From time to time we like to publish blogs to give our perspective on certain issues:
Development through play:
The role of indoor soft play areas
From an early age, children have a desire to engage in play. This can be physical play, play with rules, play with objects, or even pretend play(1). This range of play types can have differing influences on aspects of a child’s development, including the development of motor skills, spatial skills, and social and emotional skills, to name a few(1).
Living with a parent that has a mental illness:
How can the children be protected?
In the UK, 29% of children live with at least one parent reporting symptoms of emotional distress(1). Mental illness can take many forms, such as depression, chronic anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The severity of the illness and the family environment varies from one individual to the next, so this article should be taken as a presentation of research, rather than a one size fits all.
Empowering mental health following a cancer diagnosis:
The role of self-forgiveness
When someone experiences an injustice at the hands of another, such as a robbery or violence, they will generally have difficulty with forgiving the offender. However, when someone is diagnosed with cancer – particularly preventable cancers caused by smoking, obesity, and alcohol, for example – then the blame is often self-targeted(1). If someone is responsible for harming themselves, they may experience negative emotions such as regret, shame, and guilt for the damage caused to their body(1).
Increasing physical activity of adolescents in Kuwait:
An exploration of the conditions that foster and inhibit the process of change.
Despite the evidence that increasing physical activity is essential for the overweight/obese adolescent population, a minority engage in necessary levels of moderate to vigorous physical exercise. In this study a physical activity intervention was designed for 120 adolescents aged 14 to 15 years in an international school in Kuwait, where adult obesity is among the highest in the Arab peninsula.
Home educating children with additional learning needs:
Highlighting the issue to prompt a change
Current UK home education
Over the last five years, the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) being home educated, has increased by 52% across the UK(1). Though the decision to home educate SEND children may be in the best interests of the child, it is important that this is the true choice of the parents; not due to challenges with the school meeting the child’s needs.
Smoking cessation:
Why stop? Why now? Who can help?
At a time when we are encouraged to set personal goals for 2020, thoughts tend to concern exercise, diet, and financial goals. Still, almost 1 in 6 adults are current smokers, attributing to over 480,000 hospital admissions in 2017 alone(1).
Encouraging an active future:
The important role of role models
The benefits of engaging in physical activity (PA) as a child are both extensive and well-documented, at a physical (i.e. reduced risk of obesity(1), psychological (i.e. improved mental health(2), and social (i.e. improved peer relationships(3) level. However, only 18% of children in the UK are currently meeting official guidelines of taking part in PA at least 60 minutes a day(4).
Preparing for the new school year together:
How parent-child interaction can help them thrive
The summer holidays: a time that brings six weeks of joy to many children, and six weeks of racing to arrange childcare for many parents, but one common ground – that the child will be going back to school at the end it. For the child, this can often mean: new surroundings as they change classroom; new challenges as the schoolwork increases in difficulty; and depending on the circumstances, sometimes even new peer groups.
Defying the brain tumour:
Achieving with and beyond the illness
On average, 275 teenagers and young adults (TYA), aged 15 – 24 are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year, with about 80% of these surviving for at least five years following remission(1). Along with the intensity of treatment, a brain tumour can have a substantial impact on quality of life(2).
Trying not to look ‘different’:
The impact of camouflaging in autism
It is common in those on the autistic spectrum to camouflage their disorder either by hiding unwanted autistic behaviours, or explicitly using more behaviours they consider to be socially acceptable, in an attempt to ‘put on their best normal’.
Overcoming domestic violence together:
The importance of help-seeking and victim belief
Domestic Violence can take many forms physical, emotional, sexual and verbal abuse. In 2018, alone, an estimated two million adults in the UK (1.3 million women, 695,000 men)were victims of domestic violence.
The Ipad: a help or hindrance for a child’s development?
As technology continues to develop, children’s use of tablets has increased dramatically. Combined with the time spent watching TV, children are being increasingly exposed to media use and ‘screen time’(1). The question is, is this helping or hindering the child’s learning development?