Parents and other family members are a big influence in a child’s life and these relationships play a key role in the development of a young person’s wellbeing.   Promoting wellbeing practices early in life can help lay the foundations for good wellbeing in the future. It helps instil confidence, independence and can help a young person develop the resilience they need to cope with everything life may throw at them as an adult. Communication To nurture good wellbeing at home, effective communication is crucial. Communication skills are fundamental, foundational and are vital to our wellbeing and mental health. Opening up and encouraging a positive two-way channel of communication with a child is important. Good communication involves listening and talking in ways that make children feel valued and heard. Furthermore, it helps them develop skills for communicating with others. Create a safe space where they feel they can open up.  If you have a busy schedule, make sure to allocate some time every day to simply sit and listen to your child. Ask open-ended questions about how they are feeling at that moment, or how they felt during the day. It is important to make sure your children know their feelings are valid. Ask what you can do to help, or offer solutions on how you can work through a problem together. Share with them how you’re feeling. This can help children, especially younger ones, understand that talking about feelings is healthy and can help children articulate how they are feeling too. Children thrive with words of encouragement or praise and helps them feel confident and happy. Acknowledge and praise behaviour when it’s appropriate. It might be words of praise after an open and honest conversation, or if they have done a chore you have asked them to do. With teenagers or older children, it can be difficult to get them to open up so it is important to be mindful of the tone and language we use. Judgement or criticising will quickly shut down the conversation and possibly lead to arguments. Routine There are several mental health benefits to developing a routine and it's an important part of promoting good wellbeing at home. Research has shown that children who engage in daily rituals tend to have better social-emotional health. Routines give children a sense of security, comfort, and control over their environment. It helps build healthy habits and brings consistency to a child’s life. A simple daily routine also provides a basis for children to learn essential skills such as hygiene, time management and control. Good routines also help the adults in the household to feel organised, reduces stress and eliminates power struggles in the home. A good routine is one that suits the family but for it to work it needs to be well planned, regular and predictable. However, it is important to leave room for flexibility and take a break for the norm every now and then. A routine shouldn’t be too rigid, perhaps it’s a slightly later bedtime during holidays or letting chores slide on a certain day. Healthy body and mind Regular activity helps children develop in a range of ways. Not only does it improve their physical health but also improves their mental health too.   Encouraging children and young people to build physical and mental activity into their daily routine is important for brain development and essential cognitive functions. It improves motor skills, problem-solving, supports emotional regulation and is an integral part in maintaining daily rhythms such as sleep. In younger children it is important to explain the benefits of being physically and mentally active and why it is such an important aspect of life. Children and young people (aged 2-18 years) should be active for at least one hour every day. Going for a daily family walk can promote bonding within the family while participation in group sports can foster good relationships and bolster their sense of belonging. It is important to lead by example too, research shows children are 5 times more likely to be active if their parents are. Mind activities can support children to have an awareness of their own thoughts and learn how to develop a positive mindset. These kinds of activities provide you and your children with the opportunity to check in on their mind regularly. Simple activities like story time, colouring, observing surroundings or nature are great ways to help calm the mind. Other wellbeing activities such as a thought jar, worry chart or mantra cards can give children the opportunity to find healthy ways to deal with their feelings and emotions. There is a plethora of online resources that provide free wellbeing activity packs, charts, and templates that be easily printed out to get you both started on your journey to good wellbeing. CA Support is here to support our students, members, and their families. Contact the CA Support team on mobile: (353) 86 024 3294 or email: casupport@charteredaccountants.ie.