Tag Archive for: child development

Supporting Teen Mental Health During the Festive Season

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The Christmas period is often portrayed as a time of joy, family, and celebration. For many teenagers though, the festive season can bring unique challenges that impact their mental health. As teachers, understanding these pressures is key to supporting students during what can be an emotionally complex time.

 

Why Christmas Can Be Stressful for Teens

While younger children may see Christmas as magical, teenagers often experience heightened stress. Academic pressures, social expectations and family dynamics can all contribute to feelings of anxiety or low mood. For some, financial strain at home or complicated family relationships means the season is far from cheerful. Others may feel isolated if they don’t share the same traditions or if they are coping with loss.

Social media adds another layer of pressure. Teens are bombarded with images of ‘perfect’ celebrations, which can lead to comparison and feelings of inadequacy. This can intensify existing mental health challenges, such as anxiety or low self-esteem.

 

Common Mental Health Challenges at Christmas

  • Anxiety: the disruption of routine during the holidays can be unsettling. Teens who thrive on structure may feel anxious about changes in schedules, social gatherings, or expectations.
  • Low Mood: shorter days and less daylight can contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), while loneliness or family tensions can deepen feelings of sadness.
  • Eating Concerns: festive meals and treats can trigger stress for those struggling with body image or eating disorders. Comments about food or appearance, even well-meaning ones, can be harmful.
  • Managing Mental Health: with school closed, access to regular support networks may be limited. Teens might feel unsure where to turn if they’re struggling.

How Teachers Can Help Before the Holidays

  1. Start Conversations Early: create space for open discussions about mental health in the classroom. Normalising these conversations helps students feel less alone.
  2. Signpost Resources: remind students about the mental well-being pages in their planners. These pages are designed to empower them with practical strategies they can use during the break.
  3. Encourage Routine: suggest that students maintain some structure during the holidays—whether through exercise, hobbies, or regular sleep patterns.
  4. Promote Kindness: encourage students to focus on meaningful connections rather than material expectations. Acts of kindness can boost mood and reduce stress.

 

A Positive Message for the Season

Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. By acknowledging the challenges and equipping teens with tools to manage their mental wellbeing, we can help them navigate the season with confidence and self-compassion.

As teachers, your role in supporting mental health is invaluable. A simple reminder to check their planner’s well-being pages or downloading an app before school breaks up, could make a big difference for a student who feels overwhelmed when they are alone.

As well as general information about managing mental health, the Mental Wellbeing pages included in Boomerang’s student planners cover worries about anxiety, low mood, eating, and self-harm. Each section gives warning signs to look out for, top tips which may help, and a web address for further advice.

 

Primary Planners

Academic Planners

Teacher Planners

 

The Importance of School Trips

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School trips are more than just a break from the classroom – they are powerful learning experiences that shape students academically, socially, and emotionally.

Beyond the Classroom: Why School Trips Matter
In an age where education is increasingly digital and test-driven, school trips offer a refreshing and essential balance. These excursions – whether to a local museum, a historical site, or even abroad – bring learning to life in ways that textbooks simply can’t match.

Deepening Academic Understanding
One of the most compelling benefits of school trips is their ability to enhance academic learning. When students experience a subject first-hand – like walking through a Roman ruin or observing marine life in a coastal tide pool – they gain a deeper, more memorable understanding of the material. Engaging with subjects in real-world settings can help students retain more information and apply it meaningfully.

Building Social and Emotional Skills
School trips also aid social development. Being outside the structured classroom environment encourages students to collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve in new ways. Whether it’s navigating a new city or working together on a group activity, students build confidence, independence, and resilience.
From the first moment of the trip hoodies being distributed before leaving, these experiences also help students form stronger bonds with peers and teachers, creating a more cohesive and supportive classroom environment when they return.

Expanding Cultural Awareness
Trips that expose students to different cultures, communities, or ways of life, promote empathy and global awareness. Visiting a cultural centre, attending a play, or exploring a new country can challenge assumptions and broaden perspectives – skills that are increasingly important in our interconnected world.

Encouraging Personal Growth
For many students, especially those on residential or international trips, these experiences are a first taste of independence. They learn to manage time, take responsibility for their belongings, and adapt to new environments. These challenges, though sometimes daunting, are important for personal development.

Making Learning Fun and Memorable
School trips are fun. And fun matters. When students associate learning with excitement and discovery, they are more likely to stay motivated and curious. These positive memories can spark lifelong interests and even influence career paths.

In short, school trips are not just an educational luxury – they can be seen as a necessity. They enrich the curriculum, nurture essential life skills, and create lasting memories that shape students far beyond the classroom walls.  Trip Books, full of photos, interesting facts and fun anecdotes, are a great way of keeping those memories and experiences alive in years to come too.

Art in Education: Is There Still a Place For It?

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The presence of art in education is a topic that’s been debated for as long as we can remember.

However in recent years, there’s certainly been a shift in focus towards more ’employable’ subjects in the education sector. We often push subjects such as maths and science to the forefront due to their undeniable importance for our future.

But where does this leave art?

Well when it comes to child development, we need to address all the core areas, meaning that the stimulation of creative thinking is still vital, particularly for:

Social & Emotional Development

  • Art in education can improve children’s communication skills and vocabulary.
  • It can increase their ability to form and maintain relationships with adults and other children.
  • Learning artistic techniques also helps children with the recognition and expression of feelings and emotion.

Cognitive Development

  • Creativity helps with problem solving and abstract thinking skills.
  • It can also improve the ability to approach new tasks and challenges with confidence.
  • Art helps with the processing of visual information.
  • It can heighten curiosity and interest, especially through experimentation.
  • Studying art helps with critical thinking skills. In particular, the making and execution of mental plans and pictures.
  • Innovation. Imagination is a necessity when it comes to thinking outside of the box.

Art in Boomerang School Planners

Each year here at Boomerang, we’re proud to say that we take design inspiration for our school planners from different artistic concepts. Our theme this year is Ancient and Traditional Art (see pg. 4 of the virtual planner).

We’re featuring 12 different ancient, traditional and tribal art styles from all over the world, from Aboriginal to Inca to Norse.

Children’s creativity is something to be valued.