Helping Children to Express Themselves
By Ann Johnson
This week is ‘Children’s Mental Health Week’ and with many children concerned over the future due to the impact of COVID-19 and feeling some of the limitations of home schooling, it might be a good time to stop and think about the mental well-being of children.
This year’s theme is Express Yourself – which to me gives absolute permission to be creative.
Place2Be launched the first ever Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015 to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. Now in it’s seventh year they hope to encourage more people than ever to get involved and spread the word.
So, how about dressing up warm and taking a stroll in the great outdoors and finding things to craft with. Twigs make great crafting tools along with bits of bark and evergreen. All of which can help children relate to and express themselves through nature.
You could also encourage children to take photographs along their walk and experiment with capturing great images. They could learn how to frame them as an image and use filters when they get back inside- truly expressing themselves through the lens.
If it’s too cold to go out, then grab a pad, pencil and brushes and draw or paint what you see out of your window to capture wonderful winter scenes in a creative way.
Letting children be creative can of course improve mental well-being but additionally in letting them express themselves through creativity could also start a conversation to understand how they are feeling. Whether they paint the bright flower, capture the moody scene or gather only the brown and black in nature can provide a chance to ask why they chose to draw, paint or collect what they did.
Cookery can also be creative and it’s always fun to eat. Involve them in the cooking process and make this a dedicated time to chat to the child as you cook and then eat together.
But we all know that it’s not just children facing mental health challenges at the moment. We all need look after ourselves so it could help to get in touch with your own inner child and express yourself through craft, cooking or nature.
So try drawing, photography, planting seeds, flower arranging or anything you find stimulating, inspirational and perhaps personal to you. Try that activity you have always promised yourself you would explore, pick up again or have a go at.
To find out more about Children’s Mental Health Week, ideal and resources go to: www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/parents-and-carers/
“As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health. Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself”