This year Children’s Mental Health week is the 1st-7th February. I don’t think anyone needs me to tell them, with the current COVID pandemic, how important it is to talk about feelings with our children. Most of us have probably been on our own emotional roller coasters.
When the first lockdown hit, I started doing Protective Behaviours training with Melanie Pearson. Here’s the link to find out more. The training empowers children (and adults) by teaching them skills they need to raise their self esteem and strategies to trust their intuitive feelings. One of the key points about this approach is that the strategies still enables us to make adventurous life choices. If you don’t know about Protective Behaviours then it is definitely worth having a look at it as a whole school approach.
Lockdown has resulted in more children being confined to their homes. Many children may not have access to outdoor spaces and homeschooling may have increased their screen time. In some cases, where there is no access to the internet or digital devices, children may have worksheet overload.
Over the last week or two I’ve been talking to lots of friends and colleagues about homeschooling. The resounding point that comes across each time is the pressure it is putting on families and children. From the child’s point of view, the most common things I hear are:
‘Why do I have to do this?’
‘I’m NOT doing this!’
‘This is not like REAL school’
‘I’m bored sitting and listening to my teacher talk…’
‘Can I play now?’
‘I miss my friends/family’
Unfortunately, this is the situation we are in and if we are all honest this is nothing like school at all.
Those of us who have no choice but to send our children to school often face huge guilt about it too. It feels like a no win situation all round.
Most parents are facing huge juggling acts. From the conversations I’ve had, there was a resounding feeling of deflation when the P.M announced that schools wouldn’t return anytime soon. We all know it’s the right thing to keep us all safe but as one close friend said, ‘the homeschooling/work situation feels unsustainable.’
So, how does this all affect our children? The future generations to come? In truth, I think only time will reveal the true mental health impact the whole pandemic has had and we will be supporting people for years to come. I think we can all say it’s not looking great. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t support our children now, regardless of our training, skills and knowledge of mental health and well being.
If nothing else it should teach us that our feelings are important and we need to focus on them. So what if my child does not know his 4 times-table or can’t recognise imperative verbs? Ok, I know he should know these things, but actually he could survive and be successful in life without knowing them. If he has low self esteem, low confidence and poor social skills it is likely to be detrimental for the rest of his life and stop him from achieving his high aspirations. Yet we are always hearing our children are falling behind, they need to bridge the gaps, and they may have catch up lessons!
During Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s try to take time out and encourage children to think about themselves. We need to provide children with the opportunity to develop skills to stop and reflect on their emotions. How are they actually feeling? Can we encourage them to recognise those feelings? Do they feel their feelings are listened to?
With all of this in mind I have created 5 daily activities to encourage children to stop, go outside and take time out of their day to reflect. Please share, get more children outdoors and let children know that it’s ok to not be ok. Let’s get talking!
Interested in outdoor learning?
If you would like to get children learning outdoors in your school then have a look at our online training, Taking the Curriculum Outdoors: A Whole School Approach. We’ve also got lots more training coming soon so watch this space.
Taking the Curriculum Outdoors – A Whole School Approach Online Training
Taking the Curriculum Outdoors – A Whole School Approach Online Training
If you would like to introduce outdoor learning in your school then this is the training for you! We provide everything you need to support you on your outdoor learning journey and help you to utilise the space you have, whether that’s acres of land or a small square of tarmac.
Aim: The aim of the training is to provide your whole school with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to integrate curriculum-linked learning outdoors.
Audience: All teaching staff and senior leaders
Training time: approx. 5 hours (Training can be divided into units and delivered separately over a period of time if required.)
