Articles & Resources
Children’s Activity: Affirmation Colouring
Our brains listen to EVERYTHING that we say, as though taking instructions from us. If we tell ourselves that we are stupid, silly or useless, our brain believes it and our confidence and self-esteem begins to drop. If we tell ourselves that we are kind, clever and capable, our brains take that as an instruction
What is autistic burnout?
When working with, and supporting children with Autism, it is important to be aware of the risk of autism burnout. Whilst the terminology occasionally flies around, it is lesser spoken of, and often only noticed when children are caught in the depths of burnout, and require a great deal of support. When a child’s needs
Children’s Activity: Setting my priorities
Setting priorities Being able to plan our weeks, and understanding what our focus needs to be, is a valuable skill to making progress, developing our confidence and feeling productive. Our skill in being able to set a target for the week, and recognising what help we need with it allows us to be consistent and
Perspectives and Stories
Having spent over ten years working one to one with clients, with my teen clients we often explore the concept of perspectives. Whether it is the declaration that a teacher hates them, a friend has been mean, or a sibling that is loved more than they are, we all see that our brains have one
Children’s Activity: Phrases to take a breath
Sometimes, we just need to ‘take a breath’ before we can process and respond to a question. This week’s handout contains some sample phrases that we can use to buy a moment to process what is being asked and think through what we want to respond. Phrases to Take a Breath Download here Next steps
Attachment Styles and Conflict
Attachment theory is a psychological theory, developed by John Bowlby (1977), that looks at the connections and relationships between humans. Attachments are those deep emotional bonds that we develop with another person, where we feel secure and close with them. In attachment theory, we examine the relationship between children and their parents, and the way
Children’s Activity: Stress and the Body
We can sometimes hear comments that children cannot feel stressed, when in reality stress is an everyday feeling that is a natural response to triggers around us. The challenge, is that sometimes, our brains, which are wired for safety can become caught in mis-interpreting the stressors we experience and have responses which are not in
Love Languages and your Needs
We explored love languages previously (catch up here). The concept, of Love Languages were developed by Gary Chapman (PHD) in his book ‘The 5 Love Languages’ and are often referred to. Their purpose was to identify the different ways that people express and receive love, to develop a deeper recognition of how this influences our
Children’s Activity: Energy Accounting
Managing our energy is an important skill, as it allows us to still be able to move forward and feel good about ourselves. Learning to be able to regulate our feelings, and increase our energy means that we can feel more in control, confident and able to tackle the tasks at hand. When we think
Signs of People Pleasing in the Classroom
People pleasing relates to a set of behaviours or habits whereby the individual repeatedly abandons their own needs in order to meet other people’s wishes or desires. Their giving and pleasing of others is always at the detriment to themselves, which is associated with poor mental health. It is correlated to individuals with a deep
Winter I-Spy
Winter Solstice is coming! So, what better time to blow the cobwebs away and get out for a wintery walk and see how many of our wintery ‘I Spy’ items you can find from the checklist! Download here How to use it Want to learn more? Would you like to deliver emotional literacy interventions in
Supporting Neurodivergence at Christmas
Whilst for some children and young people at Christmas, there is no issue and they adjust to the glitter and sparkle quite happily. For others, Christmas brings new challenges which may need some extra support. In this article, we explore some of the elements of Christmas Day that you may want to explore ahead of
Children’s Activity: Mandala Colouring
Benefits of colouring: Colouring has multiple benefits, including; enhancing creativity, promoting well-being, stress relief, increasing a sense of mindfulness as well as providing a sense of achievement on completion. Colouring allows us to unwind and let our minds focus on just the task in front of us. So, we’re sharing a free nature colouring sheet
The effects of technology on brain development
We talk a lot about technology and the challenges that it creates for young people. Whilst on one side, technology opens the opportunity for connections, learning and creativity, on the other, there are a great deal of conflicting opinions about the effects on mental health and well-being. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance for screen time
Children’s Activity: Challenge Limiting Beliefs
Limiting Beliefs Limiting beliefs are negative thoughts or beliefs which hold us back from achieving things, or trying things in life. They can be about anything, from ourselves and our personalities, to our abilities and skills, to the world or other people. They keep us in a negative mindset, where they can cause chaos as
The perils of sadfishing
Disclaimer – the content of this article is not medical advice, if you have a concern about the mental health, safety or well-being of a child or adult, please raise with the appropriate services to activate help for them **** With so many parents and professionals raising the question about how we manage young people’s
Children’s Activity: Bumblebee Breathing
Teaching children breathing activities has multiple benefits: Teaching children how to slowly engage breathing techniques and practice them regularly supports them to relax and respond more constructively when they are feeling overwhelmed. Bumblebee Breathing Download Here Next Steps Want to learn more? Would you like to deliver emotional literacy interventions in your work? Our Level 3
Taking the lessons from challenges
When challenging things happen, it can be difficult not to fall into the trap of asking ‘why me’ and experiencing the spirals of anxiety and sadness that feed from it. So, how do we claw our way out of it? Being able to take the lessons from the challenges that we experience has been found
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