Words that grownups dread to hear… that your child is being bullied, feels bullied or is in fact doing the bullying. Bullying is when someone is being hurt either by repeated words or actions. Bullying can take many forms and result in low self esteem and confidence, affect performance at school, withdrawal, anxiety, rage and anger. It is is hard for grownups to see children in pain or distress and this may in turn cause anger and anxiety for you. Every child has a right to be and feel safe. How do you support a child with bullying? A good first step with bullying is to address the source of t ..read more

If you find that you are struggling to get along with your child, it can be a challenging and distressing experience for both of you. Some potential consequences of not getting along with your child may include: Communication breakdown: When there is a lack of communication or understanding between parent and child, it can create tension and misunderstandings, making it difficult to resolve conflicts. Behavioural issues: If you and your child are not getting along, it can lead to problematic behaviours, such as defiance, anger, or acting out, which can further exacerbate the situation. E ..read more

It’s safe to say we’re living in challenging times, with the cost of living stretching many households, leaving families with tough decisions to make around spending, with some even considering the prospect of eating or heating. With the rate of inflation reaching a thirty-year high of 5.4% in December 2022 – which was driven by increases in food costs – up by 16.2% in October, fuel and utility costs. This compared to wages rising by 3.5%, which meant wages fell by 1.6% in real terms, leaving many of us with tough decisions to make. The impact of these challenging times causes stress and worry ..read more

Moving on to a new school from Year 6 to Year 7 is a big life event for our children. Our summer blog looks at ways in which you can help smooth the transition and blast the nerves away in a few steps!   Moving from the ‘safety’ of a familiar and quite often, smaller school with the friends our kids have been in classes with for most of their young lives will probably be the most challenging thing most of our eleven years olds have had to face.   Here are Happy Confident Kids top tips on how you as parents or guardians can transform a potentially stressful time into something excitin ..read more

Feelings of anger are completely natural and healthy, helping us learn and navigate through life. It’s when anger turns into aggression or violence that it becomes a problem.   It is important we work with our children to harness the tools to effectively manage their anger, turning it into a positive emotion.   Why do our children experience feelings of anger? Reasons can include: ·         Struggling with schoolwork or exams ·         Being bullied ·         Friend ..read more

Working with a client recently, we ended up covering the practical aspects of exam preparation as well as the mindset. This year 11 student had very little workable skill in preparing for their upcoming exams and was cramming all topics within a subject the night before. Reflecting after the session, I considered a number of reasons as to how this situation had come about and pondered the following questions: Had the school taught exam preparation? Were the parents aware of this skill gap in their child’s learning? Had the child asked for help and received none? Why hadn’t this been picked up ..read more

Self-harm is when someone deliberately hurts themselves as a coping strategy to release a build-up of tension and manage distress, and overwhelming and often complex emotions or situations that feel out of their control and influence. Conversely, they could feel numb and self-harm is a way to feel ‘something’. Often a sign something isn’t quite right in their life. Quite often, as feelings build up again, so does the urge to hurt themselves.     Self-harm among children had doubled during the decade, according to analysis. The number of children aged nine to 12 admitted to hospital h ..read more

It’s important for children to understand personal boundaries and respect the boundaries of others from a young age. This will enable them to navigate life in a healthy, aware and safe manner, with the ability to be empathetic and forge strong and healthy relationships throughout their lives. With social media and an ‘always-on’ culture, there are more ways to communicate and absorb information instantly than ever before. It’s critical as parents or guardians, we start engaging with our children at a young age, to help them navigate and develop an understanding of social boundaries, as part of ..read more

When HCK was founded, it was to serve a very specific purpose. To teach children the emotional foundation blocks of life. In a world where academia is valued more than values themselves and a child’s worth is based on their achievement, it is no wonder that children are struggling with their mental health. HCK was founded to teach children how to manage their own emotional state better. To give them tools and strategies that were easy enough to be implemented autonomously by them yet effective enough and backed up by science to make a tangible difference when put into practice regularly. All o ..read more

At this time of year, there are many changes to routine and expectations as the Christmas holidays begin. Excitement can often be mistaken for anxiety and vice versa as they share similarities in their emotional qualities. This can make it difficult for children to regulate themselves and, as parents or teachers, you can sometimes see an increase in ‘bad behaviour’. Whenever a child’s behaviour changes or becomes unacceptable, try and see past the behaviour and consider what is driving the behaviour. Often, because of our own demands, we naturally deal with the surface, because that is what is ..read more