Athoscailt na scoileanna / The Reopening of Schools

Tá scoileanna, daltaí, múinteoirí agus tuismitheoirí ag ullmhú le filleadh ar an seomra ranga, cé go mbeidh cuma difriúil air ón uair dheireanach go raibh muid istigh iontu, bhuel síleann muid go mbeidh sé difriúil ach i bhfírinne níl a fhios ag éinne cén cuma a bheidh ar rudaí. Cuireann an aineolas sin ar fad faitíos ar dhaoine. Nuair a dhún na scoileanna sé mhí ó shin bhí orainn dul i dtaithí ar an saol nua agus anois, leis na scoileanna ag oscailt arís agus ‘cead’ againn dul amach beidh orainn dul i dtaithí ar sin freisin.

Schools, students, teachers and parents are all preparing for a return to the education system that we used to know. Well, that education in a new and different format but some sense of normality. At this point children have been out of school since March. That is six long months of being at home and away from the hustle and bustle of the classroom and the school yard so just as we had a transition period at the beginning of the lockdown we will have a transition period out of it.

Beidh mothúcháin éagsula againn ar fad, cúpla ceann éagsúil in aghaidh na huaire in amanna. Beidh cuid againn ar bís le dul ar ais agus daoine a fheiceáil agus rud éigin normálta a aireachtáil, beidh faitíos agus buaireamh ar dhaoine eile agus don chuid is mó beidh muid ar fad ag mothú an dá rud! Seans go mbeidh muid ar bís ar maidin agus faoin tráthnóna buartha agus faoin am luigh b’fhéidir go mbeidh muid suaimhneach go leor. Bíonn mol mór mothúcháin againn an t-am ar fad, agus ní seo an t-am le dearmad a dhéanamh ar sin. Léiríonn do mhothúcháin rud éigin duit agus tá sé tábhachtach fios a bheith agat go bhfuil gach uile ceann acu ceart go leor. Níl aon rud mícheart duit os rud é go n-airíonn tú faiteach nó faoi bhrú nó aon mhothúchán eile.

Children, teachers, school staff and parents will all be feeling lots of different emotions right now. Some people might be really excited to get back into some sense of normality. Some people might be feeling the complete opposite and a lot of us may not know exactly what we’re feeling. We might feel excited one minute, worried the next, angry, emotional, sad we have a huge spectrum of emotions that we could be feeling and every one of them is OK. Every emotion you could possibly feel at any given moment is OK.

Le déanaí bhí mé in suíomh a scanraigh mé. Bhí beirt i ndiaidh a insint dom go raibh gach rud ceart go leor anois ach bhí a fhios agam féin nach raibh sé. Bhí eagla an domhain orm. Chuaigh mé abhaile an oíche sin agus in ionad neamhairde a dhéanamh ar an mothúchán sin mar a rinne mé iomaí uair cheana chuir mé glaoch ar bheirt chara liom. D’éist siad liom, thug siad tacaíocht dom agus mhothaigh mé i bhfad níos fearr. Ní hea go raibh an faitíos imithe ach thuig mé nach raibh aon rud mícheart leis agus mhothaigh mé níos fearr faoi agus fios agam go raibh tacaíocht agam.

Recently I was in a situation that made me really scared. I had had two people tell me beforehand that I should be fine and that it was all over but it wasn’t. I was still terrified. I went home that night and instead of doing what I have done too often in the past and ignoring my feelings and pretending they weren’t there I acknowledged them and I cried, I called some people that I knew would be supportive and after talking to both of them I felt so much better. I wasn’t not afraid anymore but I felt more in control and I felt more supported. Neither of the people I had spoken to had judged me and I felt like I had processed what I was feeling.

An t-aon rud atá le déanamh leis na mothúcháin ná iad a mhothú. Mothaigh é go dtí go bhfuil do sháith agat dó agus ansin tabhair na rudaí fisiciúla atá thart ort faoi deara. Smaoinigh ar an gcaoi go n-airíonn do lámh. Smaoinigh ar an gcaoi go n-airíonn do thóin ar an suíochán, do chosa ar an talamh. Táimid in ann dáileáil leis an méid atáimid in ann dáileáil leis agus sin a bhfuil faoi! Ní fiú dúinn brú a chur orainn féin níos mó a dhéanamh mar ní oibróidh sé. Agus tá sé sin mar an gcéanna do dhaoine óga freisin!  

The only way to deal with any emotion we have is to feel it. Feel into it as much as you can and when you can’t anymore gently return your attention to the physical feeling of your body, feel your bum on the seat, your feet on the floor. We can only deal with and process what we can deal with and process and there is no need and no point in forcing anything.

Má tá daoine beaga agaibh sa bhaile atá neirbhíseach faoin scoil inis dóibh go dtuigeann tú, go bhfuil na mothúcháin sin againn ar fad faoi láthair agus lig dóibh na mothúcháin seo a bheith acu. Más rud é go dtuigeann siad nach bhfuil aon rud cearr leo agus go bhfuil tú ann dóibh beidh siad go breá i ndiaidh tamaill.

My advice to anyone with little ones or not so little ones at home that are struggling with the unknowns of what this school year will bring is to just sit with them. Tell them you know they’re struggling and that you are there to help them in any way you can.

Sna hamanna sin nuair a airíonn tú ar nós nach bhfuil tú in ann don saol cabhraíonn sé más féidir leat díriú isteach ar an anáil agus cúpla anáil mhór fhada a thógáil isteach agus amach, más féidir leat labhairt le duine éigin nó más féidir leat damhsa! Is breá liom féin a bheith ag damhsa agus mar sin, sin an chéad rud a ritheann liom ach más féidir leat aon chineál aclaíochta nó bogadh a dhéanamh cabhróidh sé sin go mór! Cuirfidh sin an fuinneamh agus an fuil ag bogadh thart ionat agus mothóidh tú níos fearr.

In times of overwhelm it can be really useful to focus on your breathing, to talk to someone about what you are feeling overwhelmed about or if you’re feeling up to it to dance! Moving your body can be the perfect thing that is needed to get some of the stagnant, not-moving energy within you flowing again and if you’re not a dancer a walk or a run or kicking a ball around the garden can really help too.

Tá siúl agam go gcabhróidh cuid de na rudaí atá luaite agam anseo leat agus le do theaghlach le linn na hamanna aisteacha, doiligh seo. Beidh cúrsa Relax Kids ar siúl agam ar líne do theaghlaigh agus le linn an chúrsa labhróimid faoi rudaí éagsula gur féidir leat a dhéanamh le cabhrú le strus agus buaireamh. Beidh an cúrsa seo i mBéarla ach tá mé ag siúl le cúrsa Gaeilge a chur ar fáil go luath freisin. Tá na sonraí ar fad faoin gcúrsa Béarla ar fáil anseo agus tá spásanna teoranta. Cuirigí scéal chugam má tá aon cheist agaibh.

I hope that some of these things may help you and your family during these difficult times. I will be running a 4 week online Relax Kids classes for families during September to help with the transition back to school. I will be going through all of these tips and giving you and your loved one plenty more to work with as well. All of the information is here and places are limited. Send me an email with any questions.