Student Wellbeing
Supporting Your Child's Emotional Wellbeing
A child’s social and emotional wellbeing is a vital part of their overall health, development and wellbeing. As parents, you play an important role in helping your children develop their social and emotional skills and understandings. You can teach and model the kinds of skills, attitudes and behaviours your children need to master, plus you can be important support for the social and emotional learning that happens at school. Here are some general tips for supporting your kids’ mental wellbeing.
- Schedule emotional check-ins. During times of change and stress it is a good idea to check-in with your kids and see how they are coping each day. You could try having days of the week on the fridge and getting the kids to draw an emoji for how they are feeling. This is good way to monitor them over time.
- Help them explore and express emotions – Read stories or watch videos or TV shows and discuss the characters emotions. Talk about how what they might be feeling and how they respond to these emotions.
- Practise gratitude – Take time to chat with your kids each day, or before bed and encourage them to reflect on what they’re grateful for or what went well today. Doing this regularly has been proven in research to increase happiness and foster both physical and mental health. So makes sure you do it too.
- Make sure kids get ample sleep – Don’t let being at home disrupt their sleep patterns. Primary school kids need 10-12 hours per day. Try to keep clear and consistent routines including no screen time one hour before bed, a ‘wind-down’ routine before bed, such as quiet reading or story time before lights out.
If your children are struggling, they can call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or Youth Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
STAYING SAFE FROM MOSQUITOS
Recent wet and warm weather has increased mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes can carry diseases that may be passed on to people through mosquito bites. A range of mosquito-borne diseases have recently been detected in mosquitoes in northern Victoria. Mosquito-borne diseases can cause serious illness, including infections of the brain, with children particularly at risk.
The best way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid mosquito bites.
In line with community health advice , families can protect against mosquito bites by:
· using insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET on all exposed skin if outdoors when mosquitoes are observed, from October to March
· wearing long, loose-fitting clothing outdoors if possible if mosquitoes are around and covering exposed skin as much as possible. Summer school uniforms, including polos and shorts, can continue to be worn, but students should use insect repellent on exposed skin if mosquitoes are active
· limiting outdoor activity when mosquitoes are active.
Further information
· A handy guide to help protect you and your family from mosquito-borne disease
· Better Health Channel information about preventing mosquito-borne diseases.
Happy, Healthy Kids PARENT COURSE
Acclaimed Social and Emotional Teacher Educator, Louise Middleton, director of Happy Healthy Kids, has released a brand-new Parent Social-Emotional Learning Program aimed at helping parents support their child who may be experiencing symptoms of stress, worries or anxiety, or for children who may just need help boosting their resilience and coping strategies.
See the brochure below for details:
To read article about Tips for Helping Your Child Settle into the School Year
click the link below
I hope your child's first few weeks of settling in have been full of excitement and anticipation for the year ahead!
Warm Regards,
Jenny Todd
jennyt@sjsorrento.catholic.edu.au
(Student Wellbeing Leader)