Local superheroes teach kids to relax
BY day Kristy Cleary is a provisional psychologist with the paediatric psychology and social work team at community health – but last weekend she was a red-headed superhero.
She was one of the organisers of “Even Superheroes Need A Mental Health Day Sometimes”, an early intervention event targeted at families with children aged up to 12 years old.
“We’ve got quite a few things that aid mental health, like a helpful/unhelpful thinking maze, zones of regulation Twister, and we’ve got some really good calming strategies here today,” Mrs Cleary told Dubbo Photo News at the event, which was held on Saturday/
“The Buddhist Monks are here to teach relaxation; yoga, massage, oils and all of these things are really helpful tools for mental health, to teach children how to use these calming strategies and regulate their emotions.
She said the activities were designed at getting children to understand how important it is to recognise emotions, as well as teaching them the strategies needed to help them on a day to day basis, and helping them to develop the skills they will need as an adult to be able to function well in their everyday lives.
“A lot of things the kids learnt today can be utilised in school as well, so it’s a really good starting point,” she said.
Fellow superhero Lorna Brennan spends her working life as the local facilitator for the Buninyong School As Community Centre.
She said she and her fellow organisers were overwhelmed with the turn-out of families.
“The participation rate here has been fantastic, it is something that people are looking for, we’ve got lots of action and activities happening and the feedback I’ve been getting from everyone has been that it’s a great day. We’ve had the meditation with the Buddhist Monks and that’s been filled up every time, it’s been amazing,” Mrs Brennan said.
She believes more and more parents are understanding that it’s absolutely vital that kids learn to relax and slow down.
“Their little minds have got to process everything that they’ve been learning. If you can’t relax and sleep properly the brain doesn’t get a chance to process all that stuff properly and it causes all sorts of issues with the children, they just get overanxious and irritable. If they can just learn to slow down and breathe and take things a bit more calmly every now and again, that makes such a difference,” she said.
The event was all about moving kids out of the indoors and showing them how much fun can be had outside with low-tech, activity-based games.
“Kids don’t really get out in nature and just be kids anymore.
“Hopefully today is giving an idea to parents that there are simple things you can do with kids,” Mrs Brennan said.
Kristy Cleary says her day job lets her see the effects our fast-paced world has on children, where families with hectic lives are so busy chasing their tails they find it difficult to make time for the simpler, more natural things in life.
“Kids tend to go to a screen these days and that makes it really hard to get them out into nature,” Mrs Cleary said, pointing out that all the evidence says that getting children outside helps them get the physical exercise they need.
She also said the simple act of breathing is really important. “If you can get your child to learn how to breathe properly – nice, deeply in, holding it and letting it go – they’ll be much better for it. They’ll function much better at home and school,” she said.
Hundreds turned out for the event and joined in the mega flash mob dancing and prizes for given out for the best dressed superheroes.