School aged children and young people's health and wellbeing information sheet

Introduction

We have put together some information to help you keep your family healthy and happy as you educate them at home.

If you are worried about your child's health or development, please contact your GP who will be able to help you get more specialist help if this is needed.

Moving and being active

Being active and moving around is good for all of us. Being active is especially good for growing children; it helps to strengthen muscles and bones, helps to keep weight within healthy limits and makes you feel good. It may also provide an opportunity for your child to meet and exercise with others. You may find your child finds it easier to concentrate on reading or writing activities if these follow a period when they have been moving around, for example after a walk in the park or a trip to the shops.

Aim for your child to do an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day across the week. Spread the activity throughout the day and all activities should make your child breathe faster and feel warmer. Do a variety of activities that develop both movement skills and bone strength. You may like to join in with them to encourage them and to help keep you active and healthy too.

If you are concerned about your child's level of activity you can speak to your GP. A range of activities are also available locally including:

Helping your family to eat well

Children aged 5-12 grow rapidly and can be very active so a diet providing the right amount of energy, vitamins and minerals is needed. It is important to eat a wide and varied diet, in the right proportions for good health. Food is where we get our fuel from and is important for daily functions, growth and repair and being able to fight off infections amongst many other things.

A balanced diet should include fruit & vegetables, grains & cereals, dairy products, protein, fats, sugars, vitamins and minerals. It is also important to teach young children about the importance of cleaning their teeth to keep them healthy and strong.

Information about how to prepare a healthier packed lunch and other useful information:

Emotional health and wellbeing

How your child feels is as important as their physical health. Emotional wellbeing is about how we think and feel, our sense of wellbeing and how we relate to the world around us. Good emotional wellbeing allows your child to cope with the challenges of everyday life. Children and young people learn to manage their emotions as they grow up by being supported at times by a calm responsive adult. This helps build their resilience and prepare them to better manage stress in adulthood. It is important to remember that parents need to look after their own emotional and mental health to be best placed to support their children.

Staff in Wiltshire that work with children from 0-19 are being trained to use the Five to Thrive framework to support building healthy relationships and to promote self-regulation and resilience. See FACT - Five to Thrive: Attachment, Trauma and Resilience Training to learn more.

The NHS recommend 5 steps to good mental wellbeing; connect with other people, be physically active, learn new skills, give to others and pay attention to the present moment.

On Your Mind: Caring (opens new window) - Wiltshire support for children and young people
FACT - Five to Thrive: Attachment, Trauma and Resilience Training
NHS: 5 steps to mental wellbeing (opens new window)
Young Minds homepage (opens new window) - other sites for young people
On Your Mind: Children & Young People Advice (HCRG Care Group) (opens new window) - provides a whole host of further links that may prove useful

Relationships and sexual health

Talking to your child about relationships and their sexual health as they grow up is important to help them develop healthy nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships. We know that young people want their parents to talk to them about relationships and sexual health even if a little embarrassing.

Talk about relationships and sexual health honestly and positively even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. It can help them understand what a healthy relationship looks like, what is acceptable behaviour and what's not, as well as learning about contraception (preventing pregnancy until it's planned) and good sexual health at the appropriate age. Children may learn incorrect, confusing and sometimes frightening things early on from friends and the media. Talking with your child gives you a chance to help them avoid this confusion and make better sense of it all. Young people who receive good sex education are less likely to have an unplanned pregnancy or get a sexually transmitted infection.