Articles & Resources
Children’s Activity: Feelings Thermometer
Feelings A step of emotional literacy development is being able to recognise what our emotions are. Many children can find it challenging to be able to recognise, identify and respond to their emotions, particularly emotions such as excitement and anxiety as both create adrenaline in the body. A great first step, is to encourage children
The importance of looking beneath the iceberg
We frequently discuss that behaviour can be likened an iceberg. However, from my experiences as both a teacher and a therapist, this can unintentionally be forgotten when it comes to managing and responding to children’s behaviour. The iceberg analogy gives us an opportunity to consider all the contributing factors which may be affecting a child’s
Children’s Activity: Regulation Colouring Sheet
If you have followed our article and podcast about self-regulation (if you missed it find it here) then you will know we have been talking about developing children’s emotional literacy, their ability to recognise and respond to their emotions. As part of this, supporting children to know which strategies they can use when they feel
Fight – Flight – Freeze – Fawn, How do you react?
Fight – Flight – Freeze – Fawn Many people are familiar with the concept of the fight – flight response. When our central nervous system involuntary responds to a perceived threat, an acute stress response kicks in and each individual, depending on their own programming will respond accordingly. Fight or flight, in its simplest form,
Children’s Activity: Affirmation Cards
Affirmations Affirmations are positive statements which are used to to help us challenge and overcome difficult or negative thoughts. They are simple statements which are repeated as part of a routine to help us move through challenges. Affirmations can also be displayed so that we can read them frequently and help us to make positive
5 ways to manage emotional exhaustion
In a world that seems to never stop what do we do when it all catches up with us? After the last 2 years of constant change, expectations and challenges to navigate, a frequent comment that I hear from children, teenagers, parents and professionals is that they feel ‘exhausted’. There has been so much to
Children’s Activity: Design your own elf
Whilst we rush about getting the last bits ready for Christmas, why not settle the little ones down for something creative. Join us and design your own elf. What you need: Download the worksheet here (find it here) Print as many copies as you need Collect up art resources Find glasses of milk (and possibly
8 Ways to Protect Mental Well-being at Christmas
Whilst Christmas can be incredibly exciting. For some, it brings struggles with mental well-being, overwhelm and rising stress. Christmas can be magical, but for others, it can create sensory overload and be an overwhelming period of constant change, noises, colours and challenges to navigate. For adults, Christmas can feel like a great deal of pressure
Children’s Activity: Feelings Wheel
Feelings A step of emotional literacy development is being able to recognise what our emotions are. Many children can find it challenging to be able to recognise, identify and respond to their emotions, particularly emotions such as excitement and anxiety as both create adrenaline in the body. A great first step, is to encourage children
The importance of gaining different perspectives
Life can be busy, and often, when I work with clients, they can find that it’s a struggle to keep things in perspective. To see the good which sits alongside the bad, or the greys amongst the black and white. When we are stressed, or experience stress for a significant period of time, it can
Children’s Activities: Christmas Walk ‘I’ Spy
Christmas is coming! So, what better time to blow the cobwebs away and get out for a wintery walk and see how many of our Christmas ‘I Spy’ items you can find from the checklist! Download it here How to use it Download the worksheet (find it here) Laminate (optional) Clip to a clipboard Attach a
8 Ways to Support Your Own Mental Health
When our mental health declines, it can feel overwhelming, scary and quite exhausting. Our instincts can sometimes tell us to hide, act out or to seek out comfort seeking behaviours. However, sometimes, our instincts offer us solutions which increase the struggles that we are experiencing, and as such, we need to consider how else to
Children’s Activity: Self-Care Cups Worksheet
Self-care Cups Whilst we all talk about self-care and recognise its importance, recognising when our self-care is low or the early warning signs that something is out of balance is important to supporting our well-being. Self-care is all about taking care of ourselves. If we imagine that we are a care, we would not expect
Why we need to encourage perseverance in children
When I used to teach, my students often got fed up with me, I will add here that it wasn’t because I was a terrible teacher, but because I refused to listen to the words ‘I can’t’. ‘I can’t do it’ The words I wouldn’t abide by. I wasn’t being mean… The thing is, I
Children’s Activity: Christmas Colouring Sheet
In December 2019 I wrote a book called ‘Brian and the Christmas Box‘. This story followed a winter adventure of Brian…. When Brian is out for a walk with his mummy he hears a dog crying and doesn’t know what to do. Alongside his friend, Blue Butterfly, Brian finds a way to share the magic
Why our brains keep re-living things
Have you ever noticed, that when you pop to Tesco you can quickly forget about it, or if someone asks you what you had for dinner last night, you can rack your brains feeling like it was forever ago? But, when something challenging happens, it can take, days, weeks, months or even years to forget
Children’s Activity: Self-care Bingo
Self-care Bingo Self-care is all about taking care of ourselves. If we imagine that we are a care, we would not expect to drive to the coast without petrol. Self-care is the petrol that we give ourselves to give us to have the energy and mental well-being to cope. Regular self-care improves: our physical health
8 Things NOT to say to a child struggling with mental health
Mental Health and Children in the UK Current data shows that ‘One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2020’ (NHS Digital, 2020). Further, ‘The number of A&E attendances by young people aged 18 or under with a recorded diagnosis of a psychiatric condition
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