Building on our previous learning with Families for Life, “Don’t Just Take, Learn to Give”, we’ve delved deeper into the complexities of love. We recognised that while giving is easier when we’re in good spirits, it can be challenging when we’re sad or angry. This insight led us to explore a new concept: loving despite negative emotions.
Key Objectives:
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Help children understand they can express love even when feeling sad
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Encourage appreciation for those who love us during our difficult moments
Lesson Highlights:
We introduced the concept “Even when we are sad, we can love” through various examples, such as:
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Comforting a friend
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Helping a family member
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Caring for a pet
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Expressing gratitude
This exploration helped children realise that while perfect love is unattainable, we can always strive to choose love, even in challenging emotional states.
Family Engagement Activity: The Love Wand
To reinforce this concept at home, we invited families to create a “Love Wand” using recycled materials:
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One end features a heart symbolising love
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The other end has blue strips representing tears
This creative project serves as a tangible reminder that love can coexist with sadness.
We encouraged families to:
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Document the creation process
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Capture moments of using the wand at home
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Share these experiences with teachers
Through this multi-faceted approach, we aim to nurture emotional intelligence and empathy in our young learners, helping them understand that love is a choice we can make, regardless of our emotional state.
