Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Every parent or guardian has their own style of child-rearing, but ultimately every family has the same goal, which is to raise a healthy and happy child.
With a little intention and the right tools, we can do a lot to help our little ones thrive as good eaters!
Here we explore some of the ways you can encourage your child to adopt healthy eating habits:
Reward and punishment
We have all been there; we just want our little people to eat something! But parents and carers should carefully consider the use of food as a reward or punishment.
Children have a natural ability to regulate their eating and using foods as a reward or punishment can undermine healthy eating habits, as it encourages them to eat when they are not hungry.
Why not offer children non-edible objects or experiences as rewards, rather than food? For example, you could offer stickers or a trip to the park, as an alternative treat. Also don’t underestimate the power of verbal praise!
‘Clean your plate’
Pressuring children to ‘clean their plate’ may work in the short term, but it doesn’t promote long term healthy eating. It can also lead to a distaste for those nutritious foods they are being forced to eat.
Instead, help a child to feel supported, safe, and relaxed at the dinner table, by creating positive interactions with food. When a child feels safe, they are much more likely to want to eat and try new foods!
Offering choice
As parents, we can’t give our kids complete control over food, but we can guide them on making healthy choices.
For young children, you may give them to 2 or 3 options to choose from e.g., ‘would you like either toast or cereal for breakfast?’. Guided choices can be helpful as they enable a child to feel like they have their say and a degree of control, without feeling overwhelmed.
Eating is so messy!
Unfortunately, as much as we hate the mess, letting your kids get messy with food can be a big positive in relation to their eating habits.
Being messy with food, gives children the opportunity to learn about new foods using all their senses. Children who feel safe to touch, squash and play with their food become more familiar with the food and are more likely to snack on this later.
Maybe consider if you can embrace the mess at mealtimes, or alternatively consider dedicated ‘food playtime’.
We hope this article has given you some ‘food for thought’ about your food parenting behaviours.
Boys less likely to talk to Childline about mental health issues than girls
Childline launches ‘We All Feel It’ campaign to help boys who are struggling to ask for help with their mental health
Childline has found, in Scotland, boys are four times less likely to talk with the service’s trained counsellors about their mental health than girls, and even less likely to come to them when they have suicidal thoughts.
New statistics from the NSPCC-run service show that in 2020/21 counsellors carried out 2,054 sessions with girls about mental health issues compared to 493 with boys in Scotland.
When it came to counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings, they delivered 891 with girls but just 103 with boys.
Which is why Childline has launched it’s ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males whoare struggling to speak about their mental health, and to help them before they reach crisis point.
The campaign video features popular clips from the world of sports, social media and gaming to reflect the emotions some young people may struggle to articulate. It encourages boys in particular to use Childline to help them make sense of anything that has upset or worried them.
Childline insight
Childline counsellors hear from boys in Scotland who say they feel isolated in their experiences and are reluctant to reach out for help due to the stigma they feel around sharing their feelings.
One boy told a counsellor: “I’m feeling suicidal, depressed and rubbish. I tried to kill myself recently but got talked out of it.
“My dad is really violent and has been hurting me for years. I usually miss school when he leaves marks on me. I’ve also been arguing with my step-dad and sometimes it gets quite bad. People just watch it happen.
“I feel like my parents hold things against me. I have thought about running away but it’s hopeless. I usually sit and play computer games to distract myself from it all.”
Another male, aged 18, told Childline: “I usually have thoughts about suicide, mostly when I am feeling stressed but sometimes when I am not under any stress too.
“This all started about two years ago when school was starting to get stressful and I had to start thinking about my future.
“I am a very personal person and I never open up to anyone – I just feel shy and this is my first time ever talking to anyone about these thoughts.”
Suicide is a complex issue and there is rarely one single factor or event that leads someone to take their own life. It is usually a combination of lots of different individual, community and societal factors interacting with each other to increase risk.
‘We All Feel It’
Developed with creative agency Livity, the campaign aims to resonate with boys and remind them Childline is always there and ready to support them, with whatever they are experiencing, 24 hours a day.
Alex Gray, Service Head of Childline, said: “At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health.
“In particular, it can be really challenging for boy’s due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong due to toxic masculinity.
“At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do, and it will enable them to get the help and support they need.
“Talking about mental health issues early on can prevents things escalating and can save a young person’s life.
“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone.”
Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.
Childline has been supported by the Postcode Children’s Trust for four years and it has recently given the service crucial funding of £1,000,000 – the equivalent of running Childline for an entire month – enabling counsellors to continue to save lives.
Join the adventure with Edinburgh Leisure’s Young Explorer soft-play membership. A place for children to explore, have fun and be active at Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues.
There has never been a better time to sign up for the soft play membership as Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool has just completed an exciting refurbishment. Join in March 2022 and receive the month of May free.
The Young Explorer soft play membership gives unlimited soft play at three Edinburgh venues from only £16.70 per month for one child, £28.00 for two children, £33.80 for three children and £39.50 for four children.
The membership offers incredible value, fantastic flexibility and of course, will keep little ones entertained and burning off energy as they explore the amazing soft plays.
Young explorers can visit as many times as they wish, enjoying unlimited fun at any of Edinburgh Leisure’s three soft play venues across the city at Tumbles at Portobello, Scrambles at EICA: Ratho and Clambers at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.
Clambers has a brand-new frame for babies, toddlers, and juniors, with an aquatic theme and is designed so parents can supervise easily, and children can play freely all within a securely gated area.
There are slides, an upper storey football pitch and many more exciting features to explore. Its party room and Café Refresh has also been rebranded featuring hero character Skye and her mountain friends and both areas have new tables and chairs; its café servery has been extended; and the reception desk has been replaced.
Edinburgh Leisure’s play frames are suitable for children up to ten years old. Each venue has a café where healthy snacks and tasty treats can be enjoyed.
And with Scottish Government restrictions easing, there is no longer the need to pre-book sessions. In addition, 90-minute sessions are also available, in addition to shorter 60-minute sessions.
Appointments will be sent out to those with parental responsibility
Children aged five to 11 will be offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments in community clinics from 19 March 2022.
This follows the advice last week from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11 year olds.
Appointments will be scheduled according to age with 11 years olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings efforts will be made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.
Details of how to rearrange unsuitable appointments will be included in the letters.
Children in this age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 are already being vaccinated and will continue to be prioritised.
Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds will be delivered alongside second booster jabs for those aged 75 and over and those in specific at risk cohorts following yesterday’s recommendation from the JCVI.
These individuals will be invited as they become eligible from 24 weeks after their last booster with the first groups receiving blue envelopes with appointments from the second week in March.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.
“We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11 year olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.
“Appointments for first doses for all five to 11 year olds will be scheduled from 19 March with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible. This will allow for second doses to be delivered before the start of the new school year provided at least eight weeks have passed since the initial dose.
“Of course, as we have done throughout the pandemic we will continue to prioritise the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and boosters for those aged 75 and over and those at higher risk of severe illness will be scheduled for as soon as possible after 24 weeks have elapsed since their first booster.
“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19. The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”
Children can once again get active at Edinburgh Leisure’s Clambers soft play at the Royal Commonwealth Pool when it reopens tomorrow (Thursday 24th February) after its five-week closure for a major refurbishment.
Clambers has a new frame for babies, toddlers, and juniors, with an aquatic theme and is designed so parents can supervise easily, and children can play freely, all within a securely gated area.
There are slides, an upper storey football pitch and many more exciting features to explore. Its party room has also been rebranded; its Café Refresh has been upgraded with new tables and chairs; its café servery extended and the reception desk has been replaced.
When Clambers reopens there will no longer be the requirement to pre-book sessions – parents, carers and guardians can just rock up and there are now also 90-minute sessions to enjoy, in addition to the 60-minute sessions.
Edinburgh Leisure’s two other soft plays – Scrambles at EICA: Ratho and Tumbles at Portobello, will also be removing the need to pre-book sessions, which will come into play from Tuesday, 1st March. In addition, 90-minute sessions will also be added.
Lynne Bauba, Manager at Royal Commonwealth Pool said: “It seems that we are finally moving towards some sort of normality, and we are delighted to be reintroducing our 90-minute sessions, in addition to our 60-minute sessions – so, you can now enjoy our soft plays for longer.
“It is worth noting though that if you’re visiting at peak times, you may only be able to enjoy our soft play for a shorter 60-minute session rather than 90, or you may have to wait a little until space becomes available. It will be worth the wait though as the new look Clambers is looking fabulous. We can’t wait to welcome you back.”
Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto opens at new Easter Festival
Cracking Easter Egg-stravaganza from Conifox Adventure Park
‘Family run, for family fun’ Conifox Adventure Park, near Edinburgh celebrates spring with the launch of its new Easter Festival, an inclusive fun, family event introducing Scotland’s first Easter Bunny Grotto.
The Easter egg-stravaganza features a whole host of characters and activities including the Bunny Grotto – a fully immersive, theatrical sensory experience for kids from three years upwards.
In line with the Park’s ethos of providing fun events suitable for all, visitors with Additional Support Needs (ASN) will have access to exclusive sessions adapted to allow them to enjoy the exciting spectacle in a more relaxed atmosphere.
The Easter Festival runs from April 2nd to 24th with a cast of characters including Baxter Bunny, The Easter Bunny, the Big Bad Wolf, Professor Eggbert and friends.
The visitor journey starts at the Magic Shed, the gateway to Hoppity Hollow, home of the Easter Bunny. Then it’s on to the Spring Garden to meet Hoppy, learn about the Big Bad Wolf, the trouble he’s causing and how to help save Easter.
Visit Professor Eggbert in the Easter Egg Factory, where he’ll be busy making egg-straordinary creations with his Easter Egg Machine. But the sneaky Big Bad Wolf has mixed up the special ingredients and the professor needs visitors’ help to get production back on track.
Then meet the Easter Bunny himself in his Bunny Bedroom where the Big Bad Wolf has sabotaged his alarm clock. It can only be powered by singing the Easter Bunny Song which visitors will learn, thanks to Easter Bunny’s helper Fluffy.
Families will then have the chance to have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny before taking on the challenge to name all the famous rabbits in the Rabbit Hall of Fame.
There is even more fun in store with: the Egg-mazing Trail in the Magical Maze where solving the puzzle earns a Cadbury’s chocolate egg and look out for rare golden eggs to win a special jumbo Easter egg – if the Bad Wolf hasn’t found them first; Easter-lympics, when children can challenge each other and the big kids to the egg and spoon and sack races, tug-of-war and more; an Easter Disco throughout the day when everyone can dance along to family favourites with Baxter Bunny; Easter Footgolf when Easter Eggs replace footballs and so much more!
During the exclusive Additional Support Needs Day on April 13th the festival will run with reduced capacity to provide plenty of open space, music and light displays will be muted and children will be able to interact with lots of sensory activities. These special sessions are exclusive only to families with ASN. Group bookings are available on request.
Deborah Gammell, Conifox Adventure Park’s Business Development Manager, says: “Springtime and Easter are magical times and we want everyone to be able to join in the fun with us and our amazing Easter characters.
“Promoting inclusivity is part of our business values and we’re delighted to offer group discounts and are looking forward to welcoming families and groups with ASN. If anyone has specific needs, we’d love to hear from them and will do as much as possible to help with their visit.”
All Easter tickets include access to Conifox’s Outdoor Adventure Park, at Kirkliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Tickets for the Indoor Activity Centre must be purchased separately.
The mental health of pregnant women, new mothers and their families, including those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and the death of an infant, has been highlighted by a Scottish Parliament Committee.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry into women’s mental health experiences before, during and after the birth of a child (otherwise referred to as the perinatal period) highlights a number of issues faced by new mothers over the support they have received, particularly during the pandemic.
In particular, the inquiry found there was a sharp rise in birth trauma incidences reported since the pandemic began. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government and NHS Boards to redouble their focus on delivering services that directly address birth trauma.
The Committee also looked into the of support for those suffering from miscarriage, stillbirth or death of an infant. During its inquiry, the Committee received evidence of some women affected by baby loss who reported being treated close to women giving birth to healthy babies, causing additional trauma to the women affected.
The report calls for accelerated action to establish specialist baby loss units and, in the meantime, for new national protocols to be set up “that ensure families affected by baby loss are consistently treated with respect and compassion and in a trauma-informed way”.
Alongside a focus on community care, the Committee also examined access to specialist Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), of which there are currently two in Scotland. The Committee emphasises the benefits of providing wider access to MBUs for new mothers with complex needs and they express support for the creation of a new MBU serving the north of Scotland.
Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“Up to 20% of women in Scotland experience negative mental health impacts before, during and after giving birth and the aim of our inquiry was to shine a spotlight on this important issue and to see what more should be done to support these women.
“We heard of concerns in certain health board areas with the support structure in place for parents and families impacted by miscarriage, still birth and the death of an infant, and feel more action is needed to give them appropriate support.
“We had discussions with some new parents affected by baby loss who felt they didn’t receive the standard of care they are entitled to expect. That is why we are calling for every effort to be made to accelerate the establishment of specialist baby loss units
“The evidence we received suggests that during the pandemic, there was a sharp rise in incidences of birth trauma. In many instances this was a direct result of COVID-related restrictions, which limited the support women were able to receive from partners and families before, during and after giving birth.
“Our inquiry heard about the benefits of Mother and Baby Units for women who have complex mental health issues in the perinatal period and the Committee would like to see a concerted effort to widen access to these units in conjunction with the community care offer.
“We think there is a strong case to set up a new Mother and Baby Unit serving the north of Scotland but we also need to focus on issues around staffing, resources and general awareness to maximise the positive impact of perinatal mental health services and third sector organisations who support mothers.”
The Convener added:
“The extensive evidence we have gathered during the course of this inquiry has shown the importance of a preventative and community based approach to perinatal mental health. It is clear that only through accessible, joined up care across both the third sector and statutory services, women and families can get the care they need at this critical time.
“We’d like to put on record our thanks to all of the women who spoke with us and shared their stories.”
Other findings in the report include:
• concern that many women and families are currently having to wait longer than 6 weeks to access perinatal mental health support;
• the increased barriers faced by women and families from minority ethnic backgrounds, or for whom English is not their first language, and those from particularly vulnerable or at risk groups, to access perinatal mental health services;
• the critical role that stigma plays in perinatal mental health and the resulting reluctance for individuals to fully engage with healthcare professionals;
• a call for the Scottish Government to ensure further education institutions deliver perinatal mental health training as core training for all midwifery and nursing students as a priority.
Bill strengthened with new list of criminal content for tech firms to remove as a priority
List includes online drug and weapons dealing, people smuggling, revenge porn, fraud, promoting suicide and inciting or controlling prostitution for gain
New criminal offences will be added to the bill to tackle domestic violence and threats to rape and kill
Flagship UK laws to protect people online are being toughened up with new criminal offences and extra measures to force social media companies to stamp out the most harmful illegal content and criminal activity on their sites quicker.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries has announced extra priority illegal offences to be written on the face of the bill include revenge porn, hate crime, fraud, the sale of illegal drugs or weapons, the promotion or facilitation of suicide, people smuggling and sexual exploitation. Terrorism and child sexual abuse are already included.
Previously the firms would have been forced to take such content down after it had been reported to them by users but now they must be proactive and prevent people being exposed in the first place.
It will clamp down on pimps and human traffickers, extremist groups encouraging violence and racial hate against minorities, suicide chatrooms and the spread of private sexual images of women without their consent.
Naming these offences on the face of the bill removes the need for them to be set out in secondary legislation later and Ofcom can take faster enforcement action against tech firms which fail to remove the named illegal content.
Ofcom will be able to issue fines of up to 10 per cent of annual worldwide turnover to non-compliant sites or block them from being accessible in the UK.
Three new criminal offences, recommended by the Law Commission, will also be added to the Bill to make sure criminal law is fit for the internet age.
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “This government said it would legislate to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online while enshrining free speech, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.
“Our world leading bill will protect children from online abuse and harms, protecting the most vulnerable from accessing harmful content, and ensuring there is no safe space for terrorists to hide online.
“We are listening to MPs, charities and campaigners who have wanted us to strengthen the legislation, and today’s changes mean we will be able to bring the full weight of the law against those who use the internet as a weapon to ruin people’s lives and do so quicker and more effectively.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The internet cannot be a safe haven for despicable criminals to exploit and abuse people online.
Companies must continue to take responsibility for stopping harmful material on their platforms. These new measures will make it easier and quicker to crack down on offenders and hold social media companies to account.”
The new communications offences will strengthen protections from harmful online behaviours such as coercive and controlling behaviour by domestic abusers; threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence; and deliberately sharing dangerous disinformation about hoax Covid-19 treatments.
The UK Government is also considering the Law Commission’s recommendations for specific offences to be created relating to cyberflashing, encouraging self-harm and epilepsy trolling.
To proactively tackle the priority offences, firms will need to make sure the features, functionalities and algorithms of their services are designed to prevent their users encountering them and minimise the length of time this content is available. This could be achieved by automated or human content moderation, banning illegal search terms, spotting suspicious users and having effective systems in place to prevent banned users opening new accounts.
New harmful online communications offences:
Ministers asked the Law Commission to review the criminal law relating to abusive and offensive online communications in the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.
The Commission found these laws have not kept pace with the rise of smartphones and social media. It concluded they were ill-suited to address online harm because they overlap and are often unclear for internet users, tech companies and law enforcement agencies.
It found the current law over-criminalises and captures ‘indecent’ images shared between two consenting adults – known as sexting – where no harm is caused. It also under-criminalises – resulting in harmful communications without appropriate criminal sanction.
In particular, abusive communications posted in a public forum, such as posts on a publicly accessible social media page, may slip through the net because they have no intended recipient. It also found the current offences are sufficiently broad in scope that they could constitute a disproportionate interference in the right to freedom of expression.
In July the Law Commission recommended more coherent offences. The Digital Secretary today confirms new offences will be created and legislated for in the Online Safety Bill.
The new offences will capture a wider range of harms in different types of private and public online communication methods. These include harmful and abusive emails, social media posts and WhatsApp messages, as well as ‘pile-on’ harassment where many people target abuse at an individual such as in website comment sections. None of the offences will apply to regulated media such as print and online journalism, TV, radio and film.
The offences are:
A ‘genuinely threatening’ communications offence, where communications are sent or posted to convey a threat of serious harm.
This offence is designed to better capture online threats to rape, kill and inflict physical violence or cause people serious financial harm. It addresses limitations with the existing laws which capture ‘menacing’ aspects of the threatening communication but not genuine and serious threatening behaviour.
It will offer better protection for public figures such as MPs, celebrities or footballers who receive extremely harmful messages threatening their safety. It will address coercive and controlling online behaviour and stalking, including, in the context of domestic abuse, threats related to a partner’s finances or threats concerning physical harm.
A harm-based communications offence to capture communications sent to cause harm without a reasonable excuse.
This offence will make it easier to prosecute online abusers by abandoning the requirement under the old offences for content to fit within proscribed yet ambiguous categories such as “grossly offensive,” “obscene” or “indecent”.
Instead it is based on the intended psychological harm, amounting to at least serious distress, to the person who receives the communication, rather than requiring proof that harm was caused. The new offences will address the technical limitations of the old offences and ensure that harmful communications posted to a likely audience are captured.
The new offence will consider the context in which the communication was sent. This will better address forms of violence against women and girls, such as communications which may not seem obviously harmful but when looked at in light of a pattern of abuse could cause serious distress. For example, in the instance where a survivor of domestic abuse has fled to a secret location and the abuser sends the individual a picture of their front door or street sign.
It will better protect people’s right to free expression online. Communications that are offensive but not harmful and communications sent with no intention to cause harm, such as consensual communication between adults, will not be captured. It will have to be proven in court that a defendant sent a communication without any reasonable excuse and did so intending to cause serious distress or worse, with exemptions for communication which contributes to a matter of public interest.
An offence for when a person sends a communication they know to be false with the intention to cause non-trivial emotional, psychological or physical harm.
Although there is an existing offence in the Communications Act that captures knowingly false communications, this new offence raises the current threshold of criminality. It covers false communications deliberately sent to inflict harm, such as hoax bomb threats, as opposed to misinformation where people are unaware what they are sending is false or genuinely believe it to be true.
For example, if an individual posted on social media encouraging people to inject antiseptic to cure themselves of coronavirus, a court would have to prove that the individual knew this was not true before posting it.
The maximum sentences for each offence will differ. If someone is found guilty of a harm based offence they could go to prison for up to two years, up to 51 weeks for the false communication offence and up to five years for the threatening communications offence.
The maximum sentence was six months under the Communications Act and two years under the Malicious Communications Act.
Professor Penney Lewis, Commissioner for Criminal Law, said: “The criminal law should target those who specifically intend to cause harm, while allowing people to share contested and controversial ideas in good faith.
“Our recommendations create a more nuanced set of criminal offences, which better protect victims of genuinely harmful communications as well as better protecting freedom of expression.
“I am delighted that the Government has accepted these recommended offences.”
SOCIAL Security Scotland is urging families to apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment before the deadline and to apply for help with early learning costs.
Eligible families with children born between 1 March 2016 – 28 February 2017, are being encouraged to apply for the School Age Payment before applications close on 28 February 2022.
Parents or carers enrolling children in nursery this year have also been urged to check whether they are eligible for a one-off payment to help with early learning costs.
For Early Years Payment, eligible families who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is aged between 2-3 and a half years old. Parents or carers who are eligible for the Early Learning Payment receive a one-off grant of £252.50
The money can be used to help pay for clothes, equipment, bags, books or anything else which is helpful for people caring for children in that age range.
Eligible families for School Age Payment may be parents or carers who are in receipt of certain benefits or tax credits with a child who is old enough to start school.
School Age Payment is a payment of £252.50 per child and is designed to support children at a key stage in their life.
It is not directly linked to taking up a school place. As such, even if the child’s school start has been deferred until next year, or if the child is not going to start school at all, parents or carers should still apply for the payment by 28 February 2022. If they do not apply by this time, they will not be able to receive the payment.
Social Security Scotland wants to ensure that everyone who is entitled to money for Early Learning or School Age Payment receive it and we would welcome support from our stakeholders to make sure people don’t miss out on these payments.
Please encourage any clients in your networks to apply for School Age Payment before the 28 February deadline and for Early Years Payment when enrolling their child into nursery.
