After School Restraint Collapse and what it means for your kids yoga class

Recently, I was chatting to some kids yoga teachers at a training that I was delivering and they were talking about how hard it can be to manage/ engage children during an after school yoga class and that they seemed so wired after school. I shared with them about after school restraint collapse and so thought that it would be a good place to share it here to. So today’s blog is all about what after school restraint collapse is, how it may impact your after school class and also how you can support children who are experiencing this to make your after school class fun and calm.

📽️You can watch the video here if you prefer.
 
What is after school restraint collapse?
 
The term was coined by counsellor, parenting educator and expert Andrea Loewen Nair. Here is an article that she has written about it.
 
Many children are ‘holding it together’ all day ‘behaving’ and fitting into the rules and constraints of the school day. Lots of children suppress their emotional reactions to things out of fear or embarrassment or just simply wanting to fit in or not make a fuss. It gets to a point where this ‘restraint’ is too much to hold. Andrea compares it to a bubble that needs to burst.
 
This is usually talked about as something that children experience when they get home from school and are with their parents/ carers. In my years of teaching yoga to children, I believe that this happens in this situation too. I think that if the environment is one that feels accepting and compassionate and the children are comfortable with the adult, children may release the emotions that they have been holding on to all day. 
 
How does restraint collapse impact an after school class?
In an after school class this might look like: lots of emotions- quick to tears or anger, running around a lot- many children will not have been moving as much as they need, explosive energy, loudness! It’s likely that the children will have been quiet for much of the day and now they have everything to say all at once, to anyone who will (or won’t!) listen!
 
How to support children
I find it really interesting to reflect on the article written by Andrea Loewen Nair, because many of her suggestions are what I put into place in my yoga classes! Here are her suggestions and my take on how this can work in the yoga class:

• Reconnect positively- I always like to start an after school class with some sort of circle time, giving each child the opportunity to share something (if they would like to). Ensuring that I give eye contact, use their name and smile. I try and avoid shouting to gain attention and prefer to use an instrument, such as bells.
• Create space- ensuring that there is some time within the session for children to just have some quiet time to themselves is very powerful. Sometimes, starting with a relaxing story or time with a mindful activity such as putty, or making a mandala using gems, stones or shells is wonderful. Tuning in to the energy of the class is important here, because this activity is most commonly used at the end of a class, but it is great to move it and use it at the time that the children most need it.
• Feed them- starting the session with the children having a snack and a drink is a great idea. I always encourage children to bring their own. It can also work providing a snack (as long as this is considering allergies and dietary requirements).
• Reduce the clutter and noise- if it is possible to set up the space before the children arrive, this is ideal. Having a defined space that is inviting, but not overwhelming, helps the children ‘land’ into the session. In my ‘props like a pro’ training I talk all about not using too many props in one session, this is one of the reasons. Calming, gentle music can really help to set the scene and lower the noise level.
• Stay connected throughout the day- in her article Andrea talks about ‘connection bridges’ to help her children feel connected when they are at school (such as notes in the lunchbox). As a kids yoga teacher, I like to teach children ways that they can ‘stay connected’ with themselves throughout the day. Talking about how the school day can be hard sometimes and teaching the children skills like a self -hug, or a breathing technique to help them connect with themselves can support them in the long run- which is surely our long term goal.
• Provide decompression time- decompression is different depending on what the child needs. Do they need to do a high impact energetic dance or shake out? Perhaps they need some quiet time and a self -massage.
• Have fun- giggling is such a great way of releasing tension, including fun activities in your yoga class is exactly what they need. And ultimately having fun in our kids yoga classes is what it is all about!

 
So, I hope that you can see that many of the things that you are already doing within your kids yoga classes are supporting children to unwind after school.

If you are having any challenges that you would like my support on, reach out. I offer hour long mentor sessions as one- offs as well as longer mentor packages for kids yoga teachers and I can give personalised support and guidance.

If you have an issue and you don’t have the finances for a meeting, email me about the situation, and I may be able to talk about it on one of my videos or blogs.

If you would like more information about behaviour in your yoga classes:
🧠check out this blog or video,
🎁download the rules that I use,
⬇️get this training workshop.

Hope you find this helpful, I'd love to know what you think :)

x Julia