It has been a busy Spring term with conference talks and a few guest spots on webinars including for the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) and SHOUT 85258 (the 24/7 free text service).

 

My new talk 'Motivating your Teen (whilst channelling your inner Ted Lasso!)’ has gone down well, and I’d like to think had some influence in encouraging the cast to reunite for Season 4! Exciting news!

 

For those of you who may be interest in knowing more, the talk blurb is here:

 

 

 

My talk for Sixth Formers about being ready for life after school has proved especially popular recently - it's called 'Staying Well in an Uncertain World; wellbeing skills for life and managing exam stress’. The talk tackles a range of topics including academic stress, perfectionism, fear of failure, famous failures, building independence ready for life after school, and the top four things you can do to stay emotionally well in life.

 

 

A fascinating and slightly sobering survey was released recently, analysing current students’ health, and suggesting areas that might need a little more care or support. This survey didn’t just ask about mental health for once, it also covered sex, drugs, teeth… and a whole host of other important areas, including sleep.

 

The results certainly made me think hard about what we need to do to improve our support of the next generation, but perhaps it made me think even harder as a mum of a teenage lad, who in only a few years will need to take care of all this stuff himself of course!

 

So what do I as a parent, and you, as parents, carers, teachers and in other vital roles working with teens, need to know?

I listened in to a (slightly dry!) webinar on this ever-evolving topic and will summarise the five key take-aways for you here, but safe to say, not much new was shared. I did learn the difference between ‘Deep Likes’ and ‘likes’ (the former are likes that happen more than 24 hours after a post and therefore considered of less ‘value’!) but other than that the research discussed was not the latest, so my biggest recommendation to you is that if you are interested in this topic then read ‘Unlocked’ by Pete Etchells (a professor at Bath Spa University).

It was a pleasure to join Anna York-Weaving on her podcast Academic Coaching for Parents. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

 

✅ What anxiety, burnout and perfectionism look like in students today

✅ How social media impacts mental wellbeing

✅ What “snowplough parenting” is and why it can hold children back

✅ Simple ways to encourage independence from a younger age

✅ How to support your child without stepping in to fix everything

 

Whether your child is still at school or preparing for university, this conversation is packed with expert advice and reassurance for parents navigating the teenage and young adult years.

My friend Naomi Salisbury is an expert in self harm support and has created a new e-newsletter exploring this issue in a thoughtful, nuanced way. 

 

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