A comprehensive seminar held by the Central Basildon Primary Care Network at Happy Hub, Basildon Town Centre, saw parents eagerly engaging to learn strategies for supporting their children’s mental health. The seminar, presented by our Mental Health Practitioner Nurse, Ms. Aimee Peters, focused on the vital role parents play in addressing and mitigating anxiety in children.
The seminar highlighted how children often mirror their parents’ behaviour, making it crucial for parents to model healthy anxiety management techniques. By doing so, children can learn effective ways to cope with their own anxieties.
The seminar also featured interactive sessions where parents shared their experiences and concerns regarding their children’s anxiety. Parents were encouraged to communicate openly with their children about their feelings and to seek professional help when necessary. Aimee shared a few techniques for talking to children to help them understand why they were feeling anxious at that moment. A list of helpful tips on how to respond to an anxious child, such as rewarding coping behaviours, discouraging unhelpful anxiety-related behaviours, modelling distress tolerance, developing good communication and problem-solving skills, using an authoritative parenting type, and expressing warmth and acceptance were discussed. Several parents expressed gratitude for speaking with Aimee, and telephone appointments were booked by these parents for triage and follow-up.
The seminar was part of the ongoing efforts by the PCN to enhance community health literacy. Attendees were provided with resources and materials to further their understanding of anxiety management. The network plans to host more such seminars in the future, focusing on various aspects of child mental health and well-being.
The involvement of Motivated Minds added a special touch, ensuring that children felt included and engaged with their drawing sessions, allowing parents to focus on the seminar content. The collaboration between Central Basildon Primary Care Network and Motivated Minds showcased the power of community efforts in promoting mental well-being.
Ms Keeley Beech, director of Yoga4all, spoke about the yoga classes available for children, which help develop important skills in a supportive and non-competitive environment. Classes are available across Basildon, Southend and Leigh.