The Wellbeing Zone

Teachers and students had the opportunity this week to engage in activities that made them aware of their own mental health and learned strategies to take care of their mental wellbeing. 

School aged children are developing their sense of self. They are learning and practising a wide range of new and essential practical, social and emotional skills. It's important for the adults in their lives to model control and respect for others. Acknowledge their negative emotions and talk with them about strategies to deal with them. Encourage them to come up with these themselves. Praise both effort and achievement, and help them to deal with disappointment.

Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which cause distress and problems getting through the day.

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

• Conduct Disorder (CD)

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Tourette Syndrome

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

The school holidays are among us and sometimes these unstructured days and weeks can be unsettling for some of our tamariki. If your child struggles with their mental health there are ways you can support them.

Encourage them to stay connected with family and friends.

Encourage them to stay involved: volunteer work, hobbies, clubs, or sports. Involve them in decisions and responsibility at home like what to eat for dinner, and involving them in the preparation.

Encourage physical activity. Get outside in nature, play in the backyard, enjoy the many parks around Dunedin, go for a bike ride, kick a ball around...

Encourage a regular routine. For example, go to bed at the same time every night, even during the holidays, or continue to eat dinner as a family around the table. 

Encourage healthy eating habits. It's so easy to slip into bad eating habits or indulge in a few extra treats during the break, but a good balanced diet with less junk food/ lots of sugars and more vegies, fruit, whole grains and plenty of water will ensure your child has all of the vitamins and minerals to help their body and brain function well. They should know all about this from this term's PBL!

Encourage play! Devoting time to just having fun can help to recharge your young person’s battery, revitalise their social networks and reduce stress and anxiety. Kids LOVE and NEED 1:1 time with their parents too. Fifteen minutes a day, uninterrupted, without devices, will work wonders for your relationship and your child's mental health. 

Ngā hiahia ai ki te tīmatanga ā ka kite ai tātou i te mutunga. ~ You must understand the beginning if you wish to see the end.

Visit the Mental Health Awareness week website for more information.