It’s time to address the Mental Health of our children
The 9th May 2022 is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.
To anyone who works in education, it will be no surprise that post-lockdown surveys have highlighted the unfortunate reality that the vast majority of children have suffered physically, mentally and emotionally from Covid lockdowns and changes to their routine. One poll revealed…
86% increase in low self-esteem
76% increase in depression
68% increase in sustained feelings of anger
And now we are faced with a European War, and the largest ‘cost of living crisis’ in a generation. Primary School children might not have a complete understanding of the Ukraine crisis, but are still impacted from what they see in the media, and what they hear from adults. Parents worried about facing soaring ‘cost of living’ bills are certain to think twice about paying for activities, toys and holidays. All this can have a profound impact on the wellbeing of our children.
What can we do about this?
As Educators, we are in a prime position for tackling the mental health issues of the children in our care. Whether it be working with children who are demonstrating stress, or simply reinforcing the importance of happiness and talk, there is a need to address this subject now.
Even Primary School children can feel embarrassed and unwilling to talk about their feelings, so we have created a range of resources to help children understand Mental Health and evaluate their own Wellbeing in a way that they feel most confident.
There are 3 stages to our Mental Health and Wellbeing programme…
1. Introducing the topic:
- Playing games to help children understand different ways to describe how someone might feel.
2. Evaluating their own Mental Wellbeing:
- Options of activities to discuss their feelings in secret, in friendship groups, or as a whole class.
3. Games to reinforce happiness or tackle poor mental health:
- Activities for the whole class, small groups, or 1:1 intervention.
With Mental Health Awareness Week next week, there is no better time to try these brand new resources. We are really excited about the resources, and would love to see a positive impact on the children in your care. Please have a look at the resources, try them, and let us know what you think.
