Fabulous Extracts From Positive Kids Issue 6

OUR EXPERT ADVISORS

Marie O’Sullivan Teacher, Counsellor and I.T. Trainer https://anokhalearnin g.com/register-yourinterest/

Matthew Barnes-Smith. Coach and Mentor for Young People. www.lifecoachdirectory.org.uk/lifecoaches/ matthew-barnes-smith

Izabella Natrins Nutrition and Lifestyle Health Coach www.izabellanatrins. com

Cath Lloyd Life Change Therapist and Stress Relief Consultant www.cathlloyd.co.uk

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MUM’S INSPIRING IDEA

By Louise Mercieca

It can be difficult to avoid coughs and snivels as the seasons change and children seem remarkably good at picking up germs then sharing them with us! How can we make sure we boost their immunity through the colder months? Well for me it starts with the foods we eat.

I think of food as nourishment and fuel, i.e. what can it do for us? When we consider eating for immunity that link is no different, how can food make us stronger and indeed, make us feel better (or worse). Often though as seasons change, people begin to want more comfort foods, whilst they don’t need to be, comfort foods can often be unhealthy.

So, do we just need to eat an extra orange a day for vitamin C or as the old saying goes “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away”. Well, there’s a bit more to it than that but the basic theory is , support your immune function to perform at its’ best and it will do its’ best to protect you from illness.

Children tend to bounce back quite quickly from the cocktail of germs they inherit at school, nursery or from general interaction with other children but for us, the adults with the added stress of being a grown up sometimes our own immunity can take a bigger hit. These suggestions are great for the whole family to enjoy to give you all a much needed additional dose of vitamins and minerals!

In my book ‘How Food Shapes Your Child’ I use my helpful team of characters (my 4 year old son assisted the design of these!) to encourage knowledge of food and involve children.

Here’s some tips from Dr Bertha Carrot to eat for immunity for the whole family: -

Hide vegetables! We have generic guidelines about how many portions of fruit and veg we need each day, basically take that and double it and then add some more for winter! Children may eat some vegetables willingly (some may not) but not many will eat enough. Hiding them, is a great way of you knowing they are there. I have included a recipe for hidden veg pasta sauce. Soups and stews with pulses and veg are also a great, economical and easy way to eat lots of veg and protein.

Boost nutrients at breakfast time – I talk a lot about how a good breakfast can aid concentration, mood and learning throughout the morning but it can also be a great way to add in nutrients via jazzing up your breakfast! Try chocolate banana porridge, its actually raw cacao (1 tsp), 1 banana, almond milk and oats yet this is full of antioxidants and slow release energy.

Drinks – in older children the majority of added sugars comes from the drinks they

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EDUCATION

By Sam Ashraf – Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Curriculum Leader of Psychology at The Westgate School in Slough

"The mind is a flexible mirror; adjust it, to see a better world."- Amit Ray

Blood coursing through your veins, dry mouth, and heart pounding, sweaty palms, light headed...sound familiar?

We have all experienced this physiological arousal at some point in our life otherwise known as the fight or flight response. What was once a necessary response to aid our survival in our ancestral past has not disappeared even though humans no longer face the same survival challenges.

The difference now is that we no longer face wild animals but rather we are faced with modern day stressors like exams, relationship difficulties or financial hardship.

Unfortunately, our students will often respond to exams in this way and some may even become completely overwhelmed.

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With the added pressure of the new specification GCSE's and A levels I set out to try and give the students some strategies to support them.

After taking part in a MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction) course, I realised that this is just what some of our sixth form and Year 11 students needed. I put together a series of 6x one hour sessions based on the MBSR to deliver to very small and carefully chosen groups.

All students who participated, volunteered to take part. They did online stress questionnaire to assess their current stress scores. (www.bemindfulonline.com/test-y... this uses the Perceived Stress Scale - PSS) Each session involved meditations, e.g. guided body scans, eating meditations and some clear strategies to combat acute stress, such as the starfish hand meditation and other breathing techniques, e.g. seven - eleven

CELEBRATING KIDS DOING POSITIVE THINGS

Celebrating kids gifted girls

Joe from Grantham is now 17 and a fitness instructor and motivational speaker- whilst also studying for his A Levels.

This is Joe Hill aged 13 before he became ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Don’t forget to send in photos and details of Kids Doing Positive Things, for the next edition. Email:

susan@positive-kids.co.uk

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Joe has spoken at the year 11 assembly at his school in front of 200 students. He received brilliant feedback from teachers and students. He then spoke at Lincolnshire Wellness Network. Then he did a live BBC Radio Lincolnshire interview with Melvyn Prior. He also has the end of year assembly too, where he will talk to 1,200 students. Joe is also in contact with a school in Norfolk about talking to their students.

Joe speaks about the effects of his illness and how he realised that he had pushed himself too far. Then how to work towards your goal so that it doesn't cost you your health. Find out more overleaf.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR KIDS?

difference. “His attitude re. life etc has been so much better and I credit that to your advice. I definitely give Joe more flexibility over things and it has worked really well. There is far less grunting! “

It is highly likely that all your children will have different motivators and also that those motivators will be different to yours! By understanding which motivators are important for you and your children you can begin to support them in the right way for them.

We use a highly accurate Motivational Map® tool. It takes around 10 minutes to complete an online questionnaire.

The resulting report not only identifies which motivators are important for you or your child right now, it also provides simple ways you can support them to improve and maintain their motivation.

Importantly the reports also tell you how well each motivator is currently being met enabling you to identify any concerns and provide support in the

right areas. Children’s reports include a report for teachers, parents as well as one for the child.

Adults too:

We also offer motivational mapping for adults, so if you are struggling with your own motivation, or if you know your child could achieve more or if they are struggling with school or unsure of what GCSE options to take etc, talk to Sarah Stones to find out more. She works with young people from age 8 upwards, adults and also does family and team sessions so that everyone understands what motivates each other. For more information visit

www.plainsailingmotivation.co.uk or you can contact Sarah on 07816178616 or by email sarah@plainsailingmotivation.co.uk

Anyone mentioning Positive Kids when booking a 1-1 detailed feedback session will receive a 20% discount . Reports are also available separately.

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EXPERT VIEW

By Marie O’Sullivan

When it comes to keeping children safe online, it’s important to think about our own online behaviour. What are we modelling? Do we limit our time online? Do we keep our activity online positive and constructive? Do we put our own phones aside when in the company of others? Children are very clued in to whether we are walking our talk.

Equally, it’s important to show an interest in what children are doing online. One simple tip is to keep the lines of communication open about favourite websites/games/apps/social networking sites. Maybe you could ask your child to teach you about their favourite tool. Another important aspect is to set boundaries about the use of devices. For example, you could have a “no phones at the dinner table” rule (and make sure that you stick to it yourself!).

Talk to your child about devising family rules and involve them in generating a list of what is and isn’t acceptable. For example, you might decide together that it would be a good idea to limit the use of technology an hour before bedtime. This could be helpful because technology can interfere with our body clocks and fool us

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into thinking that it’s still daytime

A huge concern for parents is Cyberbullying. My first recommendation is to try and keep calm if your child indicates that they have experienced Cyberbullying. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but we need to keep the lines of communication open and find out what is actually going on. If we barge in all guns blazing, then the child might shut down or be resistant to sharing what is happening. Often, children worry that if they disclose a disturbing incident, that they will be “punished” by having their internet access curtailed. We want to cultivate the conditions that make it easy for a child who is already upset to be able to access our support.

If at all possible, it is a good idea to arm your children with the tools to respond to a Cyberbullying incident before it occurs. “Stop, block and tell” is a handy way to remember the best way to handle this. Stop engaging, block the sender and tell a trusted adult/peer. Sometimes it is easier for children to tell a supportive friend first and to have their backup to help them to approach an adult. I came across a handy tweak to the “stop, block and tell” concept from another teacher. She suggested it should be “stop, block, shot (screenshot) and tell”. Children might instinctively delete upsetting content, so it is a good idea to remind them to take a screenshot to retain the evidence. Again, this is something that we can be proactive about. We can teach them how to capture an image on their device (this can vary depending on whether they are using an Android/iPhone, desktop computer/tablet, etc). It is very easy to Google this and

YOUNG MINDS

By Shernova Abiona

Who am I? I’m a 19 year old International Speaker and Entrepreneur who became an Amazon International Bestselling author whilst still being a fulltime student in Kent, England. My first book titled ‘First Steps to Business Success for Teens’ teaches young people simple and sustainable ways to start and grow a business.

What prompted you to become an entrepreneur? From the age of 8, I was fascinated by the business world and started thinking seriously about it being my career choice. I checked on the Forbes rich list in my spare time and saw the top self-made millionaire and billionaires as inspirational. I did research and watched many YouTube videos and read articles on the life of many people who started businesses at a young age such as Mark Zuckerberg, Farrah Gray and Lauren Maillian. Once my parents realised I was interested in business; they encouraged me to go to business conferences, product stalls and webinars. Most of the time I was the youngest one in the room but I was able to soak up knowledge like a sponge and I loved it!

Why did you choose Internet entrepreneurship? I had a school trip in

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October 2015 I really wanted to go on but the cost was very expensive. My parents proposed that if I saw the benefit of going on the trip and paid half then they would match my contribution to cover the cost. As I have always been interested in business, I thought it would be a great opportunity to start up a new business and use that to make the money to go. However, I had to choose a field I could easily work around my commitments both inside and outside of school. I looked at using the Internet and online platforms for business, did my research after writing a list of lots of activities I enjoy doing and from there I decided to be a freelance voice over artist. Not only was I able to pay for the trip but 4 years on I am still a voice artist with clients in over 20 different countries.

Who has been your greatest inspiration? My parents are my greatest inspirations. They work very hard in their respective careers and have always given 110% for their clients and the people they work with. They remind me that in business, school and my extra-curricula’s each have different characteristics in common but one main area stands out. In each one the relationships you build with those around you determine how respected you are and how far you go. They keep me grounded and focused through watching their lives , they embody being Strong Black people who stand firm in their beliefs and faith. Through setbacks- they rise, tears- they rise, hardship and unforeseen mistakes - they rise. Each day I am inspired to rise as they do and take up the mantle and legacy they leave for both my sisters and I.

What motivates you? Dr Eric Thomas, says ‘I know my why and my why wakes

COMMUNITY FEATURE

This Is Me is a Social Enterprise in Coventry which helps children who have been bullied, groomed, abused or who are suffering with mental health issues.

We hold workshops to help these kids regain their self- esteem and confidence. They do this by gaining skills and making new friends with those who are in a similar situation whilst being in a safe environment.

In the last year, we have helped 70 children and we are taking on another 30 more in January. At the moment our most popular course is hair, make up and special effects.

We have also held an art class and are trying to get the funding to hold photography and fashion workshops.

The course isn't just about the workshops, it’s about the children gaining new friendships. So, we go on days out

By Harriett Harland

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to help them bond. We’ve been to London, the cinema and also gone out for meals together. It's also about creating opportunities for the kids which they would possibly never get without us.

We did a fashion show at Coventry cathedral which they did the hair and make up for, we have just done a film and made a minute- long anti bullying video. They were all involved in that. I take them on jobs that I have on any films or music videos as I’m a make- up artist.

We’ve achieved a lot in our first year. 600 people came to the fashion show and the video was retweeted by Phillip Schofield and got 100,000 views. We've were on This Morning with Phil and Holly in March, we've been on the radio and the news a few times and the kids have just performed at the Coventry light switch on in front of about 10,000 people.

People always ask me why I started the

REASONS TO PLAY

We adults think play is just for kids, right? Wrong, wrong, WRONG!! My friend and founder of Primal Play, Darryl Edwards says:

"Play can be confusing for us adults; it is either seen as frivolous, deemed as foolish, or blanketed as childish activity related to relieving boredom with no well-defined goals…. when we play we kick our minds into imagination mode, and we tap into that powerful charge we get from positive experiences with other happy people."

Play is an intrinsic human need which benefits body and mind and it has a ton of health benefits for parents, as well as for kids!

1. A stronger, healthier body! Children develop reflexes, motor skills and balance; outdoor play exposes us to sunlight, nature and fresh air; it builds muscle, improves heart and lung functions; and it helps prevent obesity and associated conditions. And so do we!

2. More self-esteem and emotional ‘intelligence’! Disputes in unstructured play help children (and adults!) learn how to feel and control their emotions. Less verbal children can express their

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feelings and experiences, and so can we!

3. Better teamwork and co-operation! Rather than being governed by rules and boundaries, children (and adults!) learn to work together to achieve mutual goals through sharing, negotiation and conflict resolution.

4. Better problem-solving! Play teaches us, through a concept called ‘divergent thinking’, to create ideas by considering many possible solutions, rather than choosing from - and fitting in with - a pre-determined outcome.

5. Better work experience and better productivity! Play improves work (and life) outcomes - increasing numbers of companies (including the likes of Facebook) are including play in the workplace setting because it has been shown to have beneficial effects - increased job satisfaction, creativity, boredom relief, reduced stress.

6. More creativity! Play encourages creativity - we can all be creative, despite the conventional wisdom that only a select, lucky few are blessed with such ability! Children can express emotions through their creativity, while adults - through play - can revisit latent creativity and it may encourage them to “think outside the box” in a work - or indeed personal - setting.

7. Less stress! Play helps to reduce stress in our lives - it’s a buffer which reduces the impact of stressful situations while regulating out responses and reactions to stressful events. In short, it helps us to ‘chill out