Category Archives: Psychology

Mindfullness for children

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In an article for the New York Times: Well,  David Gelles explains why mindfulness is such a powerful tool to teach your children.  

Mindfulness is a technique that encourages you to focus on the present moment in an accepting non-judgemental way, using your different senses to explore and appreciate the moment.  It is a proven way in which to decrease anxiety and promote happiness.  Gelles explains how mindfulness helps and also why early habits can already encourage the development of skills like self- regulation, judgement and patience.   He furthermore describes ways of being mindfully present in your child’s life, from infant stage through to the adolescent years, as well as why this is so important.  

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/mindfulness-for-children

Fun and Affordable Hobbies for Children

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Parent 24 has shared some lovely ideas regarding fun activities to entice little bodies to be creatively busy.  So much time is spent cooped up at home, due to lockdown and Covid safety measures, it is important to still encourage stimulating activities.  Fine and gross motor skills are practised in a fun manner and the whole family can take part in some of the hobbies.  From gardening to dancing to baking, children can learn new skills, while at the same time spend priceless time with mom, dad or siblings.  

What makes this article especially interesting is the fact that videos are attached, demonstrating and explaining origami, gardening, hip hop dancing, magic tricks, as well as yoga for kids.  

https://www.parent24.com/Child_7-12/Fun/16-fun-and-affordable-hobbies-to-try-with-your-kids-this-year-20190111

Surviving Tough Times by Building Resistance

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Everybody experiences times of sadness, anxiety and distress in their lives, but some people appear to cope better than others.  One of the factors determining how well you cope with life’s adversities, is the strength of your resilience  (your ability to adjust to and cope with negative circumstances). 

Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith have recently written an article with advice on how to strengthen resilience in ourselves.  Their tips are helpful regardless of age, background or circumstances.   Through practicing acceptance, reaching out to others, investing in self-care, finding meaning and purpose and remaining motivated, we can learn how to face hardships with more confidence, believing that we will cope until we reach brighter days again.  

In the midst of a pandemic, economic distress and lockdown regulations, stress and negativity is the order of the day.  Thank you to the authors of this article for the valuable advice on how to boost our resilience and consequently improve our mental health.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/surviving-tough-times.htm

How to strengthen Parent-child relationship

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After the last couple of months of stress and uncertainty, we wanted to share this blog post about how to reset and how to rebuild parent-child relationships. Our children are struggling and do not understand everything that is happening which is why we want to place focus on building and maintaining strong relationships within the family unit.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/tips-to-strengthen-families-617242?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons

7 Ways to help your child develop positive self esteem

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Children, with learning and attention problems, tend to find it more difficult to feel positive about themselves.  This is due to the fact that self-esteem is affected by how capable you feel.   These children have to work harder to perform academically, and they often struggle in social situations as well.  

Amanda Morin (teacher, author and early intervention specialist), shares some specific ways through which a parent can help his/ her child to develop a positive self-esteem.  She strongly encourages a growth mindset (as opposed to a fixed mindset based on negative thoughts and statements), as well as viewing mistakes as learning experiences

https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/self-esteem/7-ways-to-boost-your-childs-self-esteem