Tips for Parents and Teachers During Children’s Mental Health Week

Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place from 9th to 15th February, with this year’s theme, ‘This is My Place’, focusing on the message that everyone deserves to feel accepted, cared for and loved.

To mark the week, leading e-learning company High Speed Training has shared advice for parents and teachers on how to create a genuine sense of belonging for children and young people.

Why Belonging Matters

For many children and young people, school is their most significant social environment. When it feels inclusive, children are more likely to feel welcomed and encouraged to grow, build connections and find their place. When it does not, they can feel isolated, alienated and unworthy.

Dr Richard Anderson, Learning Experience Director at High Speed Training, said:

“Fostering a sense of belonging is integral to helping a child feel positively about school, their peers and, more importantly, themselves. A true sense of belonging must be accompanied by acceptance for who someone is, rather than who they are pretending to be.

“When children feel they have to ‘fit in’ by changing themselves, it can have an incredibly detrimental impact on their mental health. By creating environments where children feel safe to be their authentic selves, we instil an appreciation for community that stays with them for a lifetime.”

The company highlights the difference between belonging and fitting in. Fitting in often requires a child to change their behaviour to gain acceptance. Belonging, by contrast, does not require anyone to alter who they are.

The Benefits of a Strong Sense of Belonging

According to High Speed Training, when children feel they belong at school, they are more likely to:

• Feel motivated and confident

• Build stronger, healthier relationships

• Develop resilience against challenges

• Experience less loneliness and anxiety

Practical Steps for Parents and Teachers

High Speed Training says parents and teachers play a key role in modelling inclusive behaviour. The company recommends several strategies to help children and young people feel secure in their place within the school community:

• Utilise inclusive games to encourage pupils to work towards a common goal.

• Encourage extracurricular activities, such as sports teams, choirs or clubs, which allow connections to form outside the classroom.

• Facilitate bridge-building activities, such as passing a toy around to share weekend hobbies.

• Education and awareness, helping children understand that anxiety may stem from a lack of belonging and encouraging them to seek authentic connections.

• Collaborative fundraising, where pupils choose a charity and plan fundraising events together to unite the school community.

For more advice and detailed guidance, parents and teachers can visit the High Speed Training Hub or read the article on Creating a Sense of Belonging in School.