Almighty and ever living God, you invite us deeper into your love. May this time of Lent be one of outward focus; seeking you in those we often ignore. Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter. Give us hearts to serve you and those in need. Amen.

Mental Health Matters at Resurrection School

Mental health – infants and young children

Mental health is the emotional, social and behavioural wellbeing of any infant, child, young person or adult. All children, no matter their age, can have mental health problems. Good mental health is important for healthy development, and research tells us that recognising and addressing problems early can help improve outcomes.

Having good mental health involves:

being able to play, learn and be social with others
having healthy relationships and close bonds with family and friends
managing feelings and responses in a range of situations
being able to cope with challenges
having a positive outlook
developing and having good self-esteem.

Signs and symptoms

Mental health difficulties can occur in children of all ages, and can result in social, emotional and behavioural problems. Babies and toddlers can have mental health difficulties for similar reasons to older children and adults. They learn about emotions and how to manage them by watching and copying grown-ups who are important to them.

It can be difficult to know if your baby or young child’s behaviour is a result of a mental health problem. The following symptoms may be a sign of social or emotional concerns in a baby, toddler or young child, especially if you notice these issues being present most of the time and affecting your child’s ability to cope with day-to-day life at home, childcare, kindergarten or school.

Children (5–11 years)

Ongoing worry or anxiety that interferes with your child’s ability to go to school and to be confident with others.
Ongoing refusal to follow rules at home or school.
Attention, memory and concentration difficulties.
Difficulty making and maintaining friendships.
Obsessions or compulsions that interfere with everyday life.
Withdrawal (from activities or socialising with friends or family).
Ongoing guilt or negative feelings.
Playing in a forceful, violent or destructive way.
Bullying other children or pets.
Not sleeping well (nightmares) or having a change in their sleeping patterns (eg. more or less than usual).
Consistently not wanting to eat (food refusal).
Having toileting difficulties, including bed wetting.
Frequent physical complaints such as headaches or tummy aches.

What causes mental health problems?

The exact cause for most mental heath problems is not known. Many factors combine to affect a child’s social and emotional wellbeing, including factors from their environment and factors they inherit from their family. It’s important to remember that difficulties with mental health in children are no-one’s fault, and no-one is to blame.

Children (5–11 years)

School-age children will experience a number of changes in their social, emotional, personal and physical development. These changes can be challenging, and children this age may experience the following:

Worry about separating from you or someone familiar, especially in new situations.
Developing fears or phobias (eg. about dogs, spiders, snakes, water).
Challenging limits or boundaries you set and seeming to be defiant.
Difficulties with relationships (eg. minor clashes with their friends or siblings).

How you can help

Building resilience in children helps them to cope and recover more easily from difficult situations (eg. family breakdowns, making mistakes, bullying or a falling out with friends). Having strong positive relationships and spending time with your child is key to building resilience.

Developing the following skills from an early age can also help build resilience in your child:

Self-respect and respectful relationships with others (highlighting strengths, building self-esteem).
Optimistic thinking (realistic thinking, positive attitudes, problem solving).
Social skills (making and keeping friends, resolving conflict, cooperation with others).
Achieving or getting things done (building confidence, encouraging responsibility, knowing when to ask for help).

Most children learn to overcome challenges on their own so give them an opportunity to problem solve before you interfere. You can also try problem-solving together with your child and help them to develop coping strategies for future challenges.

When to see a doctor

Often parents don’t feel confident in seeking help for their child’s social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing. It’s important for you and your child to have support. If your child has ongoing issues socialising, controlling feelings appropriately, learning, or meeting milestones, it can be helpful to talk about your concerns with your GP, maternal child health nurse or school or kindergarten teacher.

(with thanks to The Royal Children's Hospital- Children's Health)

Mental Health in Primary Schools Program

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred for treatment, care, and support. The department has expanded the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Program in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The Mental Health in Primary Schools Program provides funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) in primary schools in Victoria. The program will be implemented across Victoria over a staged rollout between 2023 to 2026.

MHWLs are qualified teachers who work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff, and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.

This year our School received Government to employ a MHWL, Luda Zhang. Luda, myself and Danielle Rowley have attended training this week and we have an action plan for commencing work in this important area. We will keep you informed.

All the best,

Jane Dunstone

PRINCIPAL

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