New school year? No fear!

Children and parents face an uncertain and anxious time as the pandemic rolls remorselessly on.  How can you help your children cope?

Learn something new
Mastery of a skill soothes anxiety.
Pick a skill beyond the curriculum – guitar, juggling, crochet – and develop fresh confidence.
For more healthy suggestions, or to overcome physical obstacles, talk to a physiotherapist.

Ensure a solid good night’s sleep
Sleep is key to a resilient, healthy brain – and boosts the immune system.
Exercise is one way to ensure a good night’s sleep; talk to a physiotherapist about what your child should be doing.

Ensure your child gets daily physical activity
Healthy children should move for at least 60 minutes a day. Exercise also reduces anxiety and depressed mood.
Playing, rough-and-tumbling with parents, sport, chasing the dog… it all counts.
For movement suggestions, talk to a physiotherapist.

Be active outside in green spaces
There’s a lot of evidence that just being ‘in nature’ helps reduce stress and anxiety. If you don’t have a garden, make plans to visit parks that are still open.
For more healthy suggestions, talk to a physiotherapist.

Do something for others
Kindness and altruism really do improve mood.
Ask your child how they’d like to be helpful and kind in safe ways: making sandwiches you could all drop off regularly at a favourite charity is one suggestion. Another is home-made lemonade for medical staff on Covid wards.
Physiotherapists might be able to help with ideas.

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