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Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing
Free Local Family Learning Courses
Our Reflection Room is available for all children to access throughout the school day. It is a place for reflection, stillness, a chance to talk or just a space where they can have a moment to regulate or just be who they need to be.
The Calming Cat Intervention: Calm Cat is a relaxation skills training intervention for students who demonstrate needs related to emotion regulation. It is a mental health and wellbeing programme that helps children to talk about their feelings, thoughts and behaviours, as well as offering coping strategies.
LEGO Therapy is a social development program that uses LEGO activities to support the development of social skills. The children thoroughly enjoy this intervention!
Sensory Tent: We have been incredibly lucky; A very generous parent has donated a Sensory Tent for our children to use when they are feeling dysregulated. This tent offers the perfect space for our children to be in and feel safe. It is also used for reflective time and quiet reading or drawing.
Sensory Toys: In our Reflection room we have a basket of sensory and fidget toys that were kindly donated by another generous parent. We rotate these toys weekly. These toys find their way around the school supporting children from Nursery and Reception all the way through to year 6. They help the children focus and are used daily!
Parenting Smart (Place2Be)
The children's mental health charity, Place2Be, has launched a new website aimed at helping parents with typical situations they can find themselves in with their children.
Advice can be found on over forty topics including:
- Understanding sibling rivalry 
- My child is lying, what does it mean, what should I do?
- My child has trouble going to sleep
- My child says ‘I hate you!’
- Cultural identity: who am I?
The Parenting Smart website can found here: https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/
Top Tips for Connecting with Nature for Positive Mental Health
Meaningful May 2021
With mental health being a high priority please see below for a list of organisations to help teachers and parents to support their students, their colleagues and themselves with mental health challenges. The list includes links to organisations for individuals and to those with resources for schools. A useful reference for anyone working with children and young people.
Mental health and wellbeing - updated 16th February 2021
Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19) is also available.
The following organisations offer information and support on mental health and wellbeing:
Welcome to your Wellbeing Boost this term, which is about exercising and taking care of your body. You are probably well aware that there are connections between the mind and the body. Exercise releases dopamine and endorphins which can lift us out of low mood and depression.
If you are currently ‘stuck at home’, spending hours on the computer, teaching and communicating online, or you have youngsters at home learning online, we can feel really frustrated, exhausted and maybe quite low.
Here are some simple ideas to consider, some of which you are possibly well aware of:
- Unplug technology and get some fresh air, even for 5 minute mini-breaks.
- Drink more water.
- Eat some more nutritious food.
- Create a circuit of 100 movements with your children, or just for you to do; 25 star jumps, run on the spot for 25 steps, 25 hops on one leg, finally reach down and touch your toes 25 times. Ask the children to invent a circuit for their class, whether they are at home or at school. To benefit from the endorphin release the adults need to join them too!
- Throw a ball against a wall or in the air and catch it x times – what might your record be?
- Dance to music for 5 minutes every hour – great for children to do to relieve stress – ask them to provide the music.
- Create a good bedtime/sleep routine.
- If someone in your school has done Relax Kids training, there are lots of movement exercises to do with children – such as rotating knees, hips, arms and shoulders, swinging arms, opening and closing fingers, shaking your own hands etc Visit www.relaxkids.com or see exercises from Place2Be – links at the end of this document.
- If you would like to ‘get fit’ and raise money (GIVING) try https://charliewaller.org/events/fit-4-feb and see what else they have on their website regarding mental health.
Ask the children these questions, talk with them and use their suggestions
- What can we do to keep healthy? – walk, move round the house, sleep etc
- What can we eat to keep healthy? Fruit, veg, eat a little slower, drink water regularly etc
- What can we remember to do to keep healthy? – wash hands, brush teeth, have a bath/shower etc
- You may already be familiar with Joe Wicks for a 5 minute kids workout.
- For a more gentle form of exercise try some Yoga https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga or Pilates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdjRQ6GG8bA
FINALLY
Place2Be have their Mental Health Week resources availalbe on their website. https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/ Free ideas and resources for schools and parents, including ideas for movement with children. If you haven’t heard of them visit their website for general information https://www.place2be.org.uk/ They also have resources and ideas specifically around Coronavirus. https://www.place2be.org.uk/media/qgje55xe/healthy-inside-and-out-activities-for-schools.pdf
Take care of your mind and body!
Great Dream
When Emotions Explode - A poster to support parents when your child has angry feelings or outbursts.
Children's Mental Health Week 2021 Activity Grid
Friendly February 2021
Writing down your feelings is a great way to help you feel better...
10 Keys to Happier Living
Take a look at this poster to find out ways in which you can support your child's mental health
54321 Slow Down Calm Down!
