Children and Families – Page 173 – The NEN

Seven ways to control screen time and improve wellbeing

Overuse of technology and excessive screen time for Brits can be detrimental to physical and mental health, so here are seven ways to reduce screen time:

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way Brits stay connected with friends, family and colleagues, as we have been kept physically apart.

We are all spending more time at home and staying connected virtually, but it can be hard not to have an entire day consumed by technology.

The experts at CE Safety have researched and revealed seven easy to action tips to help reduce screen time and improve Brits wellbeing.

CE Safety recommends undergoing small but effective day to day changes such as taking fewer pictures, switching electronics to grayscale, and having tech-free zones around the house like the bathroom.

Research has shown that low levels of happiness are associated with increased smartphone usage, and social media can contribute to feelings of loneliness.

Excessive technology and smartphone usage also negatively impacts sleep. With heightened anxiety and stress due to the coronavirus and lockdown, additional screen time will not help.

A spokesperson for CE Safety says: “Technology does solve many problems and can help with communicating with people. There is also an endless amount of information at our fingertips.

“But it can be distracting, time-consuming and addictive. Nomophobia is a real term to describe a growing fear in today’s world—the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact.

“We think everyone should be more aware of their technology and smartphone usage, and look to make small changes to improve their screen time, and ultimately improve their wellbeing.”

Establish tech-free zones.

There are a few locations around the house that mobiles and laptops aren’t needed. From the dining room to the bathroom, try to keep your phone in your pocket. Our parents and grandparents survived just fine without taking a phone to the bathroom.

Switch to grayscale.

Laptops and smartphones allow you to turn your screen or display grey. As a result, this will remove all the attractive, eye-catching colours from your screen. Not only is it better for your eyesight but the visual appeal is also lost.

You can even schedule greyscale or ‘night mode’ across devices now to help soften the colours your eyes consume before bedtime.

Don’t take as many pictures.

Taking pictures with your smartphone has become second-nature. A birthday party, sporting event, and holidays are all picture worthy events and Brits tend to snap at every opportunity. But in an effort to reduce your screen time, try not to take as many photos and cherish the moment for what it is, rather than turning to a smartphone at the first opportunity.

Be aware of your screen time and set time limits

Ignorance is bliss, but in this case, we’d advise making the effort to track the time you actually spend staring at screens each day. There are plenty of tools and apps that will do this for you, and iPhones track your screen time automatically and tell you how many minutes you are spending on each app.

Many Brits might be surprised at just how long they spend glued to the screen. What else could you do with that time? Go for a run? Do some cooking? Read a book?

Don’t watch the TV in bed

Try and watch TV or films from your living room rather than in your bed. Watching from your couch makes it easier to stop watching that next episode on Netflix. You want as little blue light as possible before going to bed. Also, try and turn off the TV when you’re not actually watching it.

Don’t charge your phone in the bedroom

We advise not to charge your phone next to your bed as it might tempt you to check for messages. Looking at your phone’s screen just before bed has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns.

Get your news in one place

The internet provides us with a wealth of ways to access news. But trawling through social media and news headlines to make sense of the latest events can keep users glued to the device. Try and find a reliable news source you like, and stick to it.

Still time to sign up for Family Fun Day

A virtual fun-day with activities for children and advice for parents is being held during the school holidays as part of a campaign launched to support families in Edinburgh.

The All of Us family fun day on Thursday, October 22, will have 15 online sessions, including story time, children’s yoga, a scavenger hunt and advice for one-parent families, which are being put on by organisations from across the city.

Some sessions will be hosted on Facebook, while people will need to sign up for others in advance.

All of Us was launched by NSPCC Scotland and Edinburgh Child Protection Committee earlier this year to help people find out where to get support and advice with parenting or other worries about family life and where to turn if they had concerns about a child.

At the start of the year a number of community events were held across the city but further ones were cancelled because of Covid-19, and all activities were moved online, including the family fun-day.

In April, the partnership brought together information on its web page about organisations and contacts where families could go for help and support during lockdown. This resource has continued to be regularly updated.

Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “Because of the pandemic, this year has been extremely difficult for so many families, who have faced financial pressures, relationship strains, isolation and ill-health.

“But we want people to know that support is still out there and if they or someone they know is struggling then it is important they feel that they can seek and get help.

“Our family fun-day, as well as providing some enjoyable activities for children and parents during the school holiday, will be an opportunity for adults to get some advice, such as how to help keep kids safe online.

“There are still spaces left, so please look on our website and find out about the different sessions we are running.”

Jackie Irvine, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “Protecting young people and supporting families remains a priority for us, and we want everyone across the city to be aware of where to turn for help if they or someone they know is struggling.

“And we really hope people will join us for our fun-day, which has a wide range of activities for children and some advice for parents. We are really pleased to see so many local organisations taking part.”

The campaign is also raising awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who are struggling. Two new webinars have been produced about the role that everyone can play in preventing neglect and helping to raise happy healthy children in Edinburgh.

One of the webinars is designed for parents and wider community members and describes what neglect is, its causes and signs and what people can do if they are worried about someone else’s child or need some support themselves. The other is for professionals and gives some insight into working with families in Edinburgh.

The 20-minute long webinars, which are free and can be watched until 28 February, 2021, can be accessed here.

To find out more about our fun-day programme visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/allofus. People will need to sign up for some events in advance and the session organiser will then contact them with details of how to take part on the day.

For parenting advice and support visit NSPCC helpline or call 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm. People can also contact Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324.

To find out more about the campaign visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/allofus

Curtains Up: transformation at Sick Kids

A transformation has been afoot at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children this week.

Capital Theatres’ Learning and Participation Coordinator Cat Sheridan has been working with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity’s (ECHC) arts team at the hospital to tempt those who can climb out of their beds to transform their space into one filled with their own stories and imagination.

A continuation of a brilliant established relationship between Capital Theatres and ECHC throughout 2020, Curtains Up is a brand-new project which brings a bit of old school overhead projector fun to bedsides, creating unique and playful scenes on the inside of hospital curtains.

The children created original drawings which have been projected and traced onto their hospital bed curtains, proudly displaying their art to their families and the rest of the ward. Curtains Up gives children autonomy over their environment while staying in hospital, creates a child centric environment and fosters creativity between families and staff.

Mackenzie and Cat Sheridan working together on Curtains Up

Cat Sheridan, Learning and Participation Coordinator at Capital Theatres, said: “We are hugely excited to be back working in partnership with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity on this project.

“It has been a real treat for me to deliver on the wards, working with fantastic staff and being greeted by so many smiles. The joy is in seeing children and their families grow in confidence, take charge and have so much fun! Our aim is to encourage creativity and boost their sense of well-being. All through transforming something as simple as curtain with a bit of imagination.”

Fiona O’Sullivan, Deputy Director of Children’s Wellbeing, said: “The visits from Capital Theatres always prove hugely popular with children and young people in the hospital so we are very excited to welcome them back for the Curtains Up project.

“Decorating their hospital space is a fantastic and fun way for children to get creative and make their bedside environment feel a little less scary and more like their own home.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Capital Theatres for getting involved with our vital arts programme as it’s projects like this one that enable ECHC to continue to transform the lives of children and young people in hospital.”

Lesley-Ann, play specialist, said: “It was such engaging activity for the older age groups to do. It’s something thing different and was so nice to see them engage with it so much. Nancy went away with big a smile on her face, she was totally loving it!”

Nancy and her mother

Ghosts needn’t be toast!

How to enjoy Halloween during lockdown

With different parts of the country under different lockdown rules, the idea of celebrating Halloween may seem an impossibility. But Catherine Lynch of education experts PlanBee says you can keep your children spooked out – and stay within the law.

Halloween 2020 is going to be a bit different to previous years. Groups of children putting their hands into several bowls of communal sweets feels like something from another life. But we can incorporate dressing up, community spirit, an evening walk and trick or treating while observing social distancing. Here’s how…

Many communities are organising a Halloween trail for their young trick-or-treaters. Instead of knocking door to door, why not take your children on a trail, too? If you would like to take part in a Halloween trail, or organise one yourself, you could put this spooky picture from PlanBee in your window.

Parents can scan the QR code in the picture to receive a free Halloween activity pack with colouring sheets, puzzles and activities.

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Take your children on walks around your local area and see how many Halloween pictures you can spot. You could give your child the chance to pick a treat from your own selection each time they spot a picture on the Halloween treasure hunt.

And while you’re at it, this short guide to the history of Halloween will ensure you can answer any questions your youngsters might have about the origins of this popular autumn celebration.

It all started with Samhain, an ancient Celtic pagan religious festival that marks the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The celebrations included lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts. This festival is thought to date back to Neolithic times, pre 2500 BC.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III decided 1st November should be a time to honour all saints. The evening before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows’ Eve, and later Halloween. All Hallows’ Eve, is a Christian religious observance that includes going to church and lighting candles on the graves of the dead. Traditionally, Christians didn’t eat meat on this day and Potato Pancakes were a popular choice of food.

Over time, Halloween became the more commercial and secular celebration we have today that includes trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, wearing costumes and eating treats.

Clowning Around – an exciting new programme for Special Education Needs Schools

Hearts & Minds, award-winning charity and home of the Clowndoctors, is pleased to announce an exciting and fun new programme for special educational needs schools across Scotland.

Clowning Around is an art and play programme specifically designed for children with special educational support needs. Using the art of therapeutic clowning professionally trained artists engage children in play, music, dance, song, puppetry, games and storytelling. The Clowndoctors use improvisational skills and expertise in non-verbal communication and play to create tailored programmes to suit individual needs.

Clowning Around Programme

• Clowndoctor on Call: bespoke live interactive sessions delivered virtually by the Clowndoctors to individuals or a small group. • Clowndoctor Personalised Videos: Videos created for individuals or small groups. Tailored to suit the needs and interests of the children/young people.

• Clowndoctor in the Classroom: live visits in the classroom with the Clowndoctors. These will return when restrictions allow.
• Laughing Around: Laughter Yoga workshop for staff. This fun practical workshop is designed to relieve stress, lighten the mood, and form positive connections.

Clowndoctor on Call virtual visits were developed in response to COVID 19 as face to face visits in the classroom had to stop and Hearts & Minds were determined to keep the connection with pupils & bring moments of joy and laughter into the classroom.

The virtual visits have begun at Fairview School, Perth where they have been a huge success with staff and pupils.

Leigh Verdot, Head Teacher of Fairview School said: “We are thrilled to still get our weekly fix with the Clowndoctors. It is great to see the smiles and enjoyment from our pupils when they are engaging with the Clowndoctors on the ipads!

“Things are so different with COVID restrictions, so our weekly visits are one of the best parts of the week now. All our staff are learning from the Clowndoctors too. We couldn’t ask for a better start to the week!”

Rebecca Simpson, CEO of Hearts & Minds commented: “I am delighted to finally launch at our new school programme- Clowning Around. With 21 years’ experience of delivering our Clowndoctor programme it is exciting to be developing this work for schools across Scotland.

“The feedback we have received already has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the impact on the children. The programme is full of fun, laughter and creativity and will bring smiles to classrooms.”

The programme is open to all schools in Scotland who have pupils with complex learning needs and the programme can be tailored to suit the individual or a class. The team at Hearts & Minds will liaise with staff to provide a bespoke series of sessions.

For more information on Clowning Around visit:

https://www.heartsminds.org.uk/clowndoctors/clowning-around/

How to give children a taste for World Food Day

Watch out for World Food Day on Friday (October 16). The date commemorates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation by the United Nations in 1945. This year’s theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together.

This is a great opportunity to do some fun activities at home with your children to give them a better understanding of how a sustainable supply of food relates to their own lives and the local area as well as those in far-away places.

And the event is of particular significance this year because it takes place at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic threatens food security in many parts of the world.

Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resource experts PlanBee reports:

Four great ways to celebrate World Food Day 2020

1. Discover fascinating food facts

World Food Day Facts

Eight hundred million people around the world suffer from hunger.
In parts of the world where hunger is a big issue, life expectancy is shorter, infant mortality is higher, and productivity is lower.
Around the same number of people around the world suffer from obesity due to unhealthy diets.
Obesity kills more people than hunger.
Inefficient, unsustainable food systems harm ecosystems and contribute to global warming. Changing the way we produce food is key to tackling climate change.
As the climate changes, we will have to change the way we produce food: yields will decrease, and new food sources will have to be found.
In developed countries, tackling obesity would save hundreds of billions of pounds in healthcare costs.
In countries where hunger is an issue, eliminating hunger would dramatically increase productivity and national wealth.

2. Make it meaningful.

Food security and food poverty are significant issues in the UK too. It’s a good time to talk about food banks, free school meals and the importance of eating nourishing food for health, happiness and even for effective learning.

What is ‘food security’?
Food security means being having access to adequate supplies of food to live healthily. To have food security:

People must have enough money to buy food
Food must be affordably-priced
There must be reliable supply chains for food
There must be enough reserves of food, or reliable enough supply chains for a variety of foods, to ensure that access to food is not interrupted
The food available must be nutritious, so those who consume it can lead active, healthy lives

What are ‘sustainable food systems’?
Effective, sustainable food systems affordably provide an adequate amount of food to meet demand while also supporting the ecosystems they rely on for the production of food.

A good example are the new greenhouse system in Norfolk and Suffolk, set to produce 10 per cent of UK tomatoes.

The greenhouses will be heated by warm water pumped from nearby water treatment plants, producing far lower carbon emissions than traditional growing methods. It also reduces food miles and establishes a more reliable supply of food in the local area. Can you think of an example of a sustainable food system in your own area?

3. Link it to your local community

Church of England schools have a long-standing tradition of celebrating harvest festival by collecting store cupboard food items for the elderly and vulnerable in their community. This year, Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is celebrated 2nd-9th October.

If there’s not much happening locally, why not arrange to do something to help those less well-off in your community? Find out where your nearest food bank is. Many will list the items they are most in need of each week on their website.

4. Make healthy, nutritious food together

Talk ‘around’ the recipe you choose to follow; for example, you might try to find out about the food journey of one or more of the ingredients.

You can find out more about what’s happening during World Food Day 2020 by following the hashtags #WorldFoodDay and #FoodHeroes on social media.

For more activity ideas and resources for celebrating World Food Day, check out PlanBee’s World Food Day collection.

Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan is a senior member of the team at PlanBee, the education resources and lesson planning experts

Amazon Edinburgh makes donations to local charities for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

The team from the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh has donated a total of £1,500 worth of toys and pyjamas to Cancer & Leukemia Advice & Support for Parents (CCLASP) and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017.

Valerie Simpson, from CCLASP, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many of the team at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh working in their pyjamas in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

“I’d like to thank Rachel and the team for raising awareness through #AmazonGoesGold and for providing us with a donation, which will be greatly appreciated by everyone at CCLASP. We could hardly believe it when the team showed up with all the pyjamas and toys – the children will love them.”

While we’re all facing a global pandemic, more than 300,000 children will also be diagnosed with pediatric cancer this year, and it’s the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital for Amazon Goes Gold,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson, Site Leader at the Amazon Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh.

“We want patients and kids everywhere affected by childhood cancer to imagine the future innovators in themselves. It’s an honour to make a difference for such an important cause that affects families around the world.”

This donation will support CCLASP and Edinburgh Children’s Hospital in their missions to provide practical and emotional support to families affected by childhood cancer.

Autistic people struggling to get vital support, says new report

– 72% of people responding to a survey about their experiences of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s 10 year Strategy for Autism reported that they did not have enough support to meet their needs –

The findings are published in today’s ‘The Accountability Gap’, a report from the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Autism’s review of the Scottish Government and COSLA’s 10-year Strategy for Autism.

Supported by charities National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism, who provide Joint-Secretariat to the CPG, a survey carried out as part of the review also found that:

72% of respondents said they did not have enough support to meet their needs
78% of respondents said that it was not easy accessing support locally
50% felt that autism awareness among the general public had not improved
69% said that with more support they would feel less isolated
36% said they received no support within 12 months of receiving a diagnosis.

The CPG on Autism is Co-Convened by Annie Wells MSP and Alexander Burnett MSP, and has a large membership that comprises of MSPs, autistic people, families, organisations and professionals from across Scotland. The group meets regularly looking at issues faced by autistic people and families.

In 2011, the Scottish Government together with COSLA published a 10-year Scottish Strategy for Autism that set out priorities and aimed to deliver strategic action for autistic people and their families in Scotland.

The CPG on Autism undertook its review from May 2019 to January 2020 and heard first-hand the difficulties faced by autistic people and their families in Scotland. It found widespread recognition that the Government’s strategy set out a welcome vision and was well-intentioned however the majority of people who participated said there had been limited impact for many people in a number of areas including autism diagnosis and post-diagnostic support, as well as support in education, care and employment.

It also highlighted how a lack of accountability at local level, is leaving autistic people and families fighting, often with little success, to get the support they need.

The review makes 10 recommendations that aim to help improve the lives of autistic people that the Scottish Government and COSLA should consider when the Strategy comes to the end of its lifespan in 2021. These include:

Solving the accountability gap by establishing a new Commissioner role, whose remit includes ensuing that autistic people and families get the support they need.
Developing a new Scottish Strategy for Autism that is co-created between autistic people, families, charities, COSLA and the Government, is appropriately funded and delivers real sustainable change.

Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Autism, Alexander Burnett MSP, said: “The majority view of the hundreds of people who have been involved in our review is that the ambition and aspiration set out in the Scottish Government’s strategy has not been realised in practice and that many autistic people and their families lack the appropriate levels of support in order to thrive in our society.

“We found that there are concerns surrounding a lack of training for professionals, as well as a lack of pre and post diagnosis support across a number of areas 2including social care, education, transition into adulthood, housing and employment.

“In the context of the pandemic we believe the report’s recommendations are more important than ever for Scottish Government, COSLA and partners to consider when planning for what comes next when the strategy is due to come to an end next year.

“Over the years, we have seen numerous reports and reviews on autism, however there seems to be little evidence to suggest any real change is being delivered at a local level.

“This is a system that is repeatedly failing to meet the rights and needs of autistic people. We must therefore focus on systemic sustainable change to enable better access to education, health, social and community services for autistic people and their families.”

Kirsteen, a mother from Aberdeen said: “I have an autistic son called Toby who is now a young adult. When Toby was younger he received support from the school, college and the local authority but virtually stopped overnight when he became 16.

“Toby needs a lot of support and without it we struggled to cope as a family. Ultimately, we reached crisis point and things escalated even to the extent the police got involved as he became very frustrated and lashed out.

“Toby is now living in his own flat which initially I had to pay for as the local authority did not provide anything that met his needs. They had offered a place in a hostel for people with drug issues which is completely inappropriate.

“I’m now selling my place so I can move closer to Toby as I desperately want to make sure he is supported. I do this because my son and daughters mean the world to me but it’s hugely stressful to hold down a full-time career in nursing and provide support for someone with such complex needs.

“I don’t feel things have got better over the last few years and I don’t think they will change unless Scotland implements legislation – committees and reviews on autism make no difference.”

Nick Ward, Director of National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “Today’s ‘Accountability Gap’ report from the Cross-Party Group paints a stark picture of the struggles that Scotland’s 56,000 autistic people and their families face in order to get the services they are entitled to – a struggle which sadly they often lose leaving them frustrated, distraught and often in crisis.

“The Government must now look to build on the 10-year strategy by building accountability into the system so people get the services and support they so desperately need.”

Charlene Tait, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Scottish Autism, said: “We recognise the Scottish Government’s commitment through its 10-year strategy to set out a landscape where autistic people and their families have access to the services and support they need.

“However, there is an evident ‘accountability gap’ between service provision and what is available. The reality is that many autistic people and their families often have to fight to get the vital services and support to which they are entitled.

“Over the years, we have seen numerous reports and reviews on autism, however there seems to be little evidence to suggest any real change is being delivered at a local level. This is a system that is repeatedly failing to meet the rights and needs of autistic people.

“We must therefore focus on systemic sustainable change to enable better access to education, health, social and community services for autistic people and their families.”

CPG-on-Autism-report-The-Accountability-Gap-12.10.2020 Download

Support for families “at the end of their tether” as restrictions change

AS coronavirus restrictions tighten, charity Children 1st is making sure that parents and carers can always get the support they need through their Parentline service.

Children 1st Parentline helps families with emotional, financial and practical support, over the phone and online. Throughout the pandemic Children 1st have helped families come together, deal with stress and cope through the continued changes to everyday life.

Families can also be put in touch with Children 1st Money Advisors, who help parents and carers deal with money worries and take control of their finances.

Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st said: “Parents and carers are telling us that they feel like they’re at the end of their tether. After so long living with restrictions, they’re exhausted. Many families are struggling to make ends meet and are looking for support to keep the lights on and put food on the table.

“We want families to know they don’t need to go through this alone. Children 1st Parentline is here. Our staff and volunteers give confidential, non-judgemental support over the phone or online. You can call free on 08000 28 22 33 or start a webchat at children1st.org.uk/parentline”

One parent who reached out to Parentline said: “I would have been in a totally different place if it hadn’t been for these conversations.

“No one seems to be there to support the people who are supporting the children. I was really struggling. It’s fine talking to friends and family, but they aren’t in your shoes.”

Another parent said: “It feels really good just to be heard and not feel judged.”

Children 1st Parentline is open seven days a week, from 9am-9pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12 midday Saturday and Sunday.

If your family are struggling get in touch by calling free on 08000 28 22 33 or visit children1st.org.uk/parentline to start a webchat.

World Mental Health Day: Six tips to help your child develop emotional intelligence

How to help your child find emotional intelligence

The global pandemic and lockdowns on top of all the usual life challenges can affect children just as much as adults. To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October, former primary school teacher CATHERINE LYNCH of education resources experts PlanBee provides six stepping stones, and free downloadable resources, to help parents support youngsters to develop good mental health:

Name emotions and feelings

Until someone has the vocabulary associated with emotions and feelings, they will not be able to explain how they feel or identify how others are feeling. Name emotions when your child experiences them, it might feel like you are stating the obvious, but you are giving your child an important tool to becoming emotionally intelligent.

Photo Emotions Cards

Emoji Emotion Faces Cards

Synonym Booklet of Emotions

Explain the physical sensations linked to emotions and feelings

Help children to recognise how different emotions present in their bodies. Do they normally feel a bit sick when they are anxious? Do their shoulders feel tight when they are stressed? Do they become very busy when they are avoiding something? By helping them notice these physical representations of emotions they will begin to recognise when they are starting to feel something and might be able to react before their brains get flooded with the stress hormone cortisol.

Design your own Emotion Emojis

Draw the Emotion

Understand when and why a feeling or emotion is felt

The better children become at naming and spotting their emotions the easier it will become for them to notice the triggers for their emotions. If they always get a knot in their stomach on the way to school and know it is because they feel anxious you can start to explore where the anxiety comes from. Are they worried about the moment of goodbye, is it walking into a formed group of people or is it something else? By pinpointing the cause of the feeling, you and your child will be able to understand it better.

Feelings Check-in Cards

Worry Monster Activity Sheets

Mood Tracker

Develop strategies to regulate emotions

When you and your child are able to notice, name and understand the source of a feeling or emotion you can begin to work out ways to help them regulate. Is a big calming and focusing breath needed? Or maybe a few star jumps? There isn’t one route to regulating the child’s emotions, what works best for your child will be something you need to figure out together.

Meditation for Kids Guide

Mindfulness Colouring Sheets

Maintain boundaries to keep everyone safe

Rules that maintain safety should be non-negotiable. These will vary depending on the age and developmental stage of a child. When a child is feeling a big emotion, their brain will not be working in the same way it does when the child is calm. Expectations and language may need to be adjusted to help the child stay safe. Rather than seeing a rule as something that a child should be punished for breaking, work with your child to help them succeed in staying safe and maintaining the boundary.

Relate with your child

Once they have calmed down and are able to listen, empathise with your child. Talk to them about a time you felt the same way and what happened. This will help them to understand their own feelings and feel like you understand and care about them.

Here are a few practical examples of the steps

Name, explain, understand, regulate, boundaries, relate

Excited

“I can see you are really excited.”
“You can’t stay still!”
“I am wondering if you are excited about seeing your friend.”
“Take a deep breath with me.”
“I can see you are finding it tricky to stay close by. Hold my hand as we cross the road to keep us safe.”
“One time I was so excited I had so much energy that I thought I might be able to fly.”

Angry

“I can see you are really angry.”
“Your face is scrunched up and your fists are clenched.”
“I am wondering if you are angry because someone didn’t let you play.”
“Take a deep breath with me.”
“I cannot let you hit me. If you need to get your angry out try hitting this cushion or blowing away the clouds in the sky.”
“Once I was so angry I wanted to throw everything I could see but your grandad helped me calm down by giving me play dough to squeeze.”

Sad

“I can see you are really sad.”
“Your eyes are hidden and your shoulders are hunched.”
“I am wondering if you are sad because it is time to leave.”
“Would you like a hug?”
“It is ok to feel sad. We need to go home now to have dinner.”
“I sometimes feel really sad about things ending too. Shall we make a plan to come back here again?”

As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, so make sure you are getting the support you need to help you support the people around you.

Catherine Lynch is an experienced teacher, play therapist and senior manager at PlanBee, which creates teaching resources for primary school aged children (aged five-11). The resources have been created to meet the English National Curriculum objectives.