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El abecedario del bienestar™ My experience supporting children and families through the asylum and refugee process: from Central America to the UK Recently I have shared posts on The Wellbeing Alphabet. Learn more about the story behind my current work. Not long before the pandemic a little girl walked past me and smiled. That day I learned the story of her family, where they came from and their arrival in the UK from Central America. My heart melted. Through one smile I met a community who I was able to support throughout the pandemic and beyond. Part of my family are Caribbean so my instinct as a mum compelled me to protect and support these children and families. The Wellbeing Alphabet is just part of our journey. Working with a Mexican psychologist to develop the bi-lingual programme in a culturally appropriate way has been a dream. This is not just about words, but about up-skilling children with the language and confidence to communicate and excel in their new home. I know how it feels to have family members across the world who you might not see again. I know how it feels to support a child through that emotionally, and how to support a child through family separation. Everything I give through The Wellbeing Alphabet comes from the heart and from lived experience. As they say in Spanish ‘My house, is your house’ or ‘Mi casa es su casa’. In a country where there are damaging headlines on migration, we have a duty to strengthen the self-esteem in children who might read or hear these views. Last week we explored the word 'calm' and what this means to our learners. They said it means when you are feeling relaxed, and that calming down is something you do when you feel angry. Our learners talked about what helps them to feel calm. This includes reading, drawing, colouring, animals, playing football, watching TV, sleeping and resting in your bedroom. Young asylum seekers and refugees experience so much transition. From multiple house moves and changing schools, to making new friends, adapting to new environments and learning more about the English language and culture every day. It's very important that we explore ways which help these precious children to feel calm. At The Wellbeing Alphabet we are like one big family, that's what makes us special. I went to visit my families’ this week Copyright ©2021 La Linguistica LTD l Derechos de autor ©2021 La Linguistica / English / Spanish l Inglés / español

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El abecedario del

bienestar™

My experience supporting children and families through the asylumand refugee process: from Central America to the UK

Recently I have shared posts on The Wellbeing Alphabet. Learnmore about the story behind my current work. Not long before thepandemic a little girl walked past me and smiled. That day Ilearned the story of her family, where they came from and theirarrival in the UK from Central America. My heart melted. Throughone smile I met a community who I was able to support throughoutthe pandemic and beyond. Part of my family are Caribbean so myinstinct as a mum compelled me to protect and support thesechildren and families.

The Wellbeing Alphabet is just part of our journey. Working with a Mexican psychologistto develop the bi-lingual programme in a culturally appropriate way has been a dream.

This is not just about words, but about up-skilling children with the languageand confidence to communicate and excel in their new home. I know how itfeels to have family members across the world who you might not see again.I know how it feels to support a child through that emotionally, and how tosupport a child through family separation. Everything I give through TheWellbeing Alphabet comes from the heart and from lived experience. As theysay in Spanish ‘My house, is your house’ or ‘Mi casa es su casa’. In a countrywhere there are damaging headlines on migration, we have a duty tostrengthen the self-esteem in children who might read or hear these views.

Last week we explored the word 'calm' and what this means to ourlearners. They said it means when you are feeling relaxed, and thatcalming down is something you do when you feel angry. Our learnerstalked about what helps them to feel calm. This includes reading,drawing, colouring, animals, playing football, watching TV, sleeping andresting in your bedroom. Young asylum seekers and refugees experienceso much transition. From multiple house moves and changing schools, tomaking new friends, adapting to new environments and learning moreabout the English language and culture every day. It's very important that we exploreways which help these precious children to feel calm. At The Wellbeing Alphabet we arelike one big family, that's what makes us special. I went to visit my families’ this week

Copyright ©2021 La Linguistica LTD l Derechos de autor ©2021 La Linguistica / English / Spanish l Inglés / español

El abecedario del

bienestar™

and it was wonderful to see them relaxing, drawing pictures and practising newvocabulary at home. What helps you to feel calm?

Mi experiencia apoyando a los niños y las familias a través del proceso deasilo y refugiados: desde América Central hasta el Reino Unido

Recientemente he compartido reseñas en “El Abecedario del Bienestar” puedesacercarte e informarte más acerca de mi trabajo actual. Poco antes de la pandemia,una pequeña pasó junto a mí y me sonrió. Ese día me enteré de la historia de sufamilia. Llegaron a UK desde Centroamérica. Me conmovió mucho. A través de unasonrisa conocí una comunidad de personas a las que pude apoyar a través de lapandemia y más allá. Parte de mi familia es Caribeña así que mi instinto de madreme impulsó a proteger y ayudar a estos niños y a sus familias.

El Abecedario del Bienestar es solamente una parte de nuestra travesía.Trabajar junto a una psicóloga mexicana y desarrollar un programabilingüe en un ambiente cultural apropiado, ha sido un sueño convertidoen realidad. No solamente se trata de aprender palabras sino de potenciarel desarrollo del lenguaje y construcción de seguridad de los niños paracomunicarse en su nuevo hogar. Sé lo que se siente tener familia en otraparte del mundo y la posibilidad de no verla de nuevo. Sé cómo se sienteel apoyar emocionalmente a un niño que vive esta separación de sufamilia. Todo lo que yo doy a través del programa El Abecedario del Bienestar es detodo corazón y desde mi propia experiencia. Como dicen “Mi casa es su casa”, “Myhouse is your house” en un país en donde los medios de comunicación han asociadopalabras negativas al tema de migración, tenemos la tarea de fortalecer el autoestimade niños que han leído, escuchado o han sido víctimas de estos titulares.

La semana pasada exploramos la palabra calma y su significado. Nuestrosestudiantes comentaron lo que significa para ellos la palabra calma “cuando tesientes relajado”, “calmarte ayuda cuando te sientes enojado” y lo que hacenellos para sentirse relajados: leer, colorear, pintar, acariciar animales, jugarfútbol, ver televisión, dormir y descansar en su habitación. Los niños y jóvenesque viven en medio de un proceso de búsqueda de asilo o como refugiados,experimentan muchas cosas durante esta transición. Desde mudarse de casas

temporales a cambiarse de escuela en un corto periodo de tiempo, dejando atrásamigos y teniendo que adaptarse constantemente a un nuevo ambiente . Cada díadeben aprender nuevas formas de comunicarse en Inglés, además de incorporar en suvida reglas culturales que no siempre son explícitas.

Copyright ©2021 La Linguistica LTD l Derechos de autor ©2021 La Linguistica / English / Spanish l Inglés / español

El abecedario del

bienestar™

Es muy importante que ayudemos a estos preciosos niños a que encuentren la calma.En el Abecedario del Bienestar somos una gran familia, eso es lo que nos haceespeciales.Yo he ido a visitar a mis familias esta semana y fue maravilloso verlos relajados,dibujando y practicando nuevas palabras de vocabulario en sus casas. ¿A tí, que teayuda a calmarte?

Nathalie Carter, Programme Founder / Fundadora del Programa xxx

Web: www.thewellbeingalphabet.comEmail:[email protected]

Facebook: TheWellbeingAlphabetInstagram: @TheWellbeingAlphabetTwitter: @Wellbeing_Alpha

Copyright ©2021 La Linguistica LTD l Derechos de autor ©2021 La Linguistica / English / Spanish l Inglés / español