The Kids Are All Right! - a weekly podcast specially for kids that is all about Health, Happiness and Wellness, speak with psychotherapist and best-selling author Stella O’Malley about how while the changes that have occurred during Coronavirus have been extreme, change at a more regular pace is a completely normal part of life. She gives the kids some great advice and tips on dealing with change.
Undoubtedly, we have all found this third Winter Lockdown the hardest yet.
And as every semblance of ‘Normal’ life has disappeared, kids have experienced the most unprecedented and extreme changes in every aspect of their lives over the last year and many are struggling. Most people will admit to disliking change; and kids are no different.
But there are ways to learn to accept, deal with and even enjoy those changes that are expected, as well as changes that are unexpected in our lives. Stella explains;
“People say that they are afraid of change and they hate change. And yet, the truth is, the more you become aware that every day change happens and that's OK, the sooner that you'll feel better about. Having said that, there's some things that you can make very regular in your day. Basically, control the controllables, that you have a few things that you say, Right, well, I can control when I have my dinner, when I do my homework, when I go to bed and how I go to bed, what I do when I go to bed and do I read a book and do I wear these pyjamas and things like that. So you have your regulars and your routines, but leaving a bit of room for flexibility, so that there's room for other things to happen, for a little bit of change.”
She acknowledges that change can be hard however but encourages kids to look at it with a different perspective.
“Some of the best things that ever happen to us, are changes. When we start to change, we can feel very uncomfortable, and then as time goes on, it can be the best thing in your life to have happened.”
Speaking with hosts Michelle, Buster and Buddy, she gives them some tips they can use to deal with change and says that using visuals such as a weekly routine chart or using a journal or a diary can be brilliant tools to give kids a sense of stability even during times of change.
“Some children love having a journal and I really recommend this, it’s really, really good for you. Some people use pictures and just literally draw pictures about how the day went. And some people are writers and they write. It's really, really good too, for anybody who's feeling a bit uncomfortable about life, a little bit uneasy about what's going on, reading or art or any sort of kind of creativity it's so good to help you make sense of life.”
But undoubtedly going through change can be hard, but she explains how if we look after ourselves, then each time we go through change we get stronger and more confident for the next problem or the next time change occurs.
“Every time you do go through a problem, whether it's getting through the Lockdown happily or handling home schooling when it’s hard, every time you do something, get through a change or problem, you feel stronger and more confident, so long as you're telling yourself and I did well and that I did a good job. And that’s really important that you tell yourself you did well and you got through the problem - You handled it and you'll be able for the next one. It's not just enough to get through it you have to be nice to yourself and to congratulate yourself for getting through it. This is a very important part of it.”
Another really great she says for kids to look after themselves and build their resilience to deal with change, is to get into a daily habit of gratitude. This can be a quick morning gratitude routine they can do before they even get out of bed that helps set them up for a positive and good day.
“I think gratitude is really important, if you're feeling worried about something rather than worrying about it, you try to name five things that you're happy about and five things that you're thankful for. People don't realize that this can actually move you out of a worry, because you have to go to the trouble of finding five things that they're happy about. And this can move you out of the worry and into a different space.
So when you wake up, the first thing you do is you keep your eyes shut and you try to list five things that you're happy about with your fingers. And every time you think of something that you're happy about, you think about it for even a few seconds, and then you stretch your body, take your feet out of bed, feel the contact on the floor, remember to breathe, breathe in through your nose, slow down, then out through your mouth and start the day. It can be a lovely way to start the day.”
More About the Podcast
Michelle and her puppet co-hosts, Buster & Buddy are on a mission to help kids Feel Great and Live Well! Each week they feature a different topic speaking with experts who have the best advice and tons of experience to share!
Covering everything from Coronavirus…to how to get to sleep easier, from dealing with their worries…to the importance of eating healthy and exercise, from building self-confidence…to bullying; basically Anything and Everything that affects kids’ sense of happiness and wellness.
AND of course there’s plenty of other fun stuff too like Joke Time, Kids Vox Pops, Competitions and Super Kids! where we celebrate super kids doing super things with a fantastic secret surprise planned for them.
As well as ALL the chats we have with people as part of our Motivation Nation! segment who’ve done amazing things in their lives, have cool jobs or inspiring stories to tell! Buster and Buddy question the guests from the kids’ perspective; asking the kinds of questions that kids want to know, with helpful takeaway ‘Tools’ they can use to live happy in their everyday lives.
As we find ourselves in yet another lockdown, back to home schooling and our activities severely curtailed, we encourage parents to use their 5K to jump into the car with the kids, go for a drive and let the kids listen to The Kids Are All Right! podcast, starting a healthy habit for the kids to do in the car….as well as giving Mum or Dad a well-deserved 20 minute breather!
It’s simple to listen using either bluetooth via your phone to your in-car audio system or you can bring a small external speaker in the car and bluetooth via your phone to this.
With a combined 50 years working with kids the team are passionate it is a powerfully positive podcast which not only informs but encourages physical and mental health and well-being in kids by creating a unique audio community where kids feel heard, empowered and supported to take real actions to mind themselves and their friends.
A podcast specially for kids, we want to hear whatever is on the kids’ minds, as they record and send in their opinions, questions, stories to be included and featured in every episode.
Michelle Connolly Reaper, Presenter & Producer added “We encourage parents to listen to The Kids Are All Right! with their kids as a handy conversation starter and so they can pick up valuable advice to support their kids build a happy and healthy life and develop a resilient mindset to negotiate their way through the unavoidable bumps in the road.”
Listen via all the popular podcast app’s https://the-kids-are-all-right.captivate.fm/listen or via their website: www.thekidsareallright.ie