Wellbeing Support
At St Anne’s, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our children. We know that all children experience challenges which can make them feel a variety of emotions. Since returning to school, we have been working hard to promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they are important. To build on this, we will now be participating in two sessions per week, ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ and ‘Feelings Friday’. The sessions will, for example, focus on resilience and building relationships. These sessions will be fun, interactive and relaxed. They will give the children the opportunity to listen to their peers and share their feelings too.
Please find some ways to support the well-being of your child below:
Outdoor Activities
- Getting regular fresh air and exercise is key for any person’s wellbeing and can be achievable while still observing any social distancing measures.
- Growing flowers, fruit or vegetables can be very rewarding. Seeds and compost can be ordered online. Coir is excellent for compost as you can order a small amount and then expand on this by adding water.
- Sketching trees, flowers and other things outside can be a great way to get out and about - whether in your own garden or another green space.
These online resources have some great ideas on how to get children outside:
Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle. They connect people and places, create liveable neighbourhoods, transform the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. Join Patrick on YouTube for "At Home Bike Skills with Bike It Pat" No.1 , No.2 and No.3 and No.4
Furthermore, have a look at Mapping Mania!! and Outside in.
How to teach your child about the virus and explain self-isolation
Here are some resources to support you in explaining to your child what Coronavirus is and what self-isolation means:
Positive Mindset Activities
Doing yoga, colouring, breathing exercises, focused activities etc. are a really good way to distract any concerns and help you feel calm. Here are some links or ideas you may wish to try:
- Go Noodle offers a bank of movement, yoga and mindfulness videos that can be accessed at home
- You Tube offers a wealth of videos to support yoga such as Cosmic Kids Yog
- Local links on social media websites, such as pages on Facebook, can offer support:
- ELSA Coronavirus support provides free resources for teaching staff and parents to help children cope with the current viral outbreak. Furthermore, ELSA have just put together another 14 days of activities for home learning.
- Lockdown tips and ideas
- The Online Holiday Club
- Twinkl is a website that offers a lot of resources including mindfulness colouring and activity sheets. They are currently offering parents a free month subscription. To sign up go to Twinkl. Create a new account and put in the offer code CVDTWINKLHELPS
- The British Red Cross: As the UK faces a global coronavirus pandemic, things can feel a little uncertain and even overwhelming. But, during these difficult times, one thing is clear: small acts of kindness make a big difference: Power of Kindness Calendar
Ideas for adults
Focusing on your own mental health is a priority as well. This will have a significant impact on how your child feels. A lot of the resources above can support older children and adults, but here are a few more:
Podcasts – There are lots available but here are a couple of recommendations: