Schools Return: Why children’s mental health and wellbeing is more important than ever
After an extended time away from school, with routines disrupted and time apart from friends, looking after children’s emotional and physical wellbeing will be crucial when they return in September. With children’s experiences during lockdown varying, providing an environment where children can talk openly about their experiences, feelings and learn coping methods will be crucial.
The Children’s Society recently published ‘Life on Hold’ https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/life-on-hold-childrens-well-being-and-covid-19.pdf a report focusing on the impact that COVID-19 has had on children’s lives, particularly those children already disadvantaged. The report details how even before COVID-19, life was already difficult for many children, with children’s happiness levels being at their lowest since 2009/10. COVID-19 has also had a major impact on children’s lives over the last few months and the report calls for wellbeing to be at the centre of recovery for children.
At Connect, we believe that if children can learn about the basics of psychological wellbeing in their primary years - how to talk about and manage their thoughts and feelings, from an early age - this will promote resilience, provide coping mechanisms, and help lower the risks of mental health issues later in life.
We have spent the last four years developing a new Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum for primary school children. Connect is the first wellbeing curriculum to be fully informed by psychological research. Created by a team of educational psychologists, clinical psychologists and teachers, in collaboration with world leaders in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, our curriculum is based around the ‘Six Ways to Wellbeing’ which is derived from the psychological wellbeing literature. Specifically, psychologically healthy people tend to engage in these 6 behaviours:
1) Connecting with others – this involves having healthy social relationships
2) Challenging oneself – this involves continually trying to improve via learning
3) Giving to others – this involves spending time and resources helping our fellow human beings
4) Exercising – this involves engaging in physical activity
5) Embracing the moment - this involves mindfully interacting with the present moment including our thoughts, feelings, and the world around us
6) Self-care – this involves looking after oneself, such as through healthy eating and improved sleep quality
The curriculum teaches children how to effectively manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a fun and experiential way, and gives them the skills they need to understand how to relate to others and the world around them in these ever changing times.