One thing that can get squeezed out of our Australian lives, is rest. I think this is part of what drives our desperate ‘need’ to go on holidays. Why? Because unless we remove ourselves from the busyness of our daily lives, we do not have the willpower (or desire) to being able to stop and rest. Whether it be work, study, entertainment or any manner of other things, we find it difficult to find ourselves without much external stimulus.

The word ‘holiday’ used to be written as ‘holy-day’. Something holy, is something that is set aside, something that is different. What does it look like to create time within our days that is set aside from the normality of life, for something in which we can rest? I ask you this because quite often our kids copy our attempts at resting too. 

Here is where routines can become a helpful tool. When I was young, I would go to bed when my parents said, because I had to. Now, I would love to get to bed earlier than I do! Because I know that it is good for me to get enough sleep. Kids also need healthy food, time when they are not on screens, time of enjoyment with their family. Yes, people rest in different ways. But our cultural tendency is to fill free time with things that quite often do not enable us to find rest. They can even crowd out other good habits and leave us low on emotional and mental energy.

Our kids need help to create space for rest within their lives. This is a skill that requires practice so that it can become habitual. Whether it be setting aside a specific time each week to do a quiet activity (reading, colouring in, walking, time with loved ones, looking at nature etc.) or putting time limits of certain things (watching sport, playing video games, being on social media etc.) so that time is freed up.

So as the year wraps up and your kids are on holidays: I know there will be busyness, but I hope that they can make time to rest. My desire, and that of the BHCS, is that when your kids come back to school next year, they can come back refreshed from a time of enjoyment and rest. 

For more useful information, follow the below links:

WELLBEING RESOURCES

We know that it can sometimes be hard to find the necessary resources in relation to mental health, bullying and family violence, especially when things are tough. For this reason, the School has a small webpage with links related to health and wellbeing resources. This can be found on the School’s website under Other Resources or can be found here.

By Matt Edwards (Primary Chaplain)