Introduce your child to the concept of “The Circle of Control” to help put things into perspective.
The start of school brings a mix of emotions.
We try to gear up our children so that they are excited. We’ve gotten ourselves organized and ready for the fresh start. We’ve davened for our children to be happy and we’ve equipped them with everything new and fresh so they start the school year off feeling good (We’re big fans of this must-read post by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi, posted way back in 2016!)
We’ve made sure to bake some wholesome goodies and we planned their favorite dinner or the right snacks to welcome them home that first day.
And while that fresh backpack, the cool school supplies, and those new pair of shoes may help them glide excitedly rather than trudge into the classroom, they’re always going to have worries.
One of the biggest pieces of advice we can give our children is that we can’t worry about the things we can’t control. We’ve already taught ourselves, as adults, what to do when we feel stressed.
When it comes to our kids, though, one of the biggest ways we can take away anxiety is to help them see the differences between what they can and can’t control.
When our children have a clear picture of what is in their control vs. what is not in their control, it empowers them to make great choices!
And since there’s nothing like a visual to accomplish this, we prepared this download you can show your children to put this into perspective.
You will find an empty template to fill in together or a pre-filled poster that can work for most.
Let them add their own ideas of things they can or can’t control into the spaces.
The Circle of Control for Students
I Can’t Control:
How Others Behave
School Rules
Unexpected Things That Happen
The Weather
Homework Assignments & Tests
What Other People Think/Feel
How Other People Spend Their Time
What Other People Buy/Wear
Other People’s Middos
My Family Finances
The Past
My Assigned Seat
I Can Control:
The Things I Say
How I Behave/React
How I Treat Others
My Mood/Attitude
My Decisions
The Effort I Put In
My Middos
What I Read
What I Wear
How & Who I Spend My Time [With]
Healthy Food & Activities That Make Me Feel Good
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