How to support children with their mental health by reducing screen time
Part 2
Welcome back to Part 2 of the blog. In the first part, I gave some suggestions on how to reduce screen time and some of the activities you could engage children and teens with. In this part of the blog, I’ll be delving more into some of the more targeted activities which can help with mental health, anxiety and low mood. You’ll notice once again that these suggestions do not involve screen time.
Grounding Activities
Water-based activities
Water is known for its therapeutic benefits. Most Kids and young adults have a natural thirst for adventure for any activities that incorporate water-based play, so these are usually a winner.
For me, I’m lucky enough to live near the coast so dragging the family out for a coastal stroll to blow away the cobwebs is always a natural mood enhancer, but for those who don’t have that luxury, have a look at the list below for some water-based activities. The sound of water is proven to have a calming effect so why not give it a go…
River walking - walking the length of a river bank is soothing and calming. It gives us a chance to unwind and reconnect with the great outdoors
Washing the car - (you could even bribe them with a bit of pocket money)
Pooh sticks in a local river or stream
Raft-building - build a raft as a family and see how far you can sail it
Feeding the ducks
Frog hunting
Nature hunting
Skimming stones
Rain walks -wrap up warm and get out walking in the rain, the kids love seeing grown-ups get soaked to the bone and it’s bound to provoke some laughter which will help the release of happy hormones
Kayaking - requires a little more planning but fantastic exercise and fun for all the family
Mess free water painting - why not let the kids paint the external house walls or driveway with paint brushes and water
Crabbing - we’ve had great fun crabbing whatever the weather and it always seems to be a huge hit with children
Targeting self-love
Self-love and acceptance is something we should practise with our children regularly. With social media platforms saturated with the ideal body or image it’s important to let children be children!
Love them as they are for everything they are and encourage them to be content in their own skin.
There are various activities you can do with your kids that promote self-love and acceptance and one of my favourites is asking them to write down three things they love about themselves.
Everyone in this world is unique and that’s what makes us all so special. What special qualities does your young person have?
For older children, you could encourage them to write a letter of ‘self-love’ and for slightly younger children you could make it more fun by asking them to write down their superpowers.
Targeting low mood
Low mood can be tricky to manage but there are numerous activities that can help, if you haven’t tried any of the water-based activities, then I encourage you to do so, as well as encouraging exercise and self-care. Children can benefit from self-care as well as adults. You might consider some of the following:
Helping them tidy their room - being in an uncluttered and tidy space can promote positive feelings and greater productivity.
Challenging them to drink more water - drinking more water has a detoxing effect on the body and can naturally improve mood and help with fatigue.
Fresh air - encourage lots of fresh air. Get them out in the fresh air whenever you can, you could even get them in the garden doing some star jumps - anything to get them outside in the open will lift their mood naturally and exercise will always help to wake them up and encourage them to be more productive.
Cook a rainbow
As I touched upon previously, diet has a huge impact on our mood and self-esteem.
With health authorities now recommending we eat 7 portions of fruit and veg each day, then why not cook a rainbow!
Take the youngsters to a local supermarket and let them pick a rainbow of fruit and veg. Let them get creative by making fruit faces or a rainbow omelette. Serve with a large helping of yoghurt or a scoop of ice cream if they need a bit more encouragement!
Shipwrecked SOS
If you would rather have a mental health toolkit to work through from home then why not pre order your copy of my new book Shipwrecked SOS? Launching this summer.
“Shipwrecked S.O.S - Sink or Swim - You Decide” - is a groundbreaking toolkit designed to guide children and young people through the turbulent waters of mental health challenges.
Imagine being stranded on a desolate island, lost and adrift amidst life's tempest. Within this crisis lies an opportunity for transformation, where empowerment and resilience become your compass.
Through engaging and interactive exercises, this toolkit empowers readers to navigate anxiety and depression with creativity and courage.
From identifying personal strengths to establishing emotional boundaries, each page offers a lifeline towards self-discovery and healing.
"Shipwrecked S.O.S" fills a crucial gap in the market for accessible and engaging mental health resources.
With a focus on adventure and empowerment, this toolkit is a valuable resource for schools, counsellors, and support groups seeking to guide young adventurers towards brighter horizons.
Join us on this transformative journey as we navigate towards blue skies and brighter futures together.
This book is currently in production - Download the accompanying slide deck to learn more about how "Shipwrecked S.O.S" can make a difference in the lives of children and young people.
To pre-order your copy, email sabrinahonors@gmail.com
I hope this blog has helped give you some ideas of how to support children with their mental health and reduce screen time.
I’ll be back next week with some more ideas.
Have a lovely week!
Sabrina x