Where does anger come from? Anger is a reaction which comes from the limbic system of the brain. This is the emotional hub of the brain. As part of this, the amygdala, which creates the fight-flight responses, will make a decision as to which reaction will be created when a trigger is identified. It is […]
Children’s Activity: Creating Anger Maps Read More »
Why do we get angry?? Everyone has a different response to anger, and the reason for this is that everyone interprets the environment, relationships and situations differently. This is dependent on previous experience, developmental stage and our understanding of our own emotions and triggers. As such, no response to a situation is right or wrong,
Children’s Activities: Anger Strategies Read More »
How often, when you have been faced with a challenge, crisis or struggle, have you been bombarded with comments to be ‘more positive’ and ‘look at the bright side’ and felt completely minimised or dismissed? In this article, I want to explore the concept of ‘Toxic Positivity’ and some of the risks that it holds
The Dangers of Toxic Positivity to Connection Read More »
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
The importance of looking beneath the iceberg Read More »
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,
Fight – Flight – Freeze – Fawn, How do you react? Read More »
Managing emotions When we see children’s behaviours, actions and responses we can get caught up in focussing on the symptoms and miss the causes of the issues. Our feelings can be likened to an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg, what is above the water, represents the feelings, emotions, responses, behaviours and reactions that children
Children’s Activity: Feelings Iceberg Read More »
When it comes to calming the mind and connecting with senses, playdough is a long term favourite. Playdough has many benefits for children: It calms the mind It supports the development of fine motor skills It develops hand-eye coordination It encourages creativity It inspires imagination It strengthens hand muscles It supports strength, dexterity and control
Children’s Activity: Sensory Playdough Recipe Read More »
When working or raising children and young people we can become attuned to looking for physical signs of things being ‘amiss’ or of concern. However, not all issues are equal, and like the first aid scenario, we can frequently find that there are not any physical signs observable by the naked eye. Consider…. Some children
Recognising Trauma in Young People Read More »
How busy is too busy? How quiet is too quiet? Whilst we recognise that spending all our time at home, not interacting with others is not beneficial to children’s mental health. What happens when they over-schedule their time and have little time to do nothing? The issues that often arise are either: Teens whose diaries
Why Time Management Matters to Mental Health Read More »
Why do we get angry?? Everyone has a different response to anger, and the reason for this is that everyone interprets the environment, relationships and situations differently. This is dependent on previous experience, developmental stage and our understanding of our own emotions and triggers. As such, no response to a situation is right or wrong,
Supporting children to manage anger Read More »
