Kids’ favorite time of the year has finally arrived – it’s SUMMER! A couple of students in my life have been counting down the number of days left since January. So, yeah. They’re super excited.
I loved summer when I was a teenager too. I liked the slower pace; I liked being able to stay up later and sleep later; I liked wearing shorts and flip-flops; and, I liked all the creative ways my friends and I found to make up for the fact we had no access to a swimming pool (imagine lawn chairs positioned creatively under the sprinkler).
Now, as an adult, I still love summer. However, my reasons are so much different! I like the fact that I don’t have to pack a coat when I travel; I like the fact that I can assume if I travel on Sunday, I won’t get snowed in somewhere preventing me from being able to start my event on Monday; and, I still like positioning a lawn chair creatively under the sprinkler.
These things we like constitute our “de-escalation preferences” or what is sometimes referred to as a de-escalation preference tool. It’s important to develop those relationships with the people in our care so we know what helps them to feel safe.
Who knows? You might just wind up in a lawn chair under the sprinkler!
Nikki Wince – Mandt Faculty Supervisor
