Establishing Routines
In the first video of this academic year, Mr Antonious and Mrs Chavasse discuss the importance of establishing / resetting routines to help you and your children navigate the school week as calmly and consistently as possible.
Useful Information Sheets
Parents
Further to the conversations Mr Antonious and I have been having, I attach some WakeupWednesday information sheets, that I thought might be pertinent as we move into the holidays. With more time on their hands, many of our children will want to spend more time gaming and online.
There are so many positives to the internet and social media, such as the ability to keep in touch with people on the other side of the world in real time. There is enormous potential for creativity and self-expression, and an unlimited wealth of fascinating content that can spark our imaginations and lead us to new hobbies, activities and learning, both as individuals and as families.
However, there are also dangers that we must be aware of for ourselves, but also perhaps more importantly, for our children. The long-term impact of doom scrolling for example on our children’s attention spans and focus in their formative years, and the impact of social media on their mental health and well-being as they are bombarded with curated and unrealistic expectations about themselves and their lives.
Messaging apps pull children back to their phones at all hours, potentially impacting amongst other things their sleep and self-confidence, exposing them to social pressures, privacy risk, isolation and anxiety. There are also risks brought to their doors by powerful algorithms that control so much of what they see online, often promoting disinformation and critically taking away from our children the ability to learn how to take responsibility for themselves.
Learning to keep themselves safe online is so important but children are naturally curious and cannot be expected to naturally police themselves. When they are gaming they are exposed to the language and attitudes of much older children and adults through voice or text chat. The online environment offers players an anonymity that is open to abuse exposing children to potential harassment, bullying and worse, alongside the obvious risks of addiction and microtransactions that can lead to substantial debt.
Amongst all the good there is so much we need to be aware of, and I hope the attached sheets will help your families enjoy a very happy, balanced summer of fun.
Belinda Chavasse
Wellbeing Lead
Summer Holidays
In this final conversation of the year Mr Antonious and Mrs Chavasse talk about the summer holidays, and how to ensure that you don’t feel like a full-time children’s entertainer. Holidays are not supposed to be a great rollercoaster of pre-planned activities. They also need to involve downtime, “I’m bored” time, spontaneous time, family time, 1-1 time, time in nature, time to try something new.
Support Mental Wellbeing Through Nature
After a slightly longer break between videos than planned, Mr Antonious and I are back this week, talking about the benefits of the great outdoors and how important it is to actively plan to spend time in nature. Whatever your interests as an individual or a family, nature offers a beautiful space in which to connect, there are endless subtle learning opportunities, an abundance of ways to be active, chances to engage all your senses in noticing what is around you, and as parents, members of our communities and children there are so many incredibly rewarding ways in which we can give back.
Safe use of Technology
In this week’s conversation Mr Antonious and Mrs Chavasse discuss supporting children to use technology as safely as possible, with really insightful input from some of our year 6 children.
Fair Play and Friendly Competition
This week’s conversation is all about fair play and friendly competition. We are talking about how best to encourage our children, in all kinds of competitive situations, to present their very best selves – it’s all about the journey.
Supporting Children to Develop Emotional Resilience
In this week’s conversation Mr Antonious and Mrs Chavasse discuss supporting children to develop emotional resilience, taking a guide from the 7 Cs of Resilience.
They look at the importance of real relational connection, positive modelling for character development, coping strategies and the importance of seeing competence as being part of a journey.
Family Rules for Using Devices
In this week’s short video Mr Antonious and Mrs Chavasse discuss why we should all be, and how to go about, setting rules for devices and technology for everybody in the home. There are so many positives to technology, but there are also downsides, one of which is undoubtedly a loss of actively engaged family time. A whole family approach to when, where and for how long devices are available will help to reset that balance.
Supporting Children to Manage Conflict
In a short video, Mrs Chavasse and Mr Antonious discuss managing conflict amongst family and friends. The conversation is based on the Well-Being poster and its top ten tips. As well as incorporating suggestions from the below poster, the conversation references how we manage conflict at Warden Hill. This includes creating a safe space, soothing the children, making sure they feel seen, heard and secure enough to engage positively with unpicking and adapting behaviour. After half-term, we will have a conversation about setting family rules for devices and another about supporting emotional resilience. If you have any suggestion for further conversations please let Mrs Chavasse or Mr Antonious know.
Five Ways to Wellbeing
In a short 5-minute video, Mrs Chavasse and Mr Antonious discuss the 5 Ways to Well-Being, talking through how they incorporate them into family life.
This video is the first in a series of regular conversations between the Senior Mental Health Lead and the Well-being Lead about how best to support your family around everyday issues such as sleep, technology and managing conflict.
Alongside discussing strategies that they use at home, they will signpost useful resources and extra information such as family-friendly posters.