Program for parents
Welcome, Parents and Carers
Thank you for supporting the YOU CAN SIT WITH ME campaign. This initiative helps create a kinder, more inclusive school community by empowering children to offer friendship, help others feel safe, and reduce loneliness.
As a parent or caregiver, your influence is powerful. The way you talk about kindness, inclusion, and resilience shapes how your child responds to others at school. Here’s how you can support the program at home and reinforce its message.
How you can support the Program at home
1. Use Inclusive and Respectful Language
Help your child understand the importance of using kind, respectful, and inclusive language about others.
Say things like:
“Everyone is welcome at our school.”
“It’s important to include people, even if they look or act differently from you.”
“What makes someone a good friend?”
“How would you feel if you were sitting alone?”Avoid labels and assumptions. Encourage curiosity and empathy instead of judgement.
Curriculum Link:
HPE – ACPPS019 / ACPPS037: Describe how respect, empathy and inclusion can support positive relationships.
2. Teach Children to Recognise Their Own Feelings and Ask for Help
Help your child identify and express their feelings – especially if they feel lonely, excluded or anxious.
Ask reflective questions:
“Did anything today make you feel a bit left out?”
“Who can you talk to if you feel sad or worried?”
“What helps you feel brave when you’re nervous?”Model healthy help-seeking behaviour:
“Sometimes I feel overwhelmed too. When that happens, I ask someone I trust for help.”
Curriculum Link:
HPE – ACPPS017 / ACPPS035: Recognise and describe strategies people can use when they need help with thoughts, feelings or relationships.
3. Encourage Acts of Kindness and Inclusion
Talk about the power of small actions like sitting with someone, saying “hi”, or asking “Are you ok?”
Celebrate when your child includes others:
“That was so kind of you to sit with someone new.”
“You really helped them feel welcome.”Make it part of everyday family conversations:
“What’s something kind you did today?”
“Did you notice someone who seemed left out? What could you do tomorrow?”
Curriculum Link:
Personal and Social Capability – Levels 1–4: Identify how their behaviour affects others and develop strategies to support inclusion.
4. Support Your Child to Become a YOU CAN SIT WITH ME Ambassador
Children are invited to wear a YOU CAN SIT WITH ME wristband when they feel ready to be a support to others. Before they do, help them reflect on these questions:
Am I having a good day today – can I be there for others?
Am I ready to welcome anyone, regardless of age, background, ability or beliefs?
Do I have time today to be present at recess and lunch for others?
Help them understand that wearing the wristband is a commitment to kindness for that day.
Curriculum Link:
Ethical Understanding – Years 3–6: Recognise ethical concepts and explore the consequences of decisions and actions in social situations.
Why parent support matters
When schools and parents work together, the message of inclusion becomes stronger and more effective. Children who see inclusive values reinforced both at home and school are more likely to act with empathy and confidence.
By encouraging conversations about emotions, kindness, and inclusion, you are helping your child build emotional intelligence and resilience, skills that last a lifetime.
Resources for parents
Printable conversation starters for home
Posters and talking points about kindness
Videos and stories about inclusion and emotional support
Available at: www.youcansitwithme.org/resources
Final message to Families
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME is more than a wristband. It’s a daily decision to create a community where no child feels invisible or alone.
We thank you for playing a vital role in nurturing that kind of world.
Together, we are raising a generation of inclusive, kind-hearted Australians.