5 Ways to Wellbeing
Research tells us these proven five simple ways can make a big difference to a child’s happiness and help build their confidence and resilience.
It’s the well-being equivalent to ‘five fruit and vegetables a day’.
Try and build these simple actions into everyday life.
1 CONNECT
• Take time to talk about feelings and listen
• Share mealtimes to talk about their day
• Find activities you can enjoy together as a family
• Encourage them to see their friends outside of school rather than by phone or online
2 BE ACTIVE
• Go for a walk, run, skip, cycle, swim, dance – whatever they may enjoy, indoors or outdoors
• Find a local group sport or activity they can join
• Exercise is a mood booster and a great way to feel good
3 TAKE NOTICE
• Take them out to a park, woods, the seaside or even a different part of the city or town so they can enjoy a varied environment
• Encourage them to notice how they are feeling and how they can process their emotions in a positive way
4 KEEP LEARNING
• Learning isn’t just for school. Encourage them to read ‘just for fun’
• Pass on skills like cooking, sewing, model making, photography and DIY so they know that learning can be fun
5 GIVE
• Help them to be kind, share and show interest in others
• Encourage them to do something nice for a friend, family member or charity
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GP
Talk to your GP who will be able to provide further advice and support.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is actually a perfectly normal human state – and despite its presence in the headlines as a major player in the mental ill-health of many people – it actually has its uses!
At moderate levels of anxiety, a person’s performance and attention to detail can improve. However, it becomes a problem when the feelings become more intense, last for a long time and begin to negatively impact on how well you can do things, your enjoyment of things and family life.
In general, stress and fear are seen as responses to specific, external factors, whereas anxiety is often internal and is usually concerned with what could or might happen. If you feel that your child is constantly anxious and doesn’t seem to improve with your support, it’s important to make an appointment to see your GP. However, there are some things you can do to support your child and this booklet goes through some of them.
A copy of the booklet be found by clicking on the click below:
The importance of a good night's sleep
We all know that our sleep is important to us. It helps us regulate ourselves and to learn well. You might like to have a look at this information together and think about the importance of getting a good night's sleep!
Online Safety Tips
Setting parental controls for your home broadband is the easiest way to filter and restrict inappropriate websites on any device connected to your home wifi. Making sure your children's devices are set up safely will help you to make sure they get the best out of their device. The website www.internetmatters.org has some great advice, simple instructions and helpful tips on just about every device, wifi provider and games console to help you keep your children safe at home.
We have added a few of their really helpful guides below but clicking on the link www.internetmatters.org will give you access to all the resources that you need. We really can't rate their site enough!
Parental controls for Android phones
Parental controls for Apple iPhones
Parental controls for Android tablets
Parental controls for Apple iPad
Parental controls for Vodafone mobiles (other networks can also be accessed by clicking here - other networks)
Parental controls for XBox Live (other games consoles can be accessed very easily by clicking here - other games consoles)
The checklist below, from the website InternetMatters, gives some simple tips to make sure you have a head start.
Are you safe online?
TheDigital Parenting booklet from Vodafone is now available. There is lots of good advice for parents to help keep their children safe online, we recommend the read!
Vodafone Digital Parenting booklet
We've been learning about Internet safety and have looked at an array of websites and internet "dos" and "don'ts".
We have learnt that:
The NSPCC have some great advice and tips for parents who want to understand more about keeping their children safe online. You can find these great resources by clicking the link below.
Everyone should:
S - Stay safe
M - Don't meet up
A - Accept emails only from people you know
R - Remember that information on the Internet isn't always reliable
T - Tell someone if something happens that makes you feel upset
Using tools such as Skype can be good for keeping in touch with others, especially if you have friends or family living abroad. But you still need to remember that safety rules should still apply. Don't talk to people you don't know and don't arrange to meet up with anyone you only know on the internet. Children should also not be sharing inappropriate photos or videos online.
We have some tips for staying safe online which are included in the links below. Watch each video clip and have a think about what you could do differently to keep yourself safe. If you're a parent watching you are very important - you can find some more advice about keeping your children safe at the link below! Make sure you take some ideas to keep your children safe as well.