Mental Health, Wellbeing and Resilience in Children – top tips

 Behaviours which may cause concern

  • Decrease in enjoyment
  • Increase in time spent alone
  • Decrease in school performance
  • Reluctance to attend school
  • Problems with memory/concentration
  • Problems sleeping/eating
  • Aches and pains
  • Anxious/tearful for long periods
  • Aggression/temper tantrums

Causes

  • School
  • Fear of the unknown
  • Exam stress
  • Peer pressure
  • Parental pressure
  • Social media

As parents, what do we do wrong?

Take adversity away

Solve problems

Reinforce the problem

As parents, what can we do to help?

  • Explain that feeling stressed is normal
  • Label emotions
  • Explain that a little pressure is good
  • Allow them to experience failure
  • Promote healthy risk taking
  • Model appropriate behaviours
  • Show that it’s ok to ask for help
  • Encourage them to do things they would rather avoid
  • Promote the bright side of things

Resilience

  • Resilient children bounce back – they can cope
  • Build resilience from a young age
  • Allow opportunities to make decisions
  • Make time to talk and listen
  • Encourage mindfulness techniques

Further reading: www.heysigmund.com