Here, former primary school teacher Catherine Lynch of leading education resources and lesson planning experts PlanBee, has ten tips for parents to improve the mental health of their children
9. Allow everyone to have a voice
Whether your child breaks down over the ‘wrong’ colour socks or something else, see what practical choices you can give them to help them feel they have some control. Depending on their age, you might give them a few carefully selected choices to choose from or have an open discussion about the options available. If transitions are hard for your child, focus on what is happening when the current activity ends. Give them time warnings or a timer if they are old enough, and again where possible give them choices. For example, ‘When this TV show ends the TV is being turned off and you need to do some school work. Are you going to do it at the kitchen table, in your room or somewhere else?’. Photo: .
10. Create an atmosphere where all feelings are allowed
Set aside a calm time to talk about feelings, and talk about the physical sensations the emotion has for each of you. Talk about times you felt it or characters in books, films or TV shows experienced it. Discuss what happened before, during and after the emotion was felt. Is there a better way the character could have reacted? What led up to the crisis point? Help children to give their feelings an appropriate outlet. Put boundaries in place around behaviours to keep everyone safe and develop strategies to help reinforce those boundaries. For example, you are allowed to feel happy, angry or sad, you are not allowed to break things or hit. Photo: .