Gill Ward Play Therapy

21/01/2025

🌟 Children and Technology: Tips for Parents 🌟

Technology plays a big role in our lives, and it's essential to guide our children through it with care and intention. If your kids received a device for Christmas, here are some helpful tips for creating a positive relationship with tech:

📚 Learn together - explore educational apps, online courses, and interactive platforms with your child. Shared learning experiences spark curiosity and create a lasting passion for knowledge.

🌐 Digital etiquette - teach your child the importance of kindness, respect, and empathy online. Encourage them to think about how their actions may impact others and model positive behaviour.

⏰ Mindful screen time - join in with viewing or playing online. Guide them towards valuable content while strengthening your bond and supporting their growth. Check the child-friendly settings before allowing them a new application.

🚫📱Tech-free zones - set aside spaces for screen-free moments like during meals or bedtime stories. These moments foster genuine conversations and help everyone disconnect from the digital world, allowing for quality time and deeper connections.

🎨Creative connections - encourage your child’s creativity through educational apps, coding games, and digital art tools. Let them explore their passions while ensuring everything is age-appropriate and aligned with their interests.

⚖️ Tech-time balance - make time for activities that don’t involve screens. Whether it's walking, crafting, or playing outside, these tech-free experiences strengthen your relationship and create lasting memories.

Through responsible tech, we can help our children navigate the digital world in a positive way 📱

For more resources, visit us at: nessieined.com/additional-resources

10/11/2024

🌟 Building Resilience: Tips for Parents 🌟

Resilience is a crucial skill for children to develop. It’s the ability to bounce back from challenges and adapt to change. Here are some tips for fostering resilience in your child:

💪 Understanding resilience: Instead of avoiding situations that feel challenging, encourage your child to face them. Building resilience often means gradually working through obstacles and discovering inner strength.

🌱 Embracing setbacks as stepping stones: Setbacks aren’t failures, they’re learning experiences. Teach your child to return to challenges with new knowledge and, importantly, to be kind to themselves along the way.

🧘 Practicing mindfulness: Taking a few minutes to focus on breathing or the sensations in your body can help manage stress. Mindfulness brings calmness and keeps us present, making it easier to tackle tough situations in the present.

👫 Building a supportive network: Encourage your child to connect with a supportive network - friends, family, teachers, or even pets. Having people (or animals!) who uplift them during challenges can make all the difference.

💖 Prioritising self-care: Remind your child that self-care is essential for mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Taking a break, relaxing, and returning to a problem with a fresh mindset can make it easier to manage.

🔄 Embracing change: Let your child know that change is a normal part of life, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. The more they try new things, the more they’ll build confidence and reduce anxiety about the unknown.

💡Cultivating a growth mindset: Encourage the power of “yet.” Instead of “I can’t do this,” try “I can’t do this yet.” Adopting a growth mindset helps children see challenges as opportunities for growth.

Building resilience is a journey, and with each step, children learn how strong and capable they truly are. 💪

For more resources, visit us at: nessieined.com/additional-resources

12/05/2024

Five minutes of your day could change the course of a child or young person’s life.

Please read and share.

Brilliant to see The Sunday Times covering PANDAS today, showcasing the reasons why increased awareness and understanding of these devastating post-infectious conditions is so critical.

PANS PANDAS UK currently supports over 6,400 parents and carers of children, young people and adults with PANS and PANDAS. Numbers are growing rapidly.

Awareness of the conditions across the UK remains low. Early recognition and treatment are known to lead to better outcomes.

Please, if you can spare a few minutes this bank holiday weekend, read and share this article. It just might make all the difference.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/d2c07130-b1d3-4bb1-9032-5a9ac67b7ec2?shareToken=4b158951e2c8f41432752566776643ef&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0as8s6i179ys9CtidGipfI28oCuT0-fo99Qxy6DB54cmbByBepYDIuuQk_aem_AbiNTbHRbNO_n305BZ3I6p8axKXG1w4CXtocXWfXYaSmv70Vq7ro5vzE7tYWvSo61_bnhX8IvdBUxX9qkjRTxvTj

05/05/2024

An old one, but one of my favourites!

27/04/2024

One small step at a time!

16/03/2024

24/02/2024

Very true 💕

Possibly the Most important thing you'll read this Year...
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read it straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish ...
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.
(Borrowed)