Unlimited
Tool Kit
Unlimited encourages a positive self-image by teaching children how to value themselves and each other. It helps them to gain a positive outlook on life and to grow in self-confidence. Our aim for the group, and the reason for choosing the Unlimited name, is that we might see children begin to grow and thrive in their own unique and unlimited potential, unhindered by peer pressure or self-doubts and more resilient to the increasing pressures of the world around them.
Unlimited meets during the school day for the same hour each week for one short term. We look creatively at different issues and measure progress using our Hop-Scotch of Confidence, asking the children how confident they feel at the beginning, part way through, and at the end of the course. Each child will finish the course with
a booklet they have created full of all the great things they have discovered about themselves. This is a helpful keepsake that will remind each child how special and unique they are and will have a few empty pockets that they can keep on adding to as you talk about the themes covered in Unlimited at home. Click here to find some ideas of how you can carry on building your child’s self-esteem at home and for more work sheets to fill your Unlimited booklet.
To book Unlimited for your school, please contact Jenny or speak to your child’s teachers if you feel they would benefit from attending.
Life & Soul is happy to offer Unlimited free of charge to primary schools because our work is funded purely by donations. If you would like to contribute to our work either through a school fundraising activity, through a one-off donation or regular giving we would love to hear from you. Each course costs us around £150 to run.
My daughter has just completed your six week course and I wanted to thank you so much for what can only be described as a transformational course. She loved it – the topics were on point, she was able to be creative (which she loves) and she came home visibly more confident and happy as a result.
Parent
Unlimited runs weekly throughout one short term, as part of the school day, for children, chosen by their teachers, in school years 5 or 6, who would benefit from some extra time thinking about these subjects:
Session 1:
Differences and our Uniqueness – aim: To understand it is good to be unique and to celebrate each other’s differences.
Session 2:
Strengths and Weaknesses – aim: To understand that we are all important and we each have a unique role to play in life. We each have different strengths so our roles will all be different too!
Session 3:
Worries and Fears – aim: To understand that sharing the things we worry about helps us to cope well with them and stops them becoming too heavy for us to carry.
Session 4:
Body Image – aim: To understand that what is in the inside is far more important than what is on the outside. The way we are is more important than how we look.
Session 5:
Friendships – aim: To understand what makes a good friend and to begin thinking about how we each can be that friend.
Session 6:
Anger – aim: To understand that anger is a natural emotion and can be used for either good or bad. To develop helpful strategies for letting out our anger safely and to use it for good.
Session 7:
Feelings & Review – aim: To understand the different feelings and emotions we all have and how to respond to them in a healthy way. To review all we have learnt through Unlimited and to consolidate our own individual responses.
For shorter terms, we chose the sessions best suited for the individual children in each group.
My son found the experience life-changing. Since working with Unlimited he is able to cope with difficult relationships at school and deal with any anxieties that arise. His confidence has grown, and he has really come to know, understand and accept himself thanks to the sessions.
I have learnt that it is more important to be kind than to be pretty.
Unlimited has helped me have amazing methods to help with different emotions.
Ideas of how to carry on building your child’s Unlimited potential at home:
• Create a family Coat of Arms. Talk about what makes up your family: the people, what you enjoy, where you come from and special memories you share. Every family will be unique in its own way and that is great! Celebrate your uniqueness by filling in each section of the Coat of Arms with words or pictures of what makes your family special. Click here to view the Coat of Arms worksheet.
• Keep a Self-Esteem Journal. Each day write or draw 2 or 3 positive moments from that day. For example: Something I did well today is…. Something I did today to help someone else was…. I felt good about myself when…. Use this either for your child’s own record of great things happening each day, or to start conversations at home.
Click here to view a sample journal.
• Create an ‘All About Me’ sheet. Talk about what makes your child special. Celebrate their achievements and point out good things they may not have thought of or noticed before. Fill the sheet with a selection of ideas of how they are unique and brilliant. Click here to view the All About Me worksheet.
• Build an achievements tree. Paint, build or draw a tree with several leaves available to stick onto the branches. Each time your child feels they have done something well or you notice something great about them, write or draw it onto a leaf and stick it on the tree. This is a great idea to stick on the wall in your child’s bedroom or in the kitchen where everyone can see it. Alternatively, go on a woodland walk together and find a branch to secure in a bucket of stones at home. You can then attach the paper leaves to the actual tree. Click here to view the sample trees and a leaf template.
• Fill in an Anger Map. Anger can be like a balloon. If we keep it inside, we can end up exploding! Think about ways we can let out our anger safely so that we do no explode and hurt ourselves or other people. Talk about what sort of things make us angry, what happens to our bodies when we are angry? How could we use our anger for good? How might our anger affect other people? What would be a good way to deal with our anger when we are at home or at school? Click here to view the Anger Map.
• The best way to deal with our worries is to talk about them. Regularly ask your child if there is anything worrying them. Ask them who they would like to talk to about this. Be prepared that it might not be you! But that’s ok – the important thing is that each child gets to talk to someone they feel comfortable opening up to. As your child grows in to a teenager, this person is less and less likely to be you, however it is still important that there is someone they can talk to.
• Provide a note book.We can write or draw our worries as an easier way to start a conversation. If your child doesn’t want to talk, find them a nice note book they can use with some blank and some lined pages. Maybe leaving notes for each other rather than talking face to face would be easier for your child to express their worries?
• Think about how to be good friend. Take a look at these friendship qualities and decide whether they would make a good or a bad friend. What do you need to do to be a good friend? Chose two things that you can do every day for a week to help you become a better friend. Click here to view the Friendship worksheet.
You Can Make A Difference!
Donate a regular or one-off amount to help change lives!
Our volunteers are highly valued members of our team. Find out how you can get involved.
Trustees Needed
We are currently looking for new trustees. Your role would be to ensure the vision and ethos of the charity are maintained, hold the leadership to account and ensure financial probity. This is mainly carried out through attendance at four meetings a year and offering prayer support. There are opportunities for trustees to get involved in the work of the charity as well through becoming a volunteer mentor if they would like to but this is not a requirement for being a trustee.