Wellbeing

At this uncertain time it can become difficult to function for both parents and children due to isolation, sickness, financial stress, bereavement, anxiety, managing behaviour,   setting new routines, home schooling  and working from home. The situation may become more unsettling as the social distancing and the stay at home practises continue. The school has put together a variety of resources for all parents and pupils to support well-being. Please also refer to the PE section on the website for exercise sites to complete as a family.

Support resources and links for parents

• Well being tips for adults- provided by the Kings Health Partners South London
• Family Lives: Previously known as Parentline- this site provides advice on a variety of topics i.e. coping with stress, family life etc.
• NSPCC: Advice and tips about working at home, how to support your child with understanding the coronavirus
• Government guidance on how to support mental health at home
• Home start uk: Provides resources and tips for coping with living during covid-19
• Child Mind: an American based resource but provides videos and tips about parenting during COVID 19
• Supporting bereavement (how to support your child with loss and grief)
• How to reduce anxiety in your child
• Resources for children on "How to Look After Ourselves"

Financial Support

• Guidance for small businesses
• Guidance for self-employed
• Pay rights and finance

Child-focused resources

• Wellbeing pack - supports with understanding emotions and sharing feelings
• Handwashing story
• Coronavirus story
• My Hero is You - Story on Coronavirus available in different languages
• Wellbeing tips
• Social stories to help SEN pupils understand what coronavirus means
• The meditation shell - a story to help with feeling calm
• Children may start to show more anger, upset and frustration at this time. An emotion  scale can be used to help children regulate their feelings. All emotions are acceptable and apart of life. It’s important to think about how we manage them.  

  Ask children to think about what makes them feel this way for each number and think about ways to stop 3, 4 & 5 continue or having an impact on others I.e. count to 10, breath in and out slowly, walk away to another room, silent time alone, drawing, writing in a calm book, colouring. Decide with your child the best way.

  

Memories

As well as being a time of worry and uncertainty it is also an historic event. See below  activities for creating family memories:

• Time Capsule resources
• Use a box or a container. Write down the date and details of your isolation for example write down:

  • The date you stayed home from?

  •  How many days you stayed at home?

  •  Who you stayed at home with?

  •  Who was the prime minister?

  •  How did you stay in contact with friends and family?

  •  Which games did you play at home?

  •  List the activities you did at home

  •  Add a current newspaper or magazine

  •  Add photos of your family

  •  Write a diary entry or a letter about your experience.

• Create a family picture using handprints

ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistance

We have an ELSA team at school who have trained in supporting pupils with developing strategies for coping, conflict resolutions, showing empathy for others, building self-confidence and understanding emotions. If your child would like to access this service, please contact: elsa@vauxhallprimary.org.uk

We can provide support via email or telephone. If any information is disclosed that could cause harm, put anyone at risk or pose a threat this will be shared with the school’s senior management team who will need to follow safe guarding policy and procedures.

ELSA resources:

• A story about sharing with questions about the impact of not following the rules
• An illustration to understand grief
• ELSA support UK - wealth of free resources to help children. Lots of printable material or things to recreate at home.
• The wiggle tales for children aged 2-7. Stories around anger management, friendships and telling the truth

Other useful websites for ELSA materials:

• https://childmind.org/symptomchecker/
• https://www.zonesofregulation.com/teaching-tools.html
• https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/category/free-resources/
• https://www.elsanetwork.org/resources/free-resources/ - look at the emotions, self esteem, anger management and self esteem sections
• 5 point scale: https://www.5pointscale.com/
• Social skills games: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/specialeducationalneeds-sen/specialeducationalneeds-sen-social-emotional-and-mental-health-difficulties/sen-friendship-and-social-skills