Did you know that October is Mental Health Month? This important event month encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. It also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of good mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed.
In Connect time this term Senior School students have been working with their Mentors to look at some of the ways they can support their mental health. Students have been encourage to make a ‘mental health promise’ that reminds students to priorities there health and wellbeing and make sure they make time to do things that they enjoy.
Students have also recommenced the House Goose Chance Challenge – each week new challenges are released for the students to complete and gain House points. Many of the challenges set for this term will encourage students to priorities their own self care, demonstrate gratitude and kindness, build connections with others as well work on their emotional and physical wellbeing.
Below are some quick tips for building better mental health in children
- Connect meaningfully with your children, have fun, play, enjoy games with them, talk and listen, be an active part of your community. Positive wording helps your kids to think and act positively, and to feel capable in a wide range of situations. They will imagine success and talk themselves through to good outcomes. Our encouraging words stay with them for life.
- Ask your kids about their interests, hobbies and things they’d like to discuss. Talk to them!
- Doing things together – don’t expect to achieve anything to your usual standard if you are bringing children along for the task ride – settle for some progress of the actual job you are doing together and mainly have fun and genuinely engage together.
- Self-care is important - if you feel good, your children will pick on that energy!
- Enjoy parenthood –time with kids is never wasted - remember they can make you feel young at heart!
- Don’t lose your sense of humour! If tension rises, try to keep perspective and see the lighter side of the situation.
- Keep it simple: family bike rides, playing, drawing, dancing, reading books, or writing together can be all that's needed in the moment. For older children, journaling and /or talking with a trusted friend or family member is important to maintain good mental wellbeing. Sharing how you feel helps to filter our thoughts and reflections; and harness our hopes, dreams, goals, and plans.
- Being in the fresh air in nature and enjoying water play can always seem to diffuse, distract and delight people of any age!
- Get outdoors on the grass, head to the park, jump in puddles, run up the beach, soak up the sand pit, visit your local swimming pool have some fun!
- Singing is just as therapeutic and satisfying as shouting to release tension and keep frustrations at bay. Next time you are impatiently waiting for your kids to listen or you want something done – give those vocal chords a stretch and try singing it out!
- Encourage kids to draw, colour, write, and get creative with crafts.
- Music and dancing fuel the soul and can help to shake out negative feelings and renew hope and optimism.
- Movement matters - support and create opportunities for exercise, sport or physical activities.
Families may like to look at some of the other resources available at https://lookafteryourmentalhealthaustralia.org.au/resources-to-share/
We understand the volume of information, health advice, opinions and views circulating from multiple sources and social media can make it difficult for families to make sense of what needs to be listened to and what should be disregarded. To assist families in managing information overload we are delighted to invite parents to a short interactive forum - Surviving and Thriving throughout 2021.
Our own Hills Grammar experts will discuss the supports in place for your child and family as the restrictions continue. The forum will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions as well as share your ideas on what has worked for you at home.
Events Details
Date | Tuesday 14 September
Time | ECEC – 4.15pm | Register Here
Junior School – 4.45pm | Register Here
Senior School – 5.30pm | Register Here
We look forward to joining you all for this online forum as we continue our partnership in supporting your children through 2021.
- A-Z Activities
- Optimising Your Child's Wellbeing
- Daily Mindfulness Journal
- Distance Learning Brain Break Choice Board
- Distance Learning Physical Movement Choice Boards
- Distance Learning Social Emotional Learning Choice Boards
- Kids Cooking Challenge
- PEEC at Home Conversation Cards
- Routines during 'the for-now normal' Sesame Street
- SEL Choice Boards
- Tips for Staying Organised
- Child's Guide to Mask Wearing
Raising children of any age is challenging at best and it can be overwhelming at times!
Here are some great parenting books we’ve compiled to give you a head start and help you navigate raising children while juggling the rollercoaster of life.
General Advice
The Art of Growing Up By John Marsden
John Marsden has spent his adult life engaging with young minds in this book he pulls together all he has learned from over forty years' experience working with and writing for children. He shares his insights into everything - from the role of schools and the importance of education, to problem parents and problem children, and the conundrum of what it means to grow up and be 'happy' in the 21st century.
10 Things Every Parent Needs to Know By Dr Justin Coulson
Parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson shares the ten things every parent needs to know to raise their children in positive ways. They are also ways to make parenting easier for you - so you don't have to keep 'making it up as you go along'.
The Father Hood: Inspiration for the new dad generation By Luke Benedictus, Andrew McUtchen, Jeremy Macvean
This book celebrates the growing tribe of hands-on dads who are discovering that becoming a father is the greatest opportunity a man can have to be better than he's ever been before; stronger, wiser and more compassionate. The Father Hood is the guide to helping modern dads thrive and survive in the only job that really counts.
Teenagers
They'll Be Okay: 15 Conversations to Help Your Child Through Troubled Times By Collett Smart
Teens and tweens are struggling with social media, relationships, and so much of what modern life is throwing at them. It's impossible for parents to be experts on every challenge their child is facing. This book is for parents of young people who want to keep their children safe, whole and happy.
Surviving Adolescents 2.0 By Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
This book contains all the thorny issues that confront families with teenagers, such as technology, social media, risky behaviours, school and study problems, and much more.
Teen Brain By David Gillespie
This book sets out clear, reasonable and effective rules to help you confidently manage your kids' use of screens at this critical point in their lives.
So ... You're Having a Teenager: An A-Z of adolescence from argumentative to zits By Sarah Macdonald, Cathy Wilcox
This book is a straight-talking, not entirely sarcastic, informative guide to what for many parents are the most challenging - but interesting and exciting - years.
Wellbeing
Anxious Kids: How children can turn their anxiety into resilience By Michael Grose and Jodi Richardson
Anxious Kids offers parents a new perspective on their children’s anxiety, encouraging them to view each episode as an opportunity to empower their kids with the skills to manage anxiety, and thrive.
Everyday Resilience By Michelle Mitchell
In this book, Michelle shows every family how they can cultivate resilience in their children or adolescents by focussing on 7 key traits – courage, gratitude, empathy, self-awareness, responsibility, self-care and contribution.
Raising children means facing new and unexpected situations on an almost daily basis. As our children grow, their needs, wants, and behaviors change so fast, it can be how to deal with certain situations.
Listening and learning from parenting experts or more experienced parents is a good strategy that can assist us to feel less alone and unsure of what is best for our children.
From child psychologists to mums-of-many to new dads doing deep dive discussions, here are 17 insightful and relatable parenting podcasts try listening to them, during your morning walk or run, or even while doing household chores. No matter where you are on your parenting journey, there’s a podcast for you.
Australian Podcasts
- Babytalk (ABC) - babies don't come with instruction manuals but that just means that there's a lot to learn. This podcast will share insights and offer advice about living with your baby.
- DadPod with Charlie Clausen and Osher Günsberg - DadPod is a weekly podcast documenting the new dad adventures of Charlie Clausen and Australian TV host, Osher Günsberg.
- Everyday Motherhood- grab your pile of laundry and listen to this podcast for advice on how to care for yourself while mothering and walk away with a play idea to connect with your kids.
- Happy Families - the Happy Families podcast with Dr Justin Coulson is for parents who want all the answers but don’t have any time. Each short, easily digestible episode sees Dr Justin address a specific topic, offer his expert advice and provide simple strategies to make families happier.
- Parental As Anything (ABC) - join one of Australia’s favourite parenting authors and educators Maggie Dent to get tips and answers to your real-world parenting dilemmas.
- Spot Family Podcast- if you have a family, are a teacher, health professional or are even remotely interested in child development, health, or learning, this is the podcast for you. Cutting through the snake oil with deep dives into the science behind supporting you and your child.
- The Art of Decluttering - this weekly podcast shares tips and tricks for decluttering and organising your home. The hosts help take control of the clutter and reclaim your home as a peaceful retreat where you can relax and regroup and raise your family.
- The Modern Mommy Doc Podcast - this Podcast helps mums say "no" to unrealistic expectations for a balanced life, and say "yes" to what really matters.
International Podcasts
- Child of the Redwoods: Montessori Parenting - Join Aubrey, a Montessorian and mum of two, as she discusses parenting, homeschooling, and the magic of childhood.
- Little Sprigs - on this podcast, you'll find a mix of interviews and recordings focusing on early childhood education, communication and mindfulness.
- Mom and Dad Are Fighting - Jamilah Lemieux and Dan Kois share their triumphs and failures while offering advice on parenting kids from toddler to teens.
- Spawned Parenting Podcast - Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase are parents to six kids between them. They and their guests offer candid parenting culture discussions, non-judgemental tips, and a good dose of humour.
- The Modern Dads Podcast - the stories of modern dads; men who are not only involved in their children’s lives, but active and engaged in the decisions, the drudgery, the pain, and the joys of parenthood. Each episode discusses the issues modern dads face as they try to navigate work, parenthood, relationships, and play.
- The Mom Hour- co-hosts Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers have eight kids between them, little to grown. This weekly podcast offers practical tips and encouragement for mums who want to enjoy motherhood more, and cut back on comparison, worry, and stress.
- The One in a Million Baby
- - this podcast by New Zealander Tessa Prebble tells the stories of the children and their parents who find themselves in that one-in-a-thousand, or one-in-ten-thousand, or even one-in-a-million position of having a child with special needs and how they’ve come to cope.
- Turning This Car Around - a highly relatable, long-running podcast about parenthood hosted three dads: Lex Friedman, John Moltz and Jon Armstrong.
- Unruffled - each episode addresses a reader's parenting issue through the lens of host, Janet Lansbury's respectful parenting philosophy. Janet is a respected parenting adviser, author, and consultant whose work informs, inspires, and supports caregivers of infants and toddlers across the globe to create relationships of respect, trust, and love.
If all sense of routine has gone out the door at the moment at home, you’re not alone. There’s no question: COVID-19 has resulted in huge changes to our daily life. These changes might mean that usual routines such as school and work look dramatically different.
It can be tricky to know how to adapt and keep things running in the household and stick to a daily routine. Your family routines and rituals will become really important at this time when some parts of your life are disrupted (e.g. school, uni, work).
Having some consistency in your day will help to ensure you are achieving a balance
Some examples of things to remember to try to include in your families routine each day could be:
- waking up at the same time every day
- eating regular meals together as a family
- going to bed at the same time
- doing some form of exercise every day
- reaching out to a friend and family
Below are some resources that may assist families in creating some structure to their week and ensuring there is balance.
Daily Routines for Your Family
Top Tips for Distance Learning
The below resource has been produced by the E-safety Commissioner to guide families in assisting their children to avoid online risks. The guide covers key online safety issues for young people and includes a range of practical tips and advice on what to do if things go wrong. It covers common online safety issues like managing time online, using parent controls and settings and responding to issues like cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and contact from strangers. Additional resources are also available at the safety website.
Self-care is often the first thing that gets sacrificed when life is busy and stressful, and people often think that taking time for themselves seems indulgent. But looking after your own wellbeing will help you get through this challenging time, and will help you to better care for others.
Amidst the confusion and constant stream of information due to COVID-19, a self-care plan can help you focus, make decisions and stay healthy.
“Please put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others!” Many of us have heard this important rule on flight safety recordings but it’s a useful phrase to remind us about the importance of self-care – if you don’t look after yourself first, you won’t be able to help yourself or others.
What is self-care?
Self-care refers to the activities and practices that we deliberately choose to engage in on a regular basis to maintain and enhance our health and wellbeing.
- Self-care helps to prevent stress and anxiety.
By incorporating self-care activities into your regular routine, like going for a walk or socializing with friends, you give your body and mind time to rest, reset, and rejuvenate, so you can avoid or reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety.
- Self-care makes you more effective.
When you take time for yourself and give your body the food, rest, and activity it needs, you will actually have more energy to meet the demands of daily life – however unusual they might be. Bringing more balance to your daily routine will help you be more productive and more resilient to stressors.
Below are some resources that may assist families in developing some regular self-care practices:
Importance of self care planning - covid19 mental health and wellbeing
Supporting your own emotional wellbeing through mindfulness
Using Gratitude to reduce anxiety and improve self-care:
Gratitude is about flipping our thinking to focus in on the positive aspects of our lives. It is a way of training our brains to focus on the many amazing things in our lives. Gratitude practices are a great way to help us cope with day to day challenges and are even more important in times like these. Some benefits to developing daily gratitude are:
- improved sleep quality
- improved emotional regulation
- increased feelings of happiness and positive mood
- fostering hope for the future
- reduction of stress, burnout, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
To assist with this, here is a free resource from Big Life Journal which is a 21 gratitude challenge that your family could try out. Each day has a new aspect to focus on where each family member contributes an idea to the topic of the day. Then colour in each day a different colour so that by the end of the 21 days it is a rainbow of gratitude.
21 Day Family Gratitude Challenge
With rapidly changing information, and social distancing and the near-constant exposure to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s ok if you feel uneasy or not yourself right now – and chances are you’re not the only one feeling this way.
Below are a number of resources that may assist in supporting family wellbeing.
I'm Struggling, What Can I Do?
Tips For Families Supporting Young People During COVID
Smiling Mind - Digital Care Packs to Support Kids Through Covid and Beyond
Smiling Minds have realised digital care packs for families. The care packs provide tips and guidance on how to build positive mental health in children, and offer a range of simple, evidence-based activities that can be used with children aged five to 12 years to provide immediate relief against worry and anxiety, or used to support a proactive positive mental health approach.
Each pack explores related topics and contains downloadable activities for children.
Being stuck at home isn't ideal, but here are ways to make dealing with lockdown just a little bit more fun for the whole family.
Positive Psychology Conversation Cards
These printable conversation cards are designed for students of all ages and also adults. Simply use them all as a way to stimulate conversation with your family at home, or even your colleagues at work.
The Australian Childhood Foundation - A-Z Activities for Pre-schoolers - Teens
An A to Z of connecting activities for families to share at home
Kids Cooking Challenge
Helping in the kitchen builds confidence and encourages independence, plus it’s a valuable contribution to the family. Children also learn important cooking and safety skills as well as have the opportunity to try new foods.
30 Days of Lego Play
The 30 Days of LEGO Play calendar is a great way to really challenge kids (or yourself) to create something new with their LEGO bricks!
Isolation and disconnection can be really challenging for many people and learning some ways to cope are essential at any time. Coping skills are the supports and strategies that help children and young adults manage tough emotions and deal with stress. For kids and young adults who are still learning how to manage their emotions, learning these coping strategies is extra important. If we want kids and teens to use healthy coping strategies, we have to teach them how. Why is everyone wearing a mask? is a helpgul tool for explaining the practice of mask wearing to younger children.
Practicing coping skills is essential. Research shows that just teaching these strategies once isn’t enough. In order for learners to effectively use these skills and tools to calm down when they are upset, they need to commit them to memory. This comes with practice.
With that in mind, here are some activities to teach and practice coping skills. Choose a few that you think will work for your learners and give them a try. Some are good for any age, whereas others are more appropriate for older kids. I wanted to find some resources that perhaps were a bit different from the usual journaling, mindful colouring etc. All of these are super helpful, but here are a few more for your toolkit.
These activities are also great face to face and I have often found that establishing routines with my classes is extremely helpful.
1. Start with a Mindful Morning
Set a morning routine with the steps on poster “Mindful Morning”. This could be used in Land as a quick way to centre kids (and you!) and could also be used at any time during the day for a quick reset.
2. Make a Coping Strategies List or Menu
Help kids and young adults understand their options for coping skills with a menu. See the Coping strategies files or for older kids there is even a 30 day challenge. I hope we don’t need that long for this lock down, but let’s be optimistic and say that this is great for even when we are not bunkering down.
3. Watch Wildlife
Spend time outside (or just peek out the window) to observe the beauty of wildlife. Watching wildlife can reduce stress, improve focus, and promote feelings of calm. Cloud watching is also great. If kids have no access to looking at wildlife or simply want a change, both the Taronga Zoo and San Diego Zoos have Live Cam on their websites. A little tip though, the koalas are really boring. A bit like watching paint dry.
4. Do a Daily Emotions Check-In
This is really important to do every day and frequently during the day and is a great thing to build into classrooms. Checking in with your own emotions is a critical way to manage emotions. See the resource attached and think about how this could be incorporated into the day.
5. Build Something
Use blocks, Legos, or any other tool to build something. Kids and teens can create freely, or build something based on how they are feeling.
6. Use Brainteasers or Riddles
Brainteasers and riddles encourage us to think outside the box and challenge our minds. This can be a healthy brain break to reduce stress and refocus the brain in a positive way.
7. Laugh at Jokes
Laughing helps trigger the release of endorphins in the brain, sending out feel-good vibes and reducing stress. Attached are some resources but kids could find their own to contribute.
8. Take Photos
Photography is an engaging hobby, but also a healthy coping skill that people of all ages can try. Use a camera or just a phone to take some interesting pictures of normal objects around you. Just by stopping and thinking about objects around, you are actually practicing mindfulness at the same time.
Thank you to the families that took part in the recent Cocurricular and Wellbeing Distance Learning Survey. The information received has provided us with some useful data on ways that we can continue to support our students and also families at the moment.
Students in Years 7-11 have also completed a Wellbeing Survey as part of their Connect sessions this week. The student feedback will be reviewed by the Wellbeing Team and when students have raised concerns, the Heads of House will follow up with the student and their family to see what additional support can be provided
The continued increase in Coronavirus cases and lockdown can leave some of us feeling unsettled. And for our children and teens the impact can be just as confounding.
Whilst children can show great resilience and strength, the ability for some children to cope with these challenges has gone backwards.
Some have struggled to re-establish friendships in the online environment or are finding it hard without face to face cocurricular activities to engage and keep them active. Excursions, House meetings, assemblies and cocurricular Sport – these activities helped connect students. At the moment, many are unable to take place in their regular format.
We know many children and teens have felt a sense of grief and great disappointment. For some parents, these feelings can also be difficult. And the unknown of what might be ahead plays on minds and hearts as well.
Overall we've found that students are managing extremely well - they are resilient and continue to see the good in what can sometimes feel like a bad situation.
However, we do know that some children may bottle up their feelings, and hide their anxiety or upset. As carers, parents and educators we can all work together to keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs that your child might be struggling.
Some tips and things to look out for that may indicate that your child is struggling include:
- Trust your instincts! You have lived with your child for a long time and you are in the best position to notice any significant and ongoing shifts in their behaviour. Things to be on the lookout for include changes in sleep routine, exercise, diet/nutrition and social connections.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Learn to talk with your child in an age appropriate manner. This may mean you need to engage in the activities they enjoy.
According to Reachout.com if your child is struggling it’s important to talk to them and check in. They give the following tips to start a conversation.
- Pick a time when you’re not rushed and a place where your teen feels comfortable.
- Be honest with them if you feel a bit awkward talking to them about mental health.
- Tune into their feelings. Ask them how they’re feeling, and then really listen to them. Don’t rush to fill silences or to offer solutions.
- Don’t dismiss or downplay their feelings, even if hearing about them makes you uncomfortable. Mental health difficulties can happen at any age.
For further help visit Reachout.com, Beyond Blue or the Kids Helpline or please feel free to get in touch with a member of the School’s Wellbeing Team.
Finding a way to balance learning and social interactions during distance learning can prove challenging for many students. Senior School students have been maintaining their social connections with their peers during Connect time which is held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week after lunch. Connect time provides an opportunity for students to engage in social conversation and activities with their Mentor and their Connect group peers.
All Senior School Students have also been involved in the Goose Chase challenge. The challenge is based on scavenger hunt style activities which include a range of physical and games based missions. Students should have downloaded the Goose Chase app and should be working their way through completing this weeks missions. New missions will be released each week and aims to provide some variety for students and some important screen free time which not only benefits their physical health and mental health, but they also allow student to represent their House, contributing to scoring points for their Connect group and building a sense of community and belonging.
Should your child not have yet signed up for their House Goose Chase challenge, please encourage them to see their 'House Team' or 'Year 12 Team' page for all the details. Or please feel free to get in touch with your child's Head of House.
Supporting Your Teen
For parents of Senior School students, this Reachout resource may assist you to gauge how they are coping with life at the moment. Please feel free to make contact with your child's Mentor or Head of House should you feel that they are in need of some additional support at the moment.
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