Wellbeing and Mental Health

Worry and Anxiety

Thankyou so much to all the families that took the time in their very busy schedule to attend our recent parent session- Kids Worry.

It was an informative session which helped us make sense of what our students and children might be feeling. The facilitator shared that worry is a normal emotion and sometimes a healthy response to different situations. 

However, if concerned, as yourself the following questions.

Is my child’s worry stopping them from doing what they want?

Is the behaviour different form others?

Is my child’s worry interfering with friendships, family life and school?

Is the worry impacting their executive thinking?

Am I feeling anxious?

If you have answered yes to any of these then the first step is to contact your GP and ask for a mental health plan.

Kim Carey Assistant Principal.

PS. If you missed the workshop and want a copy of the workshop notes, just let us know.

Helping your Child with their Worries

Acknowledge your child's worry

• As tempting as it is, do not dismiss or ignore your child's worries.
• If your child appears worried about something, ask him/her about what is going on. Encourage your child to talk about their worries and put them into words.
• Just by putting their worries into words, the worried can become less powerful. Sometimes when children hear their thoughts played back, they are able to recognise how different the thoughts are from the facts or reality.
• When children feel like they are really listened to and understood they often feel better. If children feel like their parents really don't understand they may increase their worry until they feel understood.
• Provide reassurance for your child "It is unlikely that this will happen because..." This is quite different from saying, "You don't need to worry about that", which can make a child feel less understood.