As the school bells begin to ring across Vancouver Island, families are preparing for more than just packed lunches and frantic mornings. Amid the early alarms, forgotten permission slips and endless to-do lists, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most: connection and well-being for our children and for ourselves.
This season, we invite you to approach the back-to-school transition through the lens of wellness and connection.
From the seemingly simple task of getting dinner on the table each night to the complex intricacies of after-school restraint collapse, this season can feel heavy. Add in school supplies, clothes shopping, friend and teacher drama, struggles with learning new material, the return of extracurriculars, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
But wellness isn’t just a buzzword here; it’s a practice. The hard truth is: All these things are here to stay so it is up to us to prioritize wellness. It should be a daily practice that begins at home. From nurturing mental health to creating meaningful family rituals, it’s imperative to slow down, reconnect and build resilience as a family—even when life feels a little chaotic. It involves noticing when our kids (and ourselves) are falling apart and learning how to be there for them in ways that builds resilience, self-responsibility and curiosity.
Whether you’re a seasoned parent helping their teenager navigate their upcoming birthday party or reaching the end of your pregnancy and wondering how to navigate the birth, it’s time for an honest conversation.
The key to a fall where wellness comes first is mindfulness. We invite you to pause, breathe and rediscover the joy and strength that comes from staying connected to your kids, your community and yourself. There will always be before-school tantrums, forgotten lunches and homework havoc but there can also be possibility, purpose and presence.
– Stacie Gaetz
