This week - 0109 Positive Experience Navigation (PEN) Learning Now Mummy!

This is how Positive Psychology–led learning shows up: 🌻

I sometimes worry that I’m ‘pushing’ Sonni to learn when he might actually be too tired — especially on that first Friday of the first week back at school after the holidays. He definitely seemed worn out this week. We followed our usual after-school routine: a snack, some free play, and a bit of screen time.

But halfway through watching his iPad, he suddenly dropped everything, set up his learning materials, and insisted that we do the learning “now”. I was still in the living room, hadn’t prepared anything, and hadn’t even mentioned learning. Just for context, my darling boy isn't one for 'compliance' and doing something because 'it will make mummy happy' - if that was the case then mealtimes wouldn't be such a challenge! 😂

Moments like this remind me just how powerful and rewarding a strengths-based, Positive Psychology approach can be for motivation and engagement.

He truly sees it as 'his' learning. It matters to him. It validates him. And it gives him the opportunity to shine in his character strengths — Playfulness, Enthusiasm, Curiosity, Appreciation, and Passion (the ability to love and be loved). That to him is more important that playing on the iPad - he enjoys feeling successful - isn't that what we all want on a rainy Friday in January? 🌈

So proud of you Sonni! You really are supersonni! 🌟

#positivepsychology #downsyndrome #readingisfun #characterstrengths