Mental Health & Wellbeing Student/Parent Support 

RAISING HEALTHY MINDS APP

In 2021, research 

into parenting support for the health and wellbeing of their children has revealed what many are already aware of – that educators are one of the first ports of call for parents looking for parenting advice.

That’s why the Raising Healthy Minds app has been developed as an evidence-based pocket-resource for parents and carers. It is also a valuable tool that teachers can recommend to parents who have questions about their child’s social and emotional wellbeing. Its aim is to reinforce a positive approach to parenting and offers ways to help parents navigate emotions and behaviours in children aged 0-12 years.

The free app, developed by the Raising Children Network and funded by the Federal Government, allows users to input questions they have about a child’s social or emotional development and find easy-to-understand information and helpful tips for families.

Raising Children Network Director, Mr Derek McCormack, said the app could help educators begin conversations with parents and their children about topics such as neurodiversity.

“The Raising Healthy Mind app’s content on neurodiversity contains positive, accessible information. This is complemented by articles covering topics including how to help autistic children understand and respond to emotions, and ways to support the emotional wellbeing of a child with a learning difficulty or ADHD,” said Mr McCormack.

The app explains how ‘just like the planet needs a diversity of plants and animals to survive, society needs neurodiversity to thrive’. In addition, it offers a mix of quick-read articles, videos and animations and highlights when additional professional support might be needed. This includes guidance for parents on how to respond to behaviour, for example, articles on how to help children calm down and understand anger, as well as videos on navigating tantrums and strong emotions.

“Co-designed with experts and parents, the app aims to improve child mental health and wellbeing outcomes, with practical advice to help parents raise confident, resilient children,” Mr McCormack concluded.

Raising Healthy Minds is free to download from Google Play or the App Store.

STRATEGIES TO HELP ENSURE YOUR CHILD IS CYBERSAFE

The internet provides an opportunity for children to interact and learn on a global scale and can be a wonderful learning tool. However, the internet also offers strangers a direct link to your home and your child’s life. The danger of this cannot be underestimated. It is imperative, that you educate yourself and your family about the potential risks of the internet, and know what to do when faced with these challenges. 

Some simple strategies can be implemented, including setting rules for usage and regular supervision to ensure the rules are being obeyed.

1. Have the computer set up in a family area so you can observe what your child is viewing.
2. Set time limits and identify suitable age-appropriate sites your child can visit. Write these sites down, so you and your child are clear on which websites they can visit. 
3. Encourage your child to use an anonymous online name that is not gender-specific. 
4. Ensure your child understands they are not to share their home address with anyone over the internet. 
5. Be vigilant about your child using a webcam. Discuss with them the appropriate use and ensure supervision. 
6. Have a family rule that all mobile phones will be placed in a public area after a particular time at night; there is no reason for children to have phones or technology in their bedrooms.
7. Discourage the use of headphones for private conversations. 
8. Teach your child not to open emails or messages from unknown sources. 
9. Be your child’s friend on social media sites, if you allow your child to use these Apps. 
10. Encourage your child to talk with you if they encounter any inappropriate or disturbing content that makes them feel unsafe. For example, they view pornography, horror or extreme violence. 
11. Have your computer password-protected, with each child set up as an individual user, and you as the Administrator. This will allow you to monitor the sites visited and restrict site accessibility, according to age. 
12. Conduct a Google search on your child’s name. This will show you any website links connected to your child. Often you see what other people are saying about them, or photos that have been taken of them and uploaded to social media sites. 
13. Be aware of the mobile phone Apps your child is using. There are some Apps called ‘Vault Apps’ which allow you to hide information and pictures so no one can see them. These Apps can be disguised as a calculator, etc., to avoid raising any suspicion. 
14. Have an open discussion with your child about Private Pictures and Private Movies (pornography). 
15. Be your child’s search engine. Encourage them to come to you if they have questions or are curious about something, rather than Googling it. 
16. Talk to your child about strangers online. Children need to understand that strangers online may not always be who they claim to be. 
17. Have your child enter into a Cyber Agreement, such as the sample on the next page.
18. Talk to your child about online strangers or tricky people.
19. Discuss with the child about grooming behaviours. Grooming is when someone befriends a child to gain their trust to take advantage of a child.

Ensure your child understands the agreement applies to all internet access! 

For further information visit www.esafety.gov.au or www.thinkuknow.org.au 

ASSESSING YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH 

https://www.thinkmentalhealthwa.com.au/mental-health-self-assessment-checklist/

SMILING MINDS - THE RESILIENT FAMILY PROGRAM

Supporting kids to build resilience and well-being through learning, practising and developing emotional regulation, coping strategies and social skills. The program fosters Children’s social connections and provides parents with the tools to help build a resilient family.

Watch video here

HEIDI ROGERS

I've had the opportunity to work with a LOT of young people during my career, particularly those who I like to call 'S.P.I.C.Y.' kids. They're sometimes described as 'strong-willed', 'challenging', neurodiverse, on the autism spectrum, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder... or simply kids who are 'differently wired'...But they all have one thing in common: Their parents ALL tell me the SAME thing. It's always along the lines of:"For some reason, those 'positive parenting' techniques that everyone else seems to love… just don't work with our child. “Whenever we try to use a positive parenting strategy, it seems to make things worse: the meltdown lasts longer or the rage is more explosive."What am I doing wrong? Or is it my child? What is wrong with them?” So what are we supposed to do when these gentle parenting approaches don't work... but actually make things worse?!

🤔  Hope something will magically change one day as they get older and “grow out of” their ragey emotions?🤔  Buy yet another parenting book or listen to yet another parenting podcast, trying to find a solution for a challenging child that no professional seems to understand?🤔  ... resign ourselves to a miserable parenting experience? Does any of that sound familiar? You're not alone. In fact, there are a lot of us out here (🙋🏼‍♀️hello!) who felt exactly the same before we learned more about WHY these kids are this way, AND applied a new philosophy to guide our interactions with them.

What do I need to do?

Register for the FREE Parenting R.E.S.E.T. training and you'll uncover this powerful alternative approach to parenting challenging children. It's something I've seen work with thousands of families around the world - online and in private practice. This training condenses my 20 years of experience working with SPICY kids and their families into less than an hour (an hour that will forever improve your parenting experience!).

The training is full of solutions for parents who are sick of: 🔥Violent meltdowns over simple events that leave you ashamed and embarrassed about your child’s behaviour.🔥Planning outings around your SPICY child's meltdowns (and knowing you're probably going home early... again).🔥Fighting over their constant demands for screen time, tablets and tech.🔥Feeling like you don’t have the tools to calm your child down (whether they're a toddler or a teen...).🔥Constant feelings of shame and worrying that you’re ‘messing up’ your kids for life.🔥Endless sibling fighting, bickering, disrespect (and yelling at your kids for arguing).🔥Losing control of your own emotions and finding it hard to stay calm.🔥Feeling like something must be wrong with your child because they argue so much, just don’t listen and have ragey meltdowns that can scare you.So if any of that sounds familiar, then ... hooray for us!  Why hooray?! Because you can finally stop looking for a person who ‘gets’ your challenging child... the solution is right here! 🙋🏼‍♀️ (I have one of these kids myself!) 🥳 When you're ready to take that first step to understanding your SPICY child more - and yelling less - tap here to save your seat on the FREE Parenting R.E.S.E.T. training!

See you there 😊Heidi