Wellbeing in Schools and Children's Health
We are fortunate to live in an era with an abundance of wellbeing information to help our children thrive. Yet at times this information is overwhelming and with the limited time we often have available, it can be stressful just to know where to start! I can help teachers and parents navigate through this plethora of wellbeing information to discover what to prioritise to help the children in their care to be their best, both physically and emotionally.
The Health and Wellbeing of our next generation is an area close to many of our hearts. The majority of parents and teachers of course want the children they lead and inspire to grow up to be happy, healthy and probably 'successful', however they define that. However, the busy world surrounding them isn't always progressing in an entirely healthy way to support these desires. Many parents and teachers find themselves exhausted and heading towards burnout or ill-health. Which poses the question around how we expect anything different for our children?
The children of today face many environmental challenges which previous generations weren't so heavily exposed to. Our children need to be aware of these social, emotional and environmental pressures around them on a daily basis and the level of control they do actually have as an individual. If they are aware of how important certain aspects of their health and wellbeing are, and to what extent the choices they make can affect their future, then they will be far better equipped to make better decisions.
A child of course simply absorbs so much from his / her daily environment, so the quality of it and how things are done on a regular basis is of paramount importance to their development. What images are the children presented with on a daily basis? How do they sit? Listen? Move? What personal life skills are they taught? Certain educational systems such as the Montessori System do consciously attend to this side of a childs' development. Many other systems unfortunately don't / can't, which can mean the children aren't getting what they need to thrive and develop to their full potential.
SERVICES
Parent and Teacher Support
Modern day parenting, particularly as an expatriate bringing up children overseas, can be highly demanding for various reasons. Work commitments of both parents, living away from family support, a strong desire to facilitate our child's development and yet also live a fulfilling and happy life ourselves too.
A supported teacher / parent is best placed to support those around them. Most parents desire happiness and excellence without the price of a ridiculous sacrifice of health or wellbeing.
Supporting Children
All ages: Individual holistic wellbeing assessments done in a child-friendly way, alongside a parent, to highlight primary areas for development / attention.
In schools or clubs:
With 5-12's: Multi-sensorial health workshops or seminars to introduce topics such as mindfulness, yogalates (blend of yoga and pilates), visualisations, massage, sleep and learning fun things about food.
Tools can be taught for the educators to continue to implement the techniques on a regular basis.
With teens: Seminars or targeted subject workshops can be of paramount importance in educating and supporting teens through these changing years. As the teenagers' attitudes and beliefs really begin to set in, these can be questioned to optimise a success mindset. The essentials of mindfulness, psychology, body image, sleep, nutrition, emotional health, hormone health and managing exam stress optimally can also be visited at a deeper level.
These seminars, workshops and programmes are designed on a bespoke basis for your school. Please use the e-mail link at the bottom of the page and I would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your ideas, needs and intentions.
3 Top Tips for parents, teachers and any family facing challenging phases:
1) Trust your instinct - parents and teachers are often right regarding the health and wellbeing needs of the children in their care.
2) Take great care of yourself and get the support YOU need; you'll then have the reserves to be the best parent you can.
So often I see exhausted parents and teachers who have put all their efforts into managing a challenging child or situation, that finally it is their health and wellbeing or that suffers considerably.
3) Teaching and showing our children that to reach out for support, well before a crisis, is a sign of strength not weakness
I offer private holistic health, life and stress reduction coaching to support teachers, parents and children passing through a challenging phase or overwhelmed by the current demands on their life or health.
More about private coaching here: http://www.sallydibden.com/coaching-1/#coaching-programmes-menu
Additional resources:
1) Heads of wellbeing are starting to be an integral part of some schools in the UK. This is a helpful read on the topic:
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/nov/03/healthy-school-head-of-wellbeing-the-answer
2) The benefits of mindfulness in schools:
3) Sharpen the saw for increased performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEnvlmCtS_w
4) Sleep and performance:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/how-sleep-affect-childrens-grades/
5) Is it the child or is it the system?
Every child is of course unique. Some children 'fit' our education systems very well, others not so much. The video below highlights some of the reasons why we are passionate about strategies to lessen the effects of the 'Gaps' of modern education. It is quite long (11 minutes) so save it for one of those quiet moments! It's definitely worth a watch if you're involved in any child who it seems doesn't quite 'fit' the system of education they are in, or equally, want to best prepare any child for the real world they live in.
Video by Ken Robinson, Education Consultant
5. Blog and more free resources:
