Parent and Carer FAQs
Click a question below to be taken to the corresponding answer.
- Why is resilience and wellbeing important?
- Why and how is this relevant to curriculum?
- How much time does the program take?
- What does this program look like in the classroom? What will my child be doing?
- How do parents/carers do the program too?
- What is gratitude, empathy and mindfulness? Why these?
- Is there a best time of day to practice gratitude, empathy and mindfulness?
- My child has a diagnosed mental illness. Will this interfere with/ replace our current supports/strategies?
- I'm concerned my child may be experiencing mental ill-health, where can I go for help?
- Children who are not well emotionally will not be able to learn. When we are stressed the part of our brain responsible for learning does not work.
- Calm children can focus and retain more information.
- Resilience enables children to take safe risks without fear of failure.
- The statistics indicate that the number of adults struggling with mental ill health has increased over the years.
- Statistics also tell us that mental ill health is affecting young people at alarming rates and the onset is getting earlier. Prevention is the key to seeing these figures improve.
- The Resilience Project curriculum has been produced to align with Victorian and Australian Curriculum standards and frameworks.
- The Resilience Project curriculum addresses aspects of achievement standards in the Personal and Social Capabilities learning area and the Health and Physical Education learning area.
- Your child will complete a variety of activities that introduce them to the Resilience Project key pillars of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness.
- The activities will give them a chance to practice these concepts, individually and in groups.
- Children will be encouraged to develop habits of practising these concepts on a daily basis outside of the lessons. You can play a big role in supporting this.
- The Resilience Project 28 day and 6 month journals are available through the website.
- The Resilience Project app is also available on iTunes and Google Play.
- We encourage you to ask your kids about the program and how they are integrating Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness into their life. You may want to replicate activities in the home.
Gratitude is defined as being thankful for what you’ve got.
Empathy is thinking about what others are feeling. It’s about being kind to others.
Mindfulness is bringing your attention to the present moment. It builds awareness of thoughts, emotions and surroundings, as well as a sense of calm.
There is a wealth of supporting academic research on the mental and physical benefits of these strategies. More information can be found on the References & Reading section of our website.
These are strategies that can be practiced any day, at any time of day.
If these concepts are new to you, building a routine to practise them can support wellbeing. Picking a time of day – for example first thing in the morning, or after dinner – can be helpful to create a new habit and give structure to your wellbeing journey.
The Resilience Project schools program is a prevention-based program and will not replace any formal treatment your child may be accessing.
The Resilience Project schools program should not cause any interference with your child’s current plan in fact the strategies your child learns will most likely benefit them. However, we would encourage you to let your child’s mental health professional know that they are completing the program at school and seek their guidance on this.
Likewise it would also be helpful if you let your child’s teacher know about your child’s plan (if you haven’t already) so that the teacher can keep an extra close eye out.
- The Resilience Project is not a treatment or assessment service.
- If you are worried about your child;
- Speaking with your General Practitioner is a great place to start.
- The School wellbeing team may be able to assist you with local support services that work with young people.
- Websites such as beyond blue and headspace have some great information also.
Further mental health resources can be found on The Resilience Project here.
