more positive feedback soon!
I honestly recommend Twinkl to everyone working with or bringing up children. It’s an utterly fantastic site. There are several levels of membership including a free one, but for just over £40 a year you can have access to absolutely everything. I currently have a complementary six month platinum subscription but I have every intention of buying the full package once that runs out. It’s the bees knees of resource websites.
