Month: June 2023

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💜 Congratulations to our featured coach – Katie McGreal 💜

“My name is Katie McGreal, I am in Galway and I teach Relax Kids in schools in Conamara and Galway city in Irish and English. I have been a coach for nearly 6 years. I found Relax Kids after I had done a silent meditation retreat and I found such benefit in the practice and I wanted to spread the word to more people, especially to children as the earlier we start teaching children and people to slow down and take time out the better! Our society is pushing us all the time to do this and do that and do more. Taking time out is undervalued so much but it is so necessary and so valuable! Teaching Relax Kids has reminded me to not take life so seriously. It has reminded me to have fun and that life is more enjoyable with more laughter. My greatest achievement to date is that I am able to provide this life-changing service to Gaeltacht schools in their own language. I get to go into schools all over Conamara and show the children that we can do anything in Irish and Irish isn’t just a language for school, it is also a language for relaxation and fun and play.” https://www.facebook.com/solasrelaxation @solasrelaxation

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Would you love your child to have better concentration, listening skills, attention span, confidence and self esteem?

Our classes give children the chance to make new friends, build confidence and self-esteem as well as learn tools that will set them up for life.

Relax Kids themed sessions last 45 mins to 60 mins.  Children are encouraged to use their body movements imagination to the full and and bodies and imaginations are engaged and stimulated. 

Relax Kids activity classes are carefully structured using the unique and focussed 7 step system which leads children confidently through natural energy levels, directing high energy to low energy.

Children feel engaged and the sessions are fun and energetic whilst ultimately relaxing and restorative for both body and mind.

Class Structure

Movement – incorporates dance and movement, encouraging development of core physical skills, improves coordination, boosts energy, circulation and a healthier immune system whilst helping release endorphins.

Games and Play – range of energetic and fun games that ultimately relax. The drama-based thought provoking games encourage and promote social skills and awareness.  They will help build children’s confidence and social, interaction and communication skills.  They further develop focus and concentration.

Stretching and Balance – A set of yoga-inspired stretches are carefully demonstrated and used by the children to lengthen and stretch bodies and so improve postural awareness. These exercises help release physical tension, develop motor skills, body awareness, balance and flexibility.

Massage –  Children are given the choice of taking part in self and or peer massage (with parental consent). These calming exercises promote positive touch and encourage respect, communication and empathy amongst peers. Children become aware of their own bodies and learn to respect others. Positive touch boosts the immune system, calms the nervous system, helps the production of Oxytocin and Endorphins and lowers stress levels in children.

Breathing – a range of child friendly exercises encourage deep breathing. These exercises help calm the nervous system and children feel the immediate effects whilst being taught how to use these techniques effectively for themselves.  Breathing exercises also improve concentration and focus.

Affirmations – incorporates a range of games and circle time activities that enable children to confidently use positive affirmations and self praise. These enjoyable games and exercises include the use of affirmation cards and help improve children’s emotional health and literacy. They also encourage the development of positive neurological pathways and promote and improve self confidence and self esteem. They also encourage the release of endorphins as children think and speak positively.

Visualisation – incorporates deep body relaxations, mindfulness exercises, guided imagery and visualisations. These exercises help release physical and mental tension, lower blood pressure, increase body awareness and give children tools to stress and self management tools. Done regularly, these exercises can help relieve fatigue and promote deeper sleep while improving child anxiety. Improved deep sleep and general relaxation will improve concentration, listening skills, and memory retention whilst expanding the child’s imagination and creativity.

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Prove a child’s self esteem

Using Mirror work for self esteem

Self esteem and confidence is one of the most important things a child needs as they grow up. Mirror work is a fantastic tool that can help children build their self esteem daily.  

It is simple to do, although can be hard to start with, children will grow to enjoy it as they begin to accept themselves, see their qualities, strengths and abilities.

Mirror work can also help improve body image and help children feel more positive about themselves. Regular mirror work can help decrease feelings of self hatred as well as destructive thoughts and feelings of self- deprecations, shame, feeling unloved and unworthy and incapable.

To do Mirror Work, children sit comfortably in front of a mirror or hold a mirror up to their face.  They look into the mirror, straight into their eyes and talk to themselves positively with positive affirmations.  The affirmation is repeated very slowly and with meaning over and over.  

Children focus and look deeply into their eyes as they repeat the affirmation.  To start with, they may only be able to manage a couple of seconds, but in time, they will be able to do longer. It also helps if adults are doing this as well so modelling good practice.

Ideally start with the following affirmation.  ‘I deeply and completely love and accept myself’

Here are some other affirmations that can be repeated.

  • ‘I accept myself just the way I am’
  • ‘I am OK’ 
  • ‘I am special, unique and valuable’
  • ‘I am deeply and completely loved’
  • ‘I am safe’
  • ‘I am a good person’
  • ‘I am a wonderful person’

In time children will start to make up their own affirmations and enjoy the activity.

Here is a CD to help improve children’s self esteem – https://relaxkids.com/product/self-esteem/ 

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Sports Day Self Esteem!

Encourage kids to recognise their individuality.

Sports Day is approaching, and for some this is a very exciting opportunity. A chance to show a natural sporting ability that many kids can only dream of! For others‚ it may be the biggest nightmare.

We want to encourage kids to recognise their individuality this month. See their strengths and greatness and give them real power to be who they are!

Our https://relaxkids.com/product/self-esteem/  is full of confidence boosting exercises and tracks that will keep you feeling positive!

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Goal keeping

Helping children think about and work towards their goals can build self esteem and give them a sense of achievement. Here are some steps to help children work towards their goals.

Imagine – First of all close your eyes and imagine your goal. What would you like to achieve? See if you can picture yourself having achieved your goal. How do you feel?

Write – Next write down your goals. When you write them down, they become clearer and more real.

Small Steps – Now, break your goals into small achievable steps. It is much easier to bite off each chunk rather than tackle the whole thing in one go.

Noticeboard – Put up your goals and your small steps somewhere you will see regularly. The more you are reminded of your goals the easier it is to achieve.

Everyday – Every spend a few minutes visualising yourself achieving your goals. Imagine how you will feel when you have achieved them.

Reward – Give yourself a small reward each time you achieve one of the small steps.

Good Luck with all of your goals!

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My child is too shy to make new friends

How can I help my child build their self-esteem? 

Children who have a hard time talking to new people may be suffering from low self-esteem. This can make trying new activities, play dates or even family holidays very difficult. Children may feel anxious about leaving their parents side because they are afraid of rejection, and may deal with their frustration by acting out, misbehaving or sulking.

How can I tell if my child has low self-esteem?

Children with low self-esteem may display one or more of the following tendencies:

Poor self-image

Lack of confidence

Feelings of worthlessness

Unconfident and unrealistic about abilities

Overwhelmed by fear or negative thoughts

Fear of change

Distorted views of self or others

How can I help my child improve their self-esteem?

Studies have shown that regular relaxation can boost self-esteem and improve family relationships.

Relax Kids teaches children simple relaxation techniques to manage their emotions and learn to deal with them in a positive way. When children understand their emotions, fear of rejection, for example, they are able to better communicate how they are feeling. This gives us an opportunity to talk to our children and help them feel better, rather than allowing their fear and frustration to build

Relaxation techniques that can help improve self-esteem include positive affirmations, visualisations, deep muscle relaxation to let go of stress tension, and breathing exercises.

Try this simple breathing exercise with your child next time they are going to be in a situation where they will have to speak to new people, such as a new activity or sports club:

Ask your child to stay still for a few moments and focus on their breathing. As they breathe in, say one of the following affirmations, ‘I am confident’, ‘I am bright’. As they breathe out, they say, ‘I let go of sadness’, ‘I let go of anxiety’, etc.

In a short time, their body will be filled with happy hormones as their anxiety reduces, and they will feel calm and confident -ready be themselves and make new friends!

If you think your child may be suffering from low self-esteem, try our Self-Esteem CD.  We show your child in a simple and easy way how to slow down their breathing, release tension in their muscles, relax deeply and use positive affirmations to help boost their self-esteem.

Read this review from one parent who used the Self-Esteem CD with all three of her children, but in particular, her eldest daughter, who had been struggling with low self-esteem:

My eldest daughter Tara, aged 10, sometimes suffers from low self-esteem, so I thought this CD was the perfect opportunity to try to help her overcome this issue and have fun doing so in the process.

Tara, like many children her age, is something of a perfectionist and as a result, often gets herself into a state over small things, such as not being able to get the details quite right in a sketch, or forgetting how to work out a math question. At these times, she can get so worked up that the tears flow and she races off to her room, leaving everyone behind wondering why on earth she is getting herself upset about something apparently trivial to the rest of us.

I was astounded by just how much all three of my children enjoyed these tracks. Several tracks are affirmation tracks and these have been particularly beneficial for Tara as she now understands that by thinking positively about things she’s having problems with, she will begin to believe in herself and her abilities!

Sinead, Parent

Learn more about boosting children’s self-esteem, buy the Self-Esteem CD here: https://relaxkids.com/product/self-esteem/

*Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 9 (4): 479-497, 2004, by Linda Harrison, Ramesh Manocha and Katya Rubia.

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Build your child’s self-esteem

Build your child’s self-esteem Self esteem is one of the most important things children need to help get them through life.


 A healthy self-esteem is vital for every child as it helps them take on life’s challenges.  Children who feel good about themselves are able to manage conflicts and be more resilient.  They are often more positive, happy and able to enjoy life.

Children with a low sense of self worth feel overwhelmed by challenges.  Children feel not good enough, inadequate and compare themselves to others.  They are often more self-critical and have a lack of self belief.  They can become withdrawn, anxious and depressed.

Help build children’s self esteem with our Self Esteem Bundle.

In the pack, you will receive:

Our Self Esteem album

Exercises to build self esteem

Activities to help children feel more confident

Self esteem cards to print out

By listening to the tracks each day and repeating the exercises, children can learn to believe in themselves and start to feel happier and more in control.  This pack can also be used by children who have self esteem to sustain for a positive self image.

Download your Self Esteem Pack today! Purchase here: https://relaxkids.com/product/self-esteem-bundle/

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Individuality

Individuality For children, this concept can be a difficult one.

Ask anyone to describe themselves, their background, and their beliefs: you will find that everybody answers are different. Yes, some of us may have commonalities but we are all individual.

For children, this concept can be a difficult one. They do not want to be different. There is an eagerness to fit in with the crowd and they can be led astray. Of course, we know this is all part of a learning process where our experiences contribute to making us the people we are as adults.

But how do we explain this to kids?

At Relax Kids, we want to promote the image that you should be proud to be unique. We have created a range of relaxation resources that incorporate visualisations to help children understand the concept that we all interpret things differently and that there is no right or wrong answer. Try our Relax Your Child: https://relaxkids.com/product/self-esteem-2/

In the meantime, here are 3 tips to help you nurture your child’s individuality:

Explain that it is ok to want to be like someone ‚ maybe they want to be like a sibling, but that they are great as they are because that is what makes them who they are.

Let your child have choice in what they wear and what they do. Encourage their creativity!

Let them know that it is OK to have differences in opinion. This way they will get on with people easier rather than develop into people who always think they are right.

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50 ways to praise your child

And boost their self-esteem!

Children thrive on positive praise, remarks, comments and words. Praise is simply a genuine, positive comment, said with a warm look and tone. Your affection, gestures, looks and words will allow your child to develop a positive view of them selves as by being loved and loveable as well as valued.

There are various ways of using language to boost your child’s self esteem. A steady supply of praise will also not only improve bad behaviour, but also help them cope with the various new challenges they will encounter. Make sure your tone and gestures back up the words that are coming out of your mouth or your child will not believe you.

You can share positive thoughts and feelings such as I love you and I feel so proud of you, share positive appreciation for a specific task such as The way you read that book was wonderful. You can also use positive words to show that you recognise their achievements and efforts such as You are trying so hard at…

One more thing – make sure your praise is genuine and your face and voice is warm and loving. This way, your child will believe your words and start to value themselves. For best results, try to avoid back handed praise that comes with a sting in the tail. For example `Tom you shared your toys very well today It is a shame you were so naughty yesterday.` Forget the past and focus on nurturing and encouraging your child from this moment onwards.

Below is a list of 50 ways to praise your child. Try to use at least three of them today! Use these positive comments often and watch how your precious child grows more and more confident, secure and full of self-esteem. And better still the positive words will make you feel great too! So here they are please do pass these on to any other mums and dads or teachers who might find them useful so we can spread positivity to our next generation.

50 ways to praise your child

1. I like the way you…

2. I admired the way you…

3. Do you know how important you are to me?

4. I could really see how much you were trying

5. It is fun playing with you

6. I care so much about you

7. I feel so proud of you when you…

8. You really showed how talented you are when you…

9. I am so excited that you…

10. You can really feel proud of yourself because …

11. You’re a real winner!

12. You are a real friend – look at how you…

13. That is amazing! Well done!

14. I love you because…

15. I trust you to…

16. You are a real joy

17. You are a real good friend

18. Congratulations on the way you…

19. Thank you for…

20. I can see how hard you worked on that – well done!

21. You have a lovely singing voice

22. I can really see that you are improving

23. You are precious

24. You are so important

25. You are unique

26. What an imagination!

27. You are so caring

28. You make me smile

29. You have a special talent for…

30. You have a brilliant smile

31. You are so clever

32. You are so creative

33. That is fantastic – look at how you made…

34. I love being with you

35. You are a star!

36. You look fantastic today

37. You look great in that

38. You are really brilliant

39. You are beautiful

40. Wow that is fantastic

41. You are so special

42. That is excellent

43. That is really great

44. Well Done!

45. I knew you could do it

46. You are a real super star

47. You are really smart

48. That is magnificent

49. You are Spectacular

50. Well done you! Take action today, praise, praise, praise and watch your child blossom and grow in happiness.

And, just one more thing – For your child to really shine and be full of confidence, he/she needs to be encouraged to develop the art of positive self-talk. Try to discourage you child from feeling and talking negatively about themselves but use affirmations such as `I am great at running`, `I am OK` and `I can do it`.

You might like to try the Relax Kids Believe and Achieve CD available today from our shop – https://relaxkids.com/product/believe-and-achieve/

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Use affirmations to help build self-esteem

Affirmations are so important to help keep children’s minds healthy. Here is a simple way of explaining affirmations to children. 

Just as we eat healthy food to help our bodies grow strong and healthy so we have positive and happy thoughts to help our minds so we can grow up feeling strong and confident inside. 

Affirmations are short statements of personal belief that make us feel good about ourselves and our abilities and achievements.  It is important that they are said or written in the first person, present tense and are positive.  

Top athletes use affirmations to help them achieve their goals and improve their performance. Positive affirmations help us reduce negative self-talk and remind us of who we are, our greatness and what we want to achieve.  

The more we repeat happy and positive thoughts, the more happy and positive we feel. The more we think happy and positive thoughts, the more likely we are to say positive words and so it perform positive actions 

Ask your child to stay still for a few moments and as they breath in say one of the following affirmations ‘I am peaceful’ ‘I am confident’ ‘I am bright’ and as they breath out, they repeat ‘I let go of sadness’ ‘I let go of anxiety’ etc. In a short time, their body will be filled with happy hormones as their anxiety reduces and they feel calm and confident. 

Once they have mastered this simple technique, they will be able to use it in any upsetting or stressful situation. 

Mirror work is a fantastic tool that can help children build their self esteem daily. It is simple to do, although can be hard to start with, children will grow to enjoy it as they begin to accept themselves, see their qualities, strengths and abilities. 

Mirror work can also help improve body image and help children feel more positive about themselves. Regular mirror work can help decrease feelings of self hatred as well as destructive thoughts and feelings of self- deprecations, shame, feeling unloved and unworthy and incapable. 

To do Mirror Work, children sit comfortably in front of a mirror or hold a mirror up to their face. They look into the mirror, straight into their eyes and talk to themselves positively with positive affirmations. The affirmation is repeated very slowly and with meaning over and over. 

Children focus and look deeply into their eyes as they repeat the affirmation. To start with, they may only be able to manage a couple of seconds, but in time, they will be able to do longer. It also helps if adults are doing this as well so modelling good practice. 

Ideally start with the following affirmation. ‘I deeply and completely love and accept myself’ Here are some other affirmations that can be repeated. ‘I accept myself just the way I am’ ‘I am OK’ ‘I am special, unique and valuable’ ‘I am deeply and completely loved’ ‘I am safe’ ‘I am a good person’ ‘I am a wonderful person’ In time children will start to make up their own affirmations and enjoy the activity. 

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Self-Esteem

Children’s self-esteem issues are increasing as society is putting more and more pressure on children and young people to look, act and be a certain way. Social media, bullying, exam pressure and family problems can all impact children’s self-esteem.

Self-esteem is how a child feels about themselves and this can affect they way they interact with others and the world around them. Most children will slip into low self-esteem mode when faced with challenges and changes in life such as illness, moving house, parent’s divorce and bereavement and may need some support to get through.

Symptoms of low self-esteem

Lack of confidence

Feel alone and isolated

Struggle with new activities and change

Struggle to make and keep friends

Struggle with failure

Inability to be proud of their achievements

Put themselves down often

Compare themselves to others negatively 

Tips to build good self-esteem

Encourage your child to see and appreciate their uniqueness

Show lots of love and encouragement and remind them what makes them special

Model good self-esteem and use positive words when talking about yourself and others

Encourage them to try out new activities and learn new skills

Encourage them to have a go at something and it is ok to fail or not get it right

Make lists of all their achievements and note how hard they worked

Reassure your child that making a mistakes is normal and no-one is perfect

Talk more and ask how they feel, talking about their ideas and what went well each day

Check them when they criticise themselves

Encourage a growth mindset approach and instead of saying ‘I can’t do it’ say ‘I can’t do it yet and I will try my best’.