Naturopath Helen Johnson explores ways in which we can connect with our children to enhance their emotional wellbeing.

The summer holidays are the only time in the year when we have enough time without routine that our adrenal systems can reset and we can truly relax. This makes it an incredibly special time for us to reconnect to ourselves, for our children to connect to themselves and for us to connect to them. It’s a time to have fun and to get to know each other again. Time to realise how we have all grown up and evolved. Time to reflect. Time to heal and release any traumas or adapt to any life changes we have had. Time to communicate. Even a house or school change can be very destabilising to some of us whilst to others it is a breeze. So how best can we optimise this special time with an awareness of the environment we are creating.

Firstly it’s important that whatever we do that we are, as parents, relaxed. If we are stressed our kids pick it up and their behaviour will reflect it.

In particular, being with nature helps us all to connect to our own true Nature. Really it’s during the summer holiday when our heads are free from being filled with fact that there is room for ‘the Self’ to flourish. Simply being with Nature is one of the best activities we can do. So if we are staying in London take a day out to Richmond Deer Park, Kew Gardens, Holland Park, Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park, Wimbledon Common, Green Park, St. James’ Park etc. Or out of London simply to fields, a boat on a river, by the sea, in the woods, up a mountain, visit a corn maze or have a night on a campsite.

Then have a picnic, a game of French cricket or rounders, fruit picking, flower collecting, shell or fossil finding, feeding ducks or seagulls, crabbing or fishing. Treasure hunting of any kind with things to all summer imagetake home to make into something. Teach your children to connect to Nature and to their own senses by being aware of the sounds around them. Like the birds singing, the wind in the trees, the twigs snapping under your feet as you walk in the woods and the sound of other people. The more we connect to Nature the easier it is to connect to ourselves.

From birth to seven developmentally we are learning about our relationship to our family. We learn about survival in the world. Having food and shelter. We are developing our sense of being in the world and what we need to be safe .It’s when we ground. If we move home or school, or friends or family leave our environment during this period in particular it can be deeply traumatic. It’s during the Summer when we have the opportunity to discover if there are any all summer imagefears in our children and to redress the balance. Then simply having time at home or on a family holiday becomes very valuable. If you are lucky enough to have a garden try building a den or making a garden sculpture. All children enjoy the magic of watching things grow. If you don’t have a garden then you can always grow herbs or plants in pots.

Allowing children to be involved in the decoration of their bedrooms not only helps them to feel it’s theirs but also empowers them in their ability to be part of the team and make important decisions. Making a collage of photographs that are linked with any change or trauma is also likely to help you all put things into place. This is also relevant if there has been any bereavement or separations within the family unit or with friends. It will provoke thoughts and feelings as well as provide a forum for discussion. Even if there isn’t a reason to do it making collages of our life is great fun. Cooking too is a grounding exercise. Even a simple feast such as a fruit salad can be wonderful and give the children a great sense of achievement. Of course painting, drawing, clay modelling, sand drawing or any creative exercise is a wonderful way of freeing up the right brain.

We live in a very left brained world governed by logic, reason and learning. The right brain is our intuitive, imaginative, creative and emotional brain. All arts and crafts help us to contact the right side and therefore our feelings. Often it is through art that a child starts to access what’s going on in their hearts. It’s another tool to use to help you all relax and communicate.

Puppet shows are great fun too. Kids will often express a lot about themselves through puppets. Then you can put on a show for friends or family. Any sport is a great release too, once again freeing up the right brain as well as being an outlet for pent up energy and emotions.

Between the ages of 7 till 14 children develop more of their connection to the world beyond family and home. It’s a time when friendships can become more important than relationships with parents. It’s also the time when we start to develop our loves and passions. We start to realise what really makes us tick. We also begin to evaluate our own belief system. So is it music, art, theatre, architecture, history, animals, nature, astronomy, politics, religion, sport, travel or photography that really presses our buttons? We must help our children explore that by taking them to different museums eg The Natural History, The Imperial War, The Victoria and Albert, The British Museum and so on. Then there are the art galleries i.e. The Tate, The Tate Modern, The Haywood, The National etc.

Then there’s theatre, ballet, musicals, puppet shows, zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums. Just look in our “What’s On” section for loads of good ideas. Historical places such as The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Warwick Castle, Leeds Castle with its marvellous maze, Cheddar Gorge, Avebury, Stonehenge stir up a sense of the past and life before and produce all manner of ideas and emotions in our children.

Religious buildings too invoke curiosity and discussion of beliefs. We live in a time when we are not being spoon-fed religious doctrine and we are all allowed to freely explore our own ideas on God, death and the meaning of Life. This is something we can enjoy with our families. The kids tend to have some pretty good ideas.

Many children arrive at school -leaving age without any idea of what they would most like to do with their lives and no real career direction. The more we expose our children to a variety of experiences the more likely they are to find something that resonates with them. Can you remember places and experiences in your youth that struck a chord or turned on a light?

So there’s plenty to be getting on with. A wonderful and easy way to travel out of town is to take a train. If you get a family railcard and book in advance it can work out incredibly cheap. Providing rail travel isn’t one of your horrors it provides time to all sit together playing cards or drawing pictures and sets you up for a harmonious and restful day.

Lastly with the increasing availability of digital cameras we can give our children the responsibility and the joy of taking the pictures and then making the album, collage or scrap book of our summer adventures. So with climate change, warmer summers and the need to reduce emissions save the air fare and enjoy this green and pleasant land. Don’t forget to ask the little ones how they are. Even if you’re only told that they’re too hot well that’s some awareness. Have fun.