After a rollercoaster few months we think everyone deserves a bit of much-needed “me time”. Whilst, for some, wellbeing might conjure images of a luxury spa, seaweed and saunas, for others it can simply mean a relaxing walk around the park or curling up with a good book. For children? Well, it can be trickier.
This World Wellbeing Week is a good time then not just to hit pause on some of the more stressful aspects of our lives, but also to think about how we can help children to look after themselves. There’s no one-stop solution or user manual, but there are a few useful tips to help you along the way.
Mental wellbeing
As the school year comes to an end, and we begin to emerge from the home-schooling lockdown, it’s important we stay in education mode and continue to talk to our kids about mental wellbeing.
If you’re looking for a starting point, Young Minds offers some very useful tips in their blog series on how to start a dialogue with kids about some of the more delicate subjects in life, from navigating emotions after the loss of a loved one to coping with social anxiety.
Sleeping patterns
Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep makes us feel better, and making sure your child clocks up the recommended hours of kip every night is a key part of the wellbeing puzzle. If you’re struggling to get your kids to understand the importance of sleep, why not take a look at these top tips for kids on how to master the art of slumber? Explaining the benefits of forty winks may help them to see your pleas to go to bed in a different light, and is a great way of sneakily weaving in important messages about the wealth of wellbeing and health benefits getting enough sleep brings.
Mindfulness
Whilst many of us might think meditation is reserved exclusively for adults, children too stand to benefit enormously from practising mindfulness from a young age. At a time proving stressful for everyone, being able to focus on the present moment whilst calmly acknowledging your feelings is a really useful skill to have, and is a great way of getting them to relieve any tension that might gradually have built up during this strange time.
Over the past few years, a range of mindfulness apps aimed at children have cropped up to fill what was previously a surprisingly empty space, including a kids version of the popular mindfulness app Headspace, designed to give young minds an informative yet gradual introduction into the world of mindfulness.
Socialising
The pandemic has upended many children’s social plans, and it’s only natural for them to feel a tad frustrated as a result. After all, friendship is one of the most important parts of a child’s life and has an enormous effect on their wellbeing.
Nowadays kids can enjoy doing almost any activity with their friends over the internet. From coming together to watch a film using an app like Netflix Party, to the excitement of doing an online escape room with friends in the safety of their family home, there are many great ways of replicating some element of normal social interactions whilst staying safe at home.
How do you get your children to engage with looking after their wellbeing? Any suggestions you may be willing to share would be most welcome.