Helping your child to stay
happy and healthy
Every parent wants
their child to be happy
and healthy, but that can
be challenging during
times of stress and
uncertainty. Here are
important ways to help
them be their best!
Move
Being active supercharges their
body and brain, and every little bit
helps. Encourage them to get up
from their desk and walk around
the house or the block. Exercise,
do yoga, walk the dog, dance like
nobody’s watching – as long as
they move.
Eat properly
It’s essential they understand how
important it is to eat properly.
Without the right fuel they aren’t
going anywhere. And while we’re
on the topic – drink lots and lots of
water. That’s important, too.
Speak
High school can be very stressful
and it’s vital that your child
learn how to keep those stress
levels in check. If they can’t
concentrate, feel too overwhelmed
to take in new information, or
their performance at school is
impacted – that may be a sign that
not-so-helpful stress is in play.
Speaking with friends with similar
experiences, family members
who are supportive, a trusted
teacher, school counsellor, doctor
or professionals like those at
headspace may be helpful.
headspace.org.au
Sleep
Your child will tell you there’s only
so many hours in the day and so
much study to cram in! We get
it. But, if their eyes are hanging
out of their head and they’re
only catching one z instead of
many, they won’t be at their best.
Encourage your child to set a
reasonable bedtime (and, no,
anything past midnight is not
reasonable). Make sure they
include some down time before
they hit the sack to help their mind
switch off.
Socialise
Always burying their head in
books, notes and syllabus dot
points may seem like the right
thing to do, but it’s not. Making time
to stay connected with family and
friends is important. Have dinner
together, have a laugh, watch a
movie, or just chat. It all adds up to
a mental break – and who doesn’t
love a break?
Escape
Studying zaps lots of time and
energy. We know every minute is
valuable learning time. But, having
something else to focus on is
also super important. Encourage
them to watch the Netflix series
everyone is talking about, read a
book, or load the latest game.
18
Charles Sturt University