The great outdoors can do such wonders for your child’s well-being! It stimulates their imaginations whilst not having to spend money.

Try and get into a habit of telling your child that things don’t matter from a young age. This reduces stress whilst convincing them that the little nuisances in life are not worth your precious headspace.

Set aside a small amount of ‘worry time’ per day. Although this may seem counterintuitive and that this would increase worries, it is not the case, especially when over 90% of worrying is unnecessary and offers little benefit. This technique empowers them to take back the control rather than letting the anxiety take the lead.

Before bedtime, help your child to write down 3 things that they have achieved recently, or what they love about their life- these can act as affirmations to count their blessings. You could even create a grateful jar or chart and get our child to add the things that make them happy. When they are having a down day, you can get them out and discuss- the simpler the better as they are less likely to be materialistic things.

We know good food with lots of nutrition helps keep us physically healthy, but new research finds that your food choices also affect your mood. Also known as the ‘good food mood’. This could be a new way of getting them to eat their greens.

Structure is key, even during the long breaks like lockdown and summer. It is normal for children to slide out of routine, but if you attempt for some things to stay the same such as bedtime, mealtimes and naps (most of the time) then you can’t go far wrong.

And remember, you are only trying your best,

Here’s to good mental health for all!