Shapes of Tomorrow

Still 3 hours left on today.

Here are three important topics that parents should talk to their kids about regarding mental health:

1. Emotions and coping skills: Encourage kids to express their feelings and help them understand that it's okay to feel sad, angry, or upset sometimes. Teach them coping skills to manage their emotions, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and physical exercise.

2. Stress and anxiety: Teach kids to identify sources of stress and anxiety and develop healthy ways to manage and cope with them. Encourage them to set realistic expectations and boundaries, and prioritize self-care activities.

3. Mental health and self-care: Discuss the importance of mental health and emphasize the need for self-care, such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in activities they enjoy. Reinforce the message that seeking help when needed is a strength and not a weakness.

It's important to have ongoing, open, and honest conversations with kids about mental health and to be a supportive and understanding listener. Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings, and provide a safe and non-judgmental space for them to do so.

Sneak peek into some of the activities in the CONFIDENCE WONDER BOX.

- Strengths Poster
- Write yourself a letter
- Jumping Frog
- Blow Up Your Confidence
- Thank You vs. Sorry

“It really got her thinking about her strengths and it was nice to just chat while she focused on other things”

“He liked the sorry and thank you activity and is trying to implement this in his daily life.”

“Super excited, wanted to do them all in one go.”

These are just some of the things children have said about the activities in WONDER BOX.

If you are a parent that sees your child going through wellbeing related struggles and you feel a little bit lost, then we're here to help. WONDER BOX is a monthly activities based subscription box designed by me, a Children's Wellbeing Practitioner, to help your young ones become stronger, more confident, empowered young people.

Link in bio on how to get hold of your first one.

What is an affirmation?

Affirmations are positive statements that can help overcome negative thoughts. They are a powerful tool in helping develop confidence and self-esteem.

They are words designed to release positivity into ourselves and those around us. Saying positive affirmation is compared to pushing positive air around us.

Is there a science behind it?

Yes, absolutely - our brains have neuroplasticity - this means that they can be rewired in different ways depending on the experiences we have in life. When you regularly repeat affirmations, you are creating a mental image of your goal or positive message. For example, if you keep repeating to yourself the positive affirmation “I am brave”, your brain is forming an image a brave version of yourself.

As you continue to repeat this, this image becomes clearer, and the brain creates a version of yourself representing that goal or affirmation. Once this picture has been created through this process, the part of the brain where you experience achievements is activated, and your mind accepts the affirmation. This then helps us work towards that goal or positive affirmation.

Through this process of repeating positive affirmations, our brain accepts them as real, as a fact and helps us work towards them!

Every week in our After School Club, we run different activities to boost wellbeing. A few weeks ago, we did affirmations. Our young people painted their affirmations over canvases and put them by the bedside so they can see them everyday. They absolutely loved the activity, and it was wonderful to see the positive affirmations that they wrote. Seeing how excited they’ve been working through this activity, we decided to include it in our first WONDER BOX too.

Give it a try with your young people and let us know how you get along. Here are a few affirmations to get you started:

- I am proud of myself
- Today is going to be a great day
- I can control my own happiness
- Its okay to not know everything
- I am an amazing person

FAQ: How do I help my child feel confident and secure?

Well, let's work together to help our young people feel confident and secure.

How do we do that? What does it mean to be confident and secure?

Being secure means to feel safe even when making mistakes. Young people need to know that they have people who love them even when they make mistakes. They also need to know that even when they fail at something, they can keep trying, knowing that they still have other strengths within themselves. This is called being SECURE! Love from others, and love from yourself!

CONFIDENCE is knowing your own abilities and strengths. This can carry young people through difficult situations they may face. For example, if they've struggled at Maths, they know that they have the ability to study harder and also ask for help. This is CONFIDENCE!

These feelings of being secure and confident are necessary to support a young person as they grow and face challenges through life. It will enable them to become resilient and strong.

"WHAT DO I DO?" series Part 4

As parents, you may often feel frustrated and overwhelmed when it comes to dealing with their children. This doesn't mean you don't love your children any less, it just means that there is too much going on!

Try adding some structure and consistency - do this with your child!

Create a schedule of things to do and spend 30 mins over the weekend to slot the things you need to do into a timetable. This includes chores, play times, homework time, mummys chores time, daddys chores time, etc.