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/

Mental health and wellbeing - updated 16th February 2021

You can read guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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:

• Place2Be
• MindEd
• Every Mind Matters
• Public Health England
• Child Bereavement UK and the Childhood Bereavement Network
• Youth Sport Trust and Sport England
• Young Minds
• Think Ninja
• Barnardo’s See, Hear, Respond Support Hub

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

1. What can we do to keep healthy? – walk, move round the house, sleep etc
2. What can we eat to keep healthy? Fruit, veg, eat a little slower, drink water regularly etc
3. 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!