Support for Families

Helping children to come back to school 

 

Sharing worries: discuss the positive and negative things that have happened during the day. Together as a family can help to validate and normalise feelings.                                                                                                                                                                                       

Spending time together: to list worries and work through them one at a time enables us to organise thoughts and feel more in control.

 

Share ideas: Allowing your child to share 'their idea's' on what will help them, will make success more likely and build their independence.

 

 

 

Worse case scenario: Making a 'worse case scenario' plan together can help everyone to  acknowledge challenges and feel supported with how to face them.   

 

Heard and Valued: Work together with the education setting to make a plan for going back, trying to put some of the child's suggestions into place so that they feel 'heard and valued'.

 

Helping Children to Self-Regulate 

                                                                                                                            

 

 

 

Mindfulness:  Practising mindful activities have been shown to help us feel calmer, find focus, accept kindness and to let go of worries.

 

Physical Health:  Being activate, eating a nutritious diet and getting good sleep helps us to have more energy and feel more in control to manage big feelings.   

                                                                                                              

Breathing:  Controlling our breathing can have a positive impact on how the rest of our body feels.

 

Grounding:  Take five minutes in the day to notice:  What we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste.

 

The Outdoors:  Spend time outside every day. Use the grounding techniques to connect ourselves with nature.

 

 

 

Helping children to get a better nights sleep

 

Conditions in the morning: At night where your child sleeps should be comfortable, quiet and dark. This sends sleep signals to your brain to wind down. In the morning open the curtains to help your child feel awake. 

 

Routine: Encourage your child to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, aiming for 9-11 hours. 

 

Relaxing: Good quality means falling asleep quickly,  staying asleep and feeling less stress and higher energy the next day. Help your child relax by practising together tensing and relaxing your muscles  from toes to head.

 

Big Feelings: At night-time are common and sometimes wake children up. However, if worries are affecting your child's sleep, writing them down and putting them in a jar to talk about during the day can be therapeutic...

 

Cooling: By keeping our bodies cool sends sleep signals to our brain. Try having a warm short shower or bath before bed and keeping the bedroom below 18°C.

 

 

 

Social Media Scrolling: Using your mobile or gaming in bed are habits to break, as the blue light and stimulating activity makes your sleep later, shorter and more disrupted.

Caffine: Limit any stimulating substances like coffee and energy drinks or bars and especially in the afternoons and evenings.

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting parents in children's challenging behaviour

Acknowledging... behaviour is communication. What might be happening for our children that they do not have the words for yet?

Noticing... our own feelings and levels of stress, can have a positive de-escalating effect for ourselves and our children.

Science... tells us that, at times of big feelings, we need to Find Calm in a way that works for us and child before we can safely explore what is behind the behaviour.

When we use a playful approach with curiosity acceptance and empathy, we increase our connection with our children.

Showing our child unconditional gestures of love such as doing something together or cooking a favourite meal, reminds them that they are always loved and that we are reaching out with no judgement or blame.

FREE (with access code: WOLSEY at: www.inourplace.co.uk) for residents in our area. There are courses for parents, carers and grandparents about children from bump to 19+ years.

 

Supporting parents to answer anxious questions

Taking a minute... for co-regulation will help you both feel calm: to put you in a better place to find answers to their questions.

Be Curious... It's okay to explore deeper to develop understanding. This can help you find ways to problem solve together.

Time to Talk... Setting aside time to check in and talk about feelings can reduce worries building up.

Facts not Fiction... Being open and honest will reduce your child needing to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions and catastrophising.

Aim to accept your child's questions, feelings or thoughts. Validate how they feel to show that you have heard them.