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The importance of Managing Children’s Mental Health

Mental Health

Managing Children’s Mental Health

The poor state of children’s mental health is constantly being flagged up in education circles. The stresses and strains that pupils are under these days are quite overwhelming, and it is beginning to show quite alarmingly. As with any other educational problem that arises, schools are now attempting to boost pupils mental health using a range of strategies.

Research, carried out by the Department for Education, looked at the approaches schools are currently or have recently used to promote pupil wellbeing, resilience and engagement in learning.  In the course of the study, it identified more than 60 different types of interventions that schools were using. These included mindfulness, gardening, musical activities, yoga and other relaxation activities. Unfortunately, the study concluded that: “Overall, the evidence of effectiveness is patchy, often being based on anecdotal feedback.”

How worrying is that! In an age, when our children need more help than ever, we cannot say for definite that we have strategies we can call upon that we know will work.

Our children are constantly either being tested or are being prepared for tests! They are taking GCSEs earlier and earlier, and grades for admittance into universities are getting higher and higher.

In the good old days, lower sixth, as it was called, was a time to sit back and enjoy yourself; go to parties and be with friends. It was a relaxing time after sitting your O’levels. Now it’s AS level exams. There is no time to relax and unwind. No wonder our students need a year out before going off to Uni. Can you really blame them?

So what do we, as parents need to do? Well in my humble opinion, to need to teach them about work/life balance. Of course, we need to nurture their thirst for knowledge through visits to castles, museums etc. But we also need to ensure that our children have downtime – a time to play – can you remember what that is? A time to run around with friends, breath in the fresh air, splash around in a stream and just be. Go on, have a day this weekend where you all just play, have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

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