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Going through change can be scary or challenging for children. These 10 top tips aimed at parents can provide a starting point for helping children struggling with a change in their life.

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10 ways for parents to help their children cope with change : Mentally Healthy Schools

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Going through change can be scary or challenging for children. These 10 top tips aimed at parents can provide a starting point for helping children struggling with a change in their life.

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Menu of activities to structure routine and time

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Menu of activities to structure routine and time

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Is this your domain?Connect it to your Wix website in just a few easy steps:

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#Coronavirus Explained for Kids 🦠| Lingokids

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Dr Ranj explains the coronavirus to Jobi.

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Coronavirus: A Book For Children | Illustrated by Axel Scheffler | Read Aloud by Hugh Bonneville

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*Parent YC5 in Transition Webinar course 13th - 17th July 7-9pm over 5 days.

Date/Time

13/07/2020 - 17/07/2020 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The overall aim is to promote resilience (resilient families, ways to cope and support):

Understanding children and young people's mental health

Understanding wellbeing

Understanding why we feel the way we do (emotions)

Life skills problem-solving

The course will take place over five days starting on Monday 13th - 17th July 2020 (7 pm-9 pm).

Please note that this is a pilot course and will be looking for your comments and input for future training. It focuses on parents with children and young people transitioning from year 6 (primary) t0 year 7 (secondary). Please only show your interest if you are able to commit to all 5 days

This will be a webinar event using Zoom, you will be sent a link to the Zoom meeting via email once your place has been confirmed.

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*Parent YC5 in Transition Webinar course 13th - 17th July 7-9pm over 5 days.

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Date/Time 13/07/2020 - 17/07/2020 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm The overall aim is to promote resilience (resilient families, ways to cope and support): Understanding children and young people's mental health Understanding wellbeing Understanding why we feel the way we do (emotions) Life skills problem-solving The course will take place over five days starting on Monday 13th - 17th July 2020 (7 pm-9 pm).

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There are lots of way to feel calmer. Try our breathing exercises, activities and games or watch a video to help let go of stress.

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Two minutes Mindfulness: Balloon Breaths/Belly Breaths - Breathing exercise for Children

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If you're worried about a child or need advice and support for coping with anything affecting your child's mental health or wellbeing, there are different ways to seek help.

Online sources of support

Lots of general advice and support can be found online.

For more general advice, see our information on mental health and wellbeing, which includes advice about:

YoungMinds

YoungMinds offers free confidential online and telephone support to anyone worried about the emotional and mental wellbeing of a child or young person up to the age of 25.

call the free parents' helpine on 0808 802 5544 from 9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

email parents@youngminds.org.uk and YoungMinds will respond to your query within 3 working days

The charity also has information for parents and carers about mental health.

MindEd for families

MindEd for families is a branch of MindEd, intended to support parents and those caring for children and young people.

MindEd is an online e-portal offering free, simple advice about children and young people's mental health for all adults.

Although MindEd is aimed at professionals, parents and carers may also find the information helpful.

Royal College of Psychiatrists

You can also find out more by exploring the Royal College of Psychiatrists' leaflets for parents and young people.

These include mental health information tailored for young people, parents, teachers and carers.

When to seek professional help

There's a difference between feeling a bit low from time to time and a serious emotional health problem.

If your child is feeling unhappy and low for a prolonged period of time, or if you have any other serious concerns about your child or young person, it's time to seek more professional help.

Any professional working with children and young people should know what to do. You may find it helpful to speak to:

your GP

someone you trust at school or college - for example, a teacher, pastoral lead, school nurse or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)

health visitors

children's centres

For example, if you approach a teacher about your concerns or to see if they've noticed anything, they might speak to different staff working in the school. For example, a school counsellor, a support worker or, in many areas, a mental health support team for schools and colleges.

If the problem is more complex, the professional you initially approached may suggest getting help from colleagues with more specialist training.

A GP might refer a parent of a child with behaviour problems to a local parenting programme, or a young person who's depressed might be referred to specialist children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS).

You should contact your local support services immediately if you're aware of a child or young person at serious risk of harm.

How do I get help from specialist CYPMHS?

Getting help from a specialist CYPMHS is different depending on where you live. Waiting times can vary too.

Most CYPMHS have their own website, which will have information about access, referrals and more, including phone numbers, so you can get in touch directly for detailed advice.

You can also look at your local clinical commissioning group (CCG) website and search for children and young people's mental health.

If you or your child is being supported by social services or the youth offending team, your key worker will be able to refer your child for an appointment with someone in specialist CYPMHS.

There are many services to go to for help without having to ask for a referral, including crisis helplines that anyone can call.

Look up local services that provide mental health support for young people, including phone numbers and website details.

Read about where to get urgent help for mental health.

Read about voluntary community-based youth information services - which often have drop-in sessions for advice and professional help.

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Children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS) information for parents and carers

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If you're worried about a child or need advice and support for coping with anything affecting your child's mental health or wellbeing, there are different ways to seek help. Lots of general advice and support can be found online.

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Tell us more

What do you want to tell us about?

Note:

Please don't include personal details like your name or email address. If you do, data protection law means we'll have to delete your comments.

Unfortunately we can't reply to this. If you want a response from us, see our Contact us page.

If you are in crisis right now and want to talk to someone urgently then you could call Samaritans on 116 123 (freephone). Our pages on crisis services have more options.

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Tell us more What do you want to tell us about? Note: Please don't include personal details like your name or email address. If you do, data protection law means we'll have to delete your comments. Unfortunately we can't reply to this. If you want a response from us, see our Contact us page.

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Helping your child develop emotional literacy

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Helping your child develop emotional literacy

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Sue Atkins

There has been much talk and research around emotional intelligence and emotional literacy that suggests they lead to better health, higher academic achievement and stronger relationships. I believe the skills of emotional intelligence are learned - and parents are the best people to teach them to their children.

What is emotional literacy?

The terms emotional intelligence and emotional literacy both refer to the ability to recognise, understand, handle and appropriately express emotions.

'Emotional intelligence' is a person's overall ability to deal with their emotions, while 'emotional literacy' suggests a person's ability to communicate their emotions through words and read them in others.

There are five main aspects of emotional intelligence which, when developed, lead to children becoming emotionally literate. These are identified by Daniel Goleman in his fascinating book, 'Emotional Intelligence'.

Knowing emotions. A child recognises a feeling as it happens.

Managing emotions. A child has ways of reassuring themselves when they feel anxious or upset.

Self-Motivation. A child is in charge of their emotions, rather than controlled by them.

Empathy. A child is aware of what another person is feeling.

Handling relationships. A child is able to build relationships with others.

Can we teach children to be emotionally intelligent?

Absolutely. Some children are instinctively in tune with their feelings and emotions, and will be ready to deal with new/ different situations/people more easily. Others may need a bit more help. All children need to have their emotional literacy nurtured, supported and encouraged, so by 'talking and teaching' your child to express themselves appropriately you are empowering them to navigate the emotionally choppy waters of growing up successfully.

Top tips for helping your child develop emotional literacy

Accept your child's emotions and their emotional responses. Don't immediately judge, criticise or negate how your child is feeling. Name the emotion for them and say things like: 'Oh, that sounds really frustrating,' or, 'How lovely, I can tell how excited you are.'

Label their emotions with them. Doing so helps children feel understood. For example, say, 'You sound upset,' or, 'You look worried.'

Encourage your child to talk about their feelings. Create an environment where it's safe to talk openly about feelings and emotions free from judgement, criticism or finger-pointing. Say things like: 'You sound really fed up. Shall we have a chat?' and, 'How did that make you feel?'

Help them to recognise the signs about how others may be feeling. In stories, books or TV programmes, ask open-ended questions to help your child step into the shoes of a character or person. Say, 'How do you think that made him feel?' or, 'How would you feel if that happened to you?'

Teach them how to calm down and press their imaginary 'pause button'. Encourage them to take three deep breaths and say a simple mantra of, 'I can feel calm inside.' After that, encourage them to go and do something they find calming and relaxing.

Teach children alternative ways of expressing their frustrations. Ask your child an open-ended, empowering question to help them feel that they have choices. For example, say, 'How could you explain how you feel using your words rather than hitting?' or 'Can you think of a different way to let him know how angry you are?'

Recognise what motivates them to perform at their best. Encourage your child rather than praise them: focus on celebrating the behaviour and effort, not just the result. Say things like, 'I've noticed that when things get difficult you just keep trying - that's fantastic'.

Model how to remain calm and in control when you are tired, angry or fed up. Say, 'I've had a tough day at work - can we talk about this later when I've had a chance to relax?'

Seize every opportunity

Whether it's to model, teach and empower your child towards becoming emotionally literate, you will watch them blossom into happy, confident, resilient adults who are tolerant of race, gender and disability, and who will have positive mental health, well-being and quality of life. What better gift can you give them?

You can find out more about child development, and download free e-books too, at www.firstdiscoverers.co.uk.

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Helping children develop emotional literacy

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There has been much talk and research around emotional intelligence and emotional literacy that suggests they lead to better health, higher academic achievement and stronger relationships. I believe the skills of emotional intelligence are learned - and parents are the best people to teach them to their children.

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Anger is a normal and useful emotion. It can tell children when things are not fair or right.
But anger can become a problem if a child's angry behaviour becomes out of control or aggressive.

Why is your child so angry?

There are lots of reasons why your child may seem more angry than other children, including:

seeing other family members arguing or being angry with each other

friendship problems

being bullied - Anti-Bullying Alliance has information on bullying

struggling with schoolwork or exams

feeling very stressed, anxious or fearful about something

coping with hormone changes during puberty

It may not be obvious to you or your child why they're feeling angry. If that's the case, it's important to help them work out what might be causing their anger.

Read talking to your child about feelings.

Tackle anger together

Team up with your child to help them deal with their anger. This way, you let your child know that the anger is the problem, not them.

With younger children, this can be fun and creative. Give anger a name and try drawing it - for example, anger can be a volcano that eventually explodes.

How you respond to anger can influence how your child responds to anger. Making it something you tackle together can help you both.

Help your child spot the signs of anger

Being able to spot the signs of anger early can help your child make more positive decisions about how to handle it.

Talk about what your child feels when they start to get angry. For example, they may notice that:

their heart beats faster

their muscles tense

they clench their teeth

they make a fist

their stomach churns

Anger tips for your child

Work together to try to find out what triggers the anger. Talk about helpful strategies for managing anger.

You could encourage your child to:

count to 10

walk away from the situation

breathe slowly and deeply

clench and unclench their fists to ease tension

talk to a trusted person

go to a private place to calm down

If you see the early signs of anger in your child, say so. This gives them the chance to try their strategies.

Encourage regular active play and exercise

Staying active can be a way to reduce or stop feelings of anger. It can also be a way to improve feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.

For older children or young people, this could be simple activities, such as:

a short walk

jogging or running

cycling

Read more about physical activity for children and young people.

Be positive

Positive feedback is important. Praise your child's efforts and your own efforts, no matter how small.

This will build your child's confidence in their ability to manage their anger. It will also help them feel that you're both learning together.

When to get help for anger in children

If you're concerned your child's anger is harmful to them or people around them, you could talk to a:

If necessary, a GP may refer your child to a local children and young people's mental health services for specialist help.

CYPMHS is used as a term for all services that work with children and young people who have difficulties with their emotional or behavioural wellbeing.

You may also be able to refer your child yourself without seeing a GP.

Read more about where to get mental health support.

Further help and support for anger in children

For more support with anger in children, you could phone the YoungMinds parents' helpline free on 0808 802 5544 (9.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday).

Other sources of help and support include:

If you have older children, find out more about talking to teenagers and coping with your teenager.
The Health for Teens website also has more about anger management

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Advice on how to help your child deal with anger in a positive way.

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Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Free and confidential live chat with a parenting coach. We're here 12:00-19:30 Monday and Thursday, 09:30-16:30 Tuesday and Wednesday, and 09:30-16:00 Friday. At other times, leave us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Free and confidential live chat with a parenting coach. We're here 12:00-19:30 Monday and Thursday, 09:30-16:30 Tuesday and Wednesday, and 09:30-16:00 Friday. At other times, leave us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

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Parent Talk - down-to-earth parenting advice you can trust

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We're on hand to support parents, when they need us. As coronavirus puts extra pressure on families, we're offering even more online parenting support. You can find advice and resources on coronavirus, explore our online advice sites below, or speak to one of our parenting coaches in a 1-to-1 live chat.

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Our Can't Talk, Write toolkits help young people express how they feel

We've teamed up with Royal Mail and The Prince's Trust to launch our Can't Talk, Write toolkits. These downloadable workbooks are full of activities to get young people writing.

We've come up with two toolkits. The first is for young people aged 11-18 years old; the second is for adults working with young people. Each toolkit includes printable activities and ideas to get young people writing.

The young person's version has 10 activities. Each one encourages a different style of writing. We hope young people will find something that works for them.

The facilitators' toolkit is for adults to use with young people. It's divided into 10 sessions - each with an accompanying activity. The activities help young people to express their emotions, either alone or in a group.

Writing is a great way to express thoughts and feelings. Getting things down on paper can really help to make sense of problems, too.

This is especially important today. Life for children and young people - particularly the most vulnerable - is increasingly complicated. Pressures at home, in school and online can have a negative impact on their emotional wellbeing.

Research commissioned by Royal Mail suggests writing helps. Almost half (46%) of the young people Royal Mail spoke to said that writing things down made them feel better about something that had made them sad.

These findings are backed up by our literature review, using academic studies to show the positive mental health benefits of writing things down.

Disclaimer

Our toolkits are designed to help young people explore feelings through writing and other activities. It's not a substitute for conventional clinical, psychological or therapeutic treatment.

In the absence of any negligence or other direct breach of duty by us, we are not responsible for any adverse outcomes in relation to the use of this toolkit.

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Our Can't Talk, Write toolkits help young people express how they feel We've teamed up with Royal Mail and The Prince's Trust to launch our Can't Talk, Write toolkits. These downloadable workbooks are full of activities to get young people writing. We've come up with two toolkits.

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It is important to keep our mind healthy at home

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It is important to keep our mind healthy at home

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Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.
1. Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth

give you an opportunity to share positive experiences

provide emotional support and allow you to support others

There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:

2. Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

raising your self-esteem

helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them

causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

Read about exercise guidelines and workouts to help improve your fitness and wellbeing

3. Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem

helping you to build a sense of purpose

helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.

Some of the things you could try include:

4. Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

creating positive feelings and a sense of reward

giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth

helping you connect with other people

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Some examples of the things you could try include:

saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you

asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer

spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company

offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project

volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home

5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.

Further information

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Read about 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

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Follow Jo as she creates a scrapbook to help record ways to be happy and shares tips to overcome stress and worry.

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A booklet for pupils moving from primary school to secondary school.

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A worksheet from Beth Wooldridge to support with thoughts about coming back into school.

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A picturebook for children about worries.

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A resource to support anxieties surrounding Covid-19

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A resource to accompany the Returning To School journals.

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A parent/carer guide to support the return to school.

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A journal to support children's reflections and thinking about their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

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Daily Calm | 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation | Be Present

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Coronavirus: Here's some advice if you're worried about it

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The arrival of coronavirus has led to lots of changes to the way we all live our lives, as well as lots of new rules about what we can and can't do.

Some of what you see or hear might sound confusing or scary, so it's normal to have some worries.

But it's also important to be aware of your feelings, and to look after your mental health and your wellbeing.

1) Connect with other people and talk about your feelings

It is quite normal to feel scared and confused with everything you're hearing about coronavirus and lockdowns.

But don't bottle up your worries. It's really important to talk to an adult you trust, such as your parents or teachers, about how you're feeling.

If you can't meet up with people, then it's good to find different ways to stay in contact with family and friends.

If you're worried about how you can spend time with friends you don't see at school or elderly relatives and other family members, try to find different ways you can help them and stay in touch.

Although it's not the same, we've all got used to using videos calls - so if you want to reach out, then go ahead and do it!

Advice if you're upset by the news

2) Keep active!

Staying healthy and being active isn't only great for your physical health and fitness. Experts say it can also improve your mental wellbeing by making you more confident.

It can even cause chemical changes in your brain, which help to make your outlook more positive!

With schools closed to most pupils for now, PE not happening and lots of sports clubs being closed, it's still really important to try to get some fresh air and exercise in other ways - even if that means something simple like going for a walk or riding your bike!

3) Try to be 'mindful' and don't worry about what you can't control

Try not to worry about all the things you can't control and try to make the best of what you can do.

Rather than worrying about the past or the future, concentrating on the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better.

It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

4) Do what you enjoy

It's really important to do things YOU enjoy.

That could mean reading a book, playing a board game or doing some arts and crafts.

Or have you ever wanted to try a new language or learn to cook or how to take great photographs?

Scientists say learning something new is a great way to help boost your wellbeing: it improves self-confidence and self-esteem, and helps you to build a sense of purpose. It also connects you with others who share your interests.

It might seem like you're too busy with schoolwork, but think of it as finding new hobbies and learning new skills you might want o continue even when lockdown is over.

5) Be kind

Giving back to other people is a great way to also feel good about yourself!

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

When we're living as we are now and meeting up in person can be difficult, remember how important it can be to say "thank you" to someone for something they have done for you.

Or to ask friends, family or colleagues how they are, and really listening to their answer.

Remember...

If you are feeling worried, there is lots of support out there for you to get help.

Speak to an adult you trust, like a parent, guardian or a teacher.

You can also contact Childline on 0800 1111 for free at any time.

Childline is run by the NSPCC.

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Coronavirus: How to support your wellbeing at the moment

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It's normal to feel worried and concerned about the way we're living right now - here are some tips to help you look after both your physical and mental health during lockdown.

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It’s easy to focus on what we’ve missed out on during lockdown, but you can encourage your child to think of positive things they’ve done as well.

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There are lots of things that we haven’t been able to do due to coronavirus – see friends, hug a grandparent, go shopping or visit a favourite café.
Use this activities to help accept and let go of the things you have missed out on due to the lockdown, and to look forward to things you can do in the future.

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It can be nerve-wracking starting a new school and making friends. Because of lockdown, your child might have missed visiting the new school and meeting new classmates. Get your child to complete the sheet and complete one yourself, then compare the two.

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Transition from primary to secondary school can be scary for children, especially if they have missed induction days due to the lockdown. Discuss who they can turn to now at primary school, and who could help them at secondary school.

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Children may have lots of different feelings about going back to school after lockdown. Help your child fill in the boxes below to explore these feelings, and anything they’re worried about.

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Time to Come In, Bear: A Children's Story About Social Distancing

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It restores the body to a calm state, helping the body repair itself and preventing new damage from the physical effects of stress.

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Stressed out? Studies show that meditation may help you manage your stress. Headspace reduces stress in 10 days.

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We would be nothing without our memories but, is it possible to remember everything?

Get them down in this memory book and look back at it this time next year.

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Take a moment and use these tips to mindfully guide yourself — and your students and children — through the COVID-19 crisis, or other tough times.

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We could all use a hug right now, why not send a Socially-Distanced one?

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Children derive enormous benefits from yoga. Physically, it enhances their flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness. In addition, their concentration and sense of calmness and relaxation improves.

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A worry book is here to help you in times of worry and confusion and can be used as a tool to help deal with any difficult situations you may be facing.

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Are you searching for a simple way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine whilst away from school? Maybe these cards may help...

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This booklet provides information on looking after your family's emotional well being at home.