Mental Health and Wellbeing

‘The price of greatness is responsibility.’ Winston Churchill

Allowing children opportunity to help others, both at home and in school, can give them a sense of worth and achievement.

Giving them the responsibility of a job around the house, such as watering the plants or preparing the vegetables for dinner, can give your child the opportunity to feel special as they have accomplished something.

Acknowledgement and recognition are vital to everybody. It is known to increase motivation and boost confidence. If you’re in a job where you don’t feel acknowledged or appreciated, it can seriously affect your mood and mental wellbeing: the same applies to children.

What a child hears from their parents becomes their inner monologue when they are an adult. If a child is hearing specific and genuine praise and acknowledgement, they know what they say and do has value which, in turn, gives them self-belief and the confidence to try new things.

Celebrating your child’s achievements can help to develop their confidence and motivation for learning. It can also help them to reflect on their own learning and plan appropriate next steps.
Some ways to do this at home may be:
– Praising them,
– Displaying their work in the house
– Create a rewards system (stickers or reward charts)
– Spending quality time with them to celebrate their achievement (family trip to the park, picking the film for family movie night)

This may look like:
– Setting realistic expectations- what are they actually capable of achieving? A child may feel that they are disappointing or letting their parent down by not meeting unrealistic goals expected of them.
– Setting manageable goals. Try to personalise and create goals that are individual to your child.
– Work together with your child to find out what you both want for them. Listen to each other and ensure the other person feels heard and that their opinion is important.

‘Don’t compare yourself to others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.’

‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’ Albert Einstein.

Everyone has different strengths, talents and learning styles. Comparing one child to another, one sibling to another, will only lead to one party feeling inferior and not good enough. This attitude about themselves will be taken with them into adulthood. Take notice of the different strengths and qualities your child has and celebrate those whilst aiming to create an environment where individuality is explicitly valued.

‘It’s important to get help early is you think your child may be suffering from anxiety or depression. The longer it goes on, the more likely it is to disrupt your child’s life and turn into a long-term problem.’ NHS 2020

Some early indicators can be:

• Lack of concentration,
• Change in appetite, weight or sleep,
• Lack of confidence,
• Interacting less with friends and family,
• Loss of interest in things that used to excite them,
• Worrying or feeling anxious about things that haven’t happened/are unlikely to happen.
• Difficulty expressing their emotions.

Speaking to your child’s class teacher is a good place to start. Talk to a doctor, child counsellor or school professionals for further support.

On an aeroplane, they advise that you put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. You need to take care of yourself first before you can take care of anyone else. The same applies in everyday life. If you feel that you are struggling with your mental health, it is important that you reach out for help otherwise it can affect your ability to look after your family. Speak to a friend, doctor, counsellor or the school for more support.