How To Support Your Child’s Mental Health

 

Covid-19 and the lockdown has been a difficult time for all of us and many parents are concerned about the impact the virus will have on their jobs, their health and the economy. In the midst of this chaos, it can be easy to forget that the mental well being of children needs to be a major focus for all families.

Children are in an unprecedented situation: they are isolated from their friends and classmates, unable to partake in their regular extra-curricular activities and may be feeling anxious if they are struggling to keep up with schoolwork while at home.

At Cardiff & Vale Tutors, the welfare and wellbeing of children is at the heart of everything we do. To help parents and children adjust to the current situation we have put together four positive ideas to help protect your family’s mental wellbeing:

1.   Get Help If You Need It

Mental Health issues can be hard to spot and even harder to deal with. If you have serious concerns about the mental health of anyone in your home we strongly recommend that you talk to your GP or visit www.nhs.uk for advice. Mental Health Wales also offers many links to Professional support and a library of information.

2.   Meditate

Young people will often spend a high proportion of their day on social media; many will constantly be reading messages, watching videos and listening to music. Technology can sometimes make it difficult to completely relax.

Cardiff and Vale Tutors offers guided meditation for just £5 a session. This online meditation course is led by a trained professional who aims to help people reduce their feelings of stress.

3.   Build Regular Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Even if your child is not particularly sporty their regular schedule at school would involve physical activity through PE lessons, walking between classrooms and hanging out with friends in the playground. The NHS suggests that even a 20-minute walk can help reduce the effects of depression. Additionally, exercise can give you some structure to the day – going for a short jog together before tackling schoolwork will help adults and children get in the right frame of mind to do their best.

4.   Stay In Touch with Other People

Feeling isolated from friends and family can be a major cause of anxiety and low self-esteem. For some young people with these issues, the lockdown has been particularly difficult. Scheduling phone calls with friends and classmates as frequently as possible will help children to retain a sense of normality through this difficult time.

Socialising can also be done in the household; organising events such as home-cooked meals and movie evenings can be a fun way to spend time with each other. Decorating the living room to look like a cinema, complete with bags of popcorn and paper tickets could be a fun way to encourage younger children to enjoy spending time with their family.

This blog was written by our Cardiff & Vale English GCSE & A level  Tutor. Sam is a graduate of Durham University and has a P.G.C.E. in English from the University of Manchester.

TAGS: mental health, coronavirus, lockdown, anxiety, support, positivity

CATEGORIES: Mental Health       COVID-19

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