Category: Education

As a youngster growing up in the 80’ies, I loved watching The Smurfs on TV. We were allowed only a limited amount of screen time, so you had to prioritise… and The Smurfs always made the cut! For some reason these tiny blue creatures fascinated me. They all lived peacefully in harmony with nature and, most of the time, with each other, thanks to Papa Smurf’s loving leadership. The beauty of Papa Smurf was that he had the ability to identify each Smurf’s strengths (and weaknesses) and created opportunities accordingly for each Smurf to develop their full potential and be their best! Sounds like a top-notch leader to me!

A lot of our kids today are in need of Papa Smurfs: key figures they can look up to, turn to in difficult times and trust wholeheartedly when life seems to go awry. They’re yearning for suitable leaders to build lasting relationships with.

So, as a teacher/parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/mentor, how can you be a successful Papa Smurf? If I may share a few suggestions from my side:

• Really KNOW your Smurfs/children/learners.
• IDENTIFY their strengths and weaknesses.
• DEVELOP an UNDERSTANDING of each one’s unique qualities.
• CREATE OPPORTUNITIES for them to develop their unique strengths.
• Make ADJUSTMENTS, where needed, to help them address and overcome their weaknesses.
• Foster a RELATIONSHIP with each of your Smurfs, so they’ll know you’re in it for the long haul.

As we all know: children (people) differ and each has unique characteristics, which might complicate your job as Papa Smurf. To simplify things, let’s consider your Smurfs from a sensory perspective. They might include any of the following:

Handy Smurf

• This sensory seeking Smurf has a high threshold for sensory input and wants to be busy all the time.
• He appears active, “on the go”, is continuously engaging and energetic.
• Some of his strengths are his creativeness, energy and ability to cope with unexpected change.

Lazy Smurf

• Lazy Smurf also has a high threshold for sensory input but responds passively and has low registration.
• This Smurf easily misses environmental clues, takes longer to respond and appears laid-back and disinterested.
• Some of his strengths include his easy-going nature and flexibility.

Grouchy Smurf

• He is a sensory sensitive creature who has a low threshold for sensory stimuli and needs less input.
• He has a high level of awareness, becomes irritated quite easily and needs to be “in tune” with his environment.
• Some of his strengths are his ability to be organised and having a good eye for detail.

Scaredy Smurf

• Scaredy Smurf also has a low threshold for sensory input and is a sensory avoider.
• He can easily be overwhelmed by the environment, needs structure and is resistant to change.
• Some of his strengths include his ability to create structure and routine, meticulousness and attention to detail.

It might sound like an impossible task to build relationships with and care for all these different little beings, but keep in mind that somewhere in your forming years you probably had a Papa Smurf watching out for you.

Now it’s your turn to put on that red cap!

To find out what your sensory thresholds are, do our quick Sensory Quiz™. For a personalised, 26-page guide on how your senses affect the way you live, learn, work and play, visit our Sensory Matrix™ webpage.

The end of the year is synonymous with exam time. Whether a child is in grade 4 or in grade 12, exam stress is very real and very common. Children are under great pressure to perform and do well – these expectations placed on them lead to extra stress.

All learning and thinking skills are functions of the cerebral cortex, our thinking brain. Our thinking brain functions as the CEO of the brain, and it is where all learning, problem-solving, abstract thinking and memory recall happens. The ability of the thinking brain to function adequately is dependent on the adequate function of the sensory and emotional parts of the brain. If the sensory brain is overwhelmed and stressed, one has great difficulty maintaining emotions and anxiety takes over. When the sensory brain is overwhelmed, the ability to think in a rational and clear way is compromised.

The ability to self-regulate and stay calm is vital to being able to cope with the pressures of exams. The following strategies will go a long way to helping the children in our lives cope with exam stress:

• When studying, take a break every 30 – 45 minutes. Breaks must be taken away from the desk.
• Encourage your child to take a movement break, or to maintain regular sport participation.
• Maintain a healthy eating plan. Provide healthy snacks during studying periods such as nuts, carrots, apples, popcorn and pretzels. Crunchy snacks will provide alerting sensory input while the child sits at the desk to study.
• Avoid sugary eats and drinks.
• Encourage your child to keep a bottle of cool/cold water at the desk.
• Allow your child to decide where and how he or she works best – encourage them to keep their working area clutter-free.
• Ensure that there is enough natural light in the room.
• Allow for them to make the sensory accommodations that they need to stay focused and alert, e.g. listening to music or wearing headphones to block out distracting sounds and having fidget tools to help focus.
• Maintain a healthy and regular sleeping pattern. Get up and go to sleep at regular times. A minimum of 8 hours of sleep is recommended in order to give the brain and body time to rest. Sleeping is when the brain consolidates all the information that has been learned.

Let’s make exam time easier for our children, and let’s help them realise just how capable and resilient they are.

Get to know the sensory strategies to keep your mind calm by completing your Sensory Matrix™.