Loss: how to help children and young people cope

by John Kennedy | May 26, 2020 | Children and Young People, families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Tips, young people

Change is an inevitable and necessary part of growing up. With every change there is an element of loss, even when the changes are welcome. Whether it is the grief that comes with the loss of a favourite toy as a child or the death of a beloved grandparent, change...

Coping with Coronavirus lockdown – part 2 of 2

by Shirley Meade | Apr 23, 2020 | Coronavirus, families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Tips

Welcome to part 2 of our series looking at ways for parents and families to maintain their mental health during Coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown and social distancing measures. In the final part of this series, counsellor Shirley Meade looks at the importance of...

How to talk to children about Coronavirus

by Dee Barker Creggan | Mar 25, 2020 | Children and Young People, families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Tips, young people

As adults attempt to make sense of the Coronavirus pandemic, take a moment to think about how difficult it is for children to get their heads around this new ‘normality’. Knowing how to talk to children about coronavirus has become an urgent and significant parenting...

Back to the workplace after lockdown: how to manage a child’s anxieties

by Dee Barker Creggan | May 21, 2020 | Children and Young People, Coronavirus, families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Tips, young people

In the weeks ahead, parents will begin returning to the workplace after lockdown. For children of all ages, the easing of Coronavirus restrictions may create, or heighten anxieties and fears. From an emotional perspective, children have come to rely on and become...

Coping with Coronavirus lockdown – part 1 of 2

by Shirley Meade | Apr 8, 2020 | families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Tips

Coping with Coronavirus lockdown is the new normal for the vast majority of us. Combined with social distancing, it is inevitable that our mental health will be tested in the coming weeks. For parents, the challenge of keeping themselves and their children mentally...

How to teach kids good mental health at home

by The Spark Counselling | Feb 5, 2020 | Children and Young People, Children's Mental Health Week, families, mental health, parenting, the spark, Time to Talk Day, Tips, young people

During Children’s Mental Health Week, it might be worth thinking about The World Health Organisation’s figures that “around 1 in 5 of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental disorder” and that “about half of mental disorders begin before the age of...