As well as physical health, we all have what is known as mental health – including children. At their age however, it may be more difficult to understand and deal with which is why it’s important for parents to discuss mental health and have open conversations with their children. We’ve teamed up with Halliford School to share some support and guidance on how you can go about this.
Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness is a way of managing your emotions and can help children with their mental health. The techniques look to distract you from your worries and bring your attention back to the present moment. They typically involve a form of breathing exercise and utilise the 5 senses. If you would like to learn more about mindfulness, the NHS is a brilliant resource and highlights a few different ways in which it can be achieved.
Recognising When Additional Support Is Needed
While you may be trying your best to help your child, it’s important to recognise when further support is needed. If you’ve given mindfulness and the other tips a go and seen no improvement, don’t be discouraged. There are many support agencies out there which your GP can put you in touch with following an initial assessment. It is worth noting that there may be a long waiting list for this which makes booking an appointment as early as possible important.
Talk to Your Child
There’s a lot of benefit to talking about your problems and how you’re feeling. You can gain clarity by speaking about them out loud, feel a sense of relief and get help. This may be difficult for children to do at first but is something that you can help them to feel more comfortable with by creating a safe and non-judgemental space.
We hope that you found these tips helpful. If so, why not take a look at our blog archive for more?