In celebration of Children's Mental health week , we have created this support kit complete with our wellbeing wheel and some great fun activities to support you and your child's wellbeing. The theme this year is growing together, so we encourage you and your children to reflect on how much you have grown emotionally and what character strengths you can be proud of. It is also a time to reflect on how we can help others grow and to show gratitude to those who have helped us overcome challenges and setbacks. After all these situations are what helps us to grow and adapt as well as force us to try new things and move out of our comfort zone into a new world of possibility and potential. 

Children’s Mental Health Week is an excellent time to really think about developing a wellbeing culture at home and at school, not only for the week but all year round. it is important that we all look at mental health and wellbeing as a skill that everybody needs to learn not only as a cure but as a preventative measure in supporting children to overcome life’s challenges. In doing so we can remove the stigma attached to mental health and also support our wellbeing from an early age! To give you an idea of the crisis our children are facing, 190,271 under 18-year-olds were referred to mental health services between June and April 2021 which is 134 % increase from the previous year. There are currently 374 000 under 18-year-olds on the official waiting list for NHS mental health care (Young minds, 2022).  

Mental health in children was on the rise before the pandemic hit and there are a couple of reasons for this. The most obvious being technology and secondly, instant gratification is another top contender.

In years gone by we all sat around the orange glow of a campfire and shared stories, told jokes and laughed together. We felt connected.

But our modern-day campfire has turned into a blue light. Each night we sit around our digital campfires (some separate, some together) and watch stories and laugh and are entertained, but despite connection to the worldwide we just don’t have that feeling of deep connection. Added to this disconnect, we know, the blue light at night can have a damaging effect on our sleep and health, so exacerbating the problem. 

And now, we all feel rather zoomed and videoed out. There are 3 things we can do to help get ourselves and our families back to feeling calm and connected again.   

Nature, Nurture and Nourishment.

Nature helps us feel more connected because we are nature. Walking, scavenger hunts, appreciating being in nature, breathing in fresh air, blowing on dandelions, getting exercise outside, sun rays and looking at greens and blues is all so so good for your child’s brain. This doesn’t have to be big expensive days out - just a little more time in garden, your local park or town walks appreciating the nature peeking through pavements. Spend as much time outside with shoes off and feel the grass or earth between your toes.

The next way to feel connected is Nurture - giving your child attention, affection and lots of affirmation can literally help grow their brain and help empower them, build resilience. In our Relax Kids classes, we do lots of this to help children feel calm confident and creative.

And finally

Nourishment - nourishment through not just good food, but good thoughts, words and deeds as well as plenty of rest and relaxation. The rules for living a happy, connected life really are so simple. (Marneta Viegas, Relax Kids) 

It's time to use our wellbeing wheel to build physical, mental and emotional immunity. 

So don't wait any longer to restore calm and well-being to family life. Click on the link below to grab your kit!

 - The Wellbeing Wheel 

 - Our brain and cultivating a growth mindset.

 - Social Wellbeing - Building a sense of belonging  

 - Safety  

 - Mindfulness 

 - Self-Esteem and Confidence 

 - Dreams and setting goals 

 - Exercise, Eating Healthy and sleep

 - Screentime 

 - A Wellbeing Scale 

 - Mindful tips and exercises to help children manage stress and sleep better. 

 - A Gratitude tree and flower craft to practice growing together.