Adolessence Alive

22/07/2022

Unfortunately, this is more prevalent than parents may think ~ talk to your teens, be interested and genuinely curious - open the lines of communication without judgement or reactivity...yep, its one of those teaching moments ☀️

'SADFISHING' IS HARMING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN

The term “sadfishing” is relatively recent – coined at the beginning of 2019 by writer Rebecca Reid.

Many people are probably familiar with the act of fishing for sympathy online, whether they’ve seen it happen, or are guilty of it themselves.

Reid defines sadfishing as the act of posting sensitive, emotional personal material online to gain sympathy or attention from the online community.

However, sadfishing is increasingly being used to accuse people of attention-seeking, to criticise people, or to belittle a person’s online content – whether they were actually sadfishing or not.

Thank you CAMHS Professionals for bring this to our attention.

26/05/2022

Some handy guidance for parents of teens during exam fortnight ~ it’s a tough time for everyone… calls for some extra kindness and loads of deep breaths ! 😌❤️

Top tips for parents and teens to manage exam stress.

11/05/2022

Our teens are going through so many changes …. Life can often feel overwhelming and the desire to connect and belong is so important …. We need to let teens know that it’s ok to ‘do them’ ~ no matter what others think and that not everyone will like them …. By encouraging them to walk their own path we are supporting their growth, helping them build resilience and teaching them that it’s ok to be ‘perfectly imperfect’ ❤️

28/03/2020

Awesome article for parents supporting their adolescents through these challenging times ~ be safe everyone, be patient and above all, be kind ♥️

I know so many teenagers who will have to leave boarding school (their home since year 7), not go to the ball, play in their grand final, compete in their rowing finale, engage in a service tour to Vietnam, play music in Singapore, go to Camp America, travel with their mates,

08/10/2019

Mental Health Week 2019 ~ Well done you, wonderful young peeps...our magnificent future ❤️🙌❤️🙌

30/01/2019

~ Navigating and negotiating usage of smart phones and social media with our kids can be super tough .....older teens still need their parents to be protective, provide firm yet loving boundaries and listen to their experiences ~ keeping the ‘lines of communication open’ is paramount ~

My husband and I decided it was time for her to start putting her device in our room at bedtime. I honestly had no idea how much this decision would impact her. After she blew up in anger, she began sobbing and puddled on the floor. As I held her, I just listened. Listened to all the worries a

11/04/2018

“Speak even if your voice shakes” (Dolly 14)
We all own this responsibility ~ we owe it to our kids ~

11/03/2018

~ One of the ways we can help cultivate resilience in our young folk is to be 'hopeful' ourselves ~ they most often learn 'hope' from us as parents so providing them with relationships that are boundaried, supportive and consistent can promote the learning of hopefulness ~

18/02/2018

Love, connection and belonging ...... fundamental needs 🙏🏼✨❤️

12/09/2017

It's not often freebies are on offer !!! This is gonna book up very quickly ! Get in there 😁

19/07/2017

Following on from our success in last year’s event, In Your Head (WA’s only Youth Mental Health Forum) is back for 2017!

11/07/2017

❤️ The most significant thing for a parent to contribute to anyone is their own Connection and their own stability. An effective parent is a happy parent. An effective parent is a parent who laughs easily and often; and who doesn't take things so seriously ❤️

--- Abraham ---

11/06/2017

Encourage your teen to embrace their own inner superhero because being themselves will be their greatest superpower !!

17/04/2017

When your teen is struggling and you're not sure how to help ...... keep it simple..... just hug them and visualize your deep love for them being passed from your heart to theirs ~ no words needed ❤️❤️❤️

18/10/2016

~ Sometimes adults struggle to understand the 'purpose' of self harm and think that young people who engage in this behaviour are simply "attention seekers" ~ this will create feelings of shame and can ultimately alienate young people from their families ~
~ Adolescents who self harm are actually trying to communicate some distress or trauma they are experiencing in their lives. We need to acknowledge that they are seeking validation and need our love and support to learn other ways to manage their overwhelming feelings ~ This creates new found connections

16/10/2016

Healing and recovery takes time ~ adolescents need a comfy, loving and non threatening space to land when life feels chaotic ~ wounds will heal and they will remember the ways you created 'safe spaces' for them ~ sheltering them from the world when they needed to be lovingly cocooned

10/10/2016

So folks it's Mental Health week and the WAAMH's (The Western Australian Association for Mental Health) slogan is 'Mental Health Starts With Me' ✨
If we want our young people to access support for mental health issues then we need to role model positive mental health strategies ... it does start with us ~ seeking help for ourselves, practicing mindfulness, talking about the tough stuff, being ok with not being ok, acknowledging and celebrating our perfectly imperfect lives, our flaws ~ adolescents need to know that as adults we have the 'guts' to be honest and are prepared to do the work on ourselves to maintain our own mental health ❤️❤️❤️