Supporting Children’s Mental Health

Education News from Alleyn's | www.alleyns.org.uk

Liat Hoch, Lead Counsellor at Alleyn’s, talks about how we can help our children deal with mental health challenges.

It is important to remember that many children could still be experiencing mental health challenges related to the pandemic and lockdowns. Children who missed years of school or nursery also missed experiences that go hand in hand with learning to cope in an academic environment, for example, separation anxiety when they first start nursery or learning social skills and sitting down to concentrate in Reception. We learn many new essential skills with each academic year. Don’t be disheartened! Our brains are very elastic, and you can support your child in making up for what they may have missed. Here are a few tips for promoting good mental health in your child in the post-COVID-19 era:

Take It Slowly

If your child finds change difficult don’t push them too hard. Show confidence in their ability to cope with a change and challenge, then take it at their pace. Sudden changes can be overwhelming, so make sure you communicate changes first and give your child time to adjust.If it’s age appropriate, share with your child a time when you found change or a challenge difficult and what helped you overcome it. This could stimulate an opportunity to help them think about what may help them meet their own challenge.

Get Outside

Nature is not a cure-all, but it is certainly close! Outdoor activities have been shown to improve mental health, so build into family life regular time outside. Family walks in the park, a simple picnic now spring has sprung, or participating in outdoor sports are all good ways to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors. Creating good experiences and memories of being out in nature when we’re young may lead us to become adults who benefit from and value it more.

Foster Social Connections

Building and maintaining social connections is essential to good mental health and self-esteem. Help your child to practice these skills now by encouraging play dates with friends, participation in extracurricular activities, or taking part in clubs. This will pay off in the future with lifelong friendships and new skills. It is a good idea for us to model good relationship skills for our children by listening and following their wishes in terms of what activities and friends they are drawn to.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE NOW BUT DON’T IGNORE THE NEGATIVE

During the pandemic, many children missed out on positive experiences such as celebrations, family meet-ups, day trips or holidays. Encourage positive experiences now for your child, such as planning a fun family outing or celebrating a missed birthday to make up for what was missed.

There are also many children and families who have lost loved ones and the chance to say goodbye because of the pandemic. It’s important that time and space is given to grieving as part of life and we will be modelling for our children how to manage inevitable losses in their lifetime as we go through them.

Keep Talking

Continue to have open and honest conversations with your child about their feelings. Covid-19 might feel like old news to you, but they experienced the pandemic at a young age and without the benefit of perspective and their experiences may have been deeper than you think. Make sure you have some side-by-side time together and encourage them to express their emotions in a supportive environment.

In conclusion, children may still be experiencing mental health challenges related to the pandemic and lockdowns. Gradual reintegration, encouraging outdoor activities, fostering social connections, focusing on both positive and negative experiences, and keeping communication open are all important steps to promoting good mental health for children in the post-COVID-19 era.

USEFUL WEBSITES: https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/ resources/advice-for-parents-and-carers-talking-mentalhealth-with-young-people-at-primary-school/ https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/how-to-talk-toyour-child-about-mental-health/

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