Guide to positive thinking

Guide to positive thinking

School life might be different to normal but keeping a positive mental attitude is still as important to our children’s health. Our Head of Boarding and Pastoral Care, Mrs Sonja Mueller, shares her tips on positive thinking and mental well-being in this COVID-19 period:

1. Stay in touch. Keep children connected with their friends outside of school. Perhaps it might mean setting up a virtual play session, or a good old-fashioned telephone call. It will make them feel like they aren’t missing out.
2. Make sure you’re taking part in physical activity. Keep to Government guidelines but get out in the garden, if the weather permits. Our fantastic PE department is also hosting daily workout sessions so join in via Instagram.
3. Listen to your children. With the current COVID-19 situation, everything is different so include your child in conversations and encourage them to discuss the topic, and how they are feeling.
4. Keep to your routine. If your child is at School, try to keep things as ‘normal’ as possible when it comes to on-line learning. There might also be time to do more things together such as reading, board games, doing a puzzle and dancing (another great form of exercise).
5. Teaching trust. If your child is older, discuss with them the various sources and types of reporting in the media. It might be a good opportunity for them to learn about where trustworthy information comes from and to discuss this with you.
6. Eat well. Even though we are in lock-down, try to keep to your usual fruit and vegetable intake and not rely on processed foods or fizzy juice. You can also get the children involved in learning about cooking and preparing food.
7. Get outside. This ties into physical activity but outdoor education is a useful and valuable skill. Read Kilgraston’s Head of Geography, Dr Phillips’ tips on entertaining children outdoors.
8. Be kind to each other. It’s a challenging time but it is also an opportunity to re-connect and help each other so try to be patient, encourage gestures to help around the house and pick up the phone and check in on elderly neighbours or loved ones.

There are just a few ideas. Please let us know how you are keeping your children safe and healthy in this time.