World Mental Health Day, is something we want to support here at Dadvengers. And this year we decided to have a Dad Chats Special all about mental health.
Last night @nigelclarketv spoke to counsellor and psychotherapist Jonathan Goldsmith from @be_more_you_therapy about the importance of talking about our mental health. We talked about how we can try to encourage others to look after their mental health, why talking about it is so important, and how to create a safe space for dads to feel ready to talk.
It was an absolutely brilliant chat, huge thanks to Jonathan for joining us - and a huge thanks to all of you in the comments who had some incredible opinions and advice 🙏🏼
We have loads of great resources all about mental health. From blog posts:
To Dad Chats:
And amazing Podcast Episodes with These Great Guests:
Use the links to check them out. Or, use the search function on the website to look for more!
Dad Chats Live: Talking about male cancer - do you look after yourself?
This week is Orchid Male Cancer Awareness week, so tackled this topic head-on. We know some men find it difficult to talk about male cancer. But this is another topic that is so important for us to talk about. Did you know that prostate cancer (98%) and testicular cancer (97%) have some of the highest survival rates after early diagnosis - so it's important we know the signs, check for them, and take action early.
In order to be the best parents we can be, we need to be looking after ourselves. Not just with the little things, but we need to know how to check ourselves for the early signs of cancer and how to get help with that. We discussed all of this with some really great members of our community who shared their own experiences.
We also have a great podcast episode from Amos Hurts and Sophia May that talks about male cancer. Amos was diagnosed with two forms of cancer, fought the caner and won. Now he is a healthy, 85 year old dad of 7! Head over to Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to his story.
1. Checking yourself for the signs and symptoms of Male cancer (and all other cancers) is important - are you aware of how to check yourself, and do you make an effort to check?
2. Is cancer something that worries you? Or is it something you don’t think or worry about?
3. For our lighthearted question, we all know how important it is to look after ourselves. We want to know your favourite way to keep healthy. (Do you get your 5 a day, drink 2 litres of water or go for a run every day? We want to know!)
Dad Chats Live: Talking about World Suicide Prevention day.
Mental health is something we are passionate about here at Dadvengers. So it was only right that we talk about World Suicide Prevention day. This is a topic that really hits home for a lot of our community, and we were so grateful to them for joining us for this important chat.
We delved into this emotional topic, and talked about the importance of raising awareness around suicide to break down stigmas. We also talked about how to reach out for help, and the impact losing a loved one to suicide can have on those left behind. The most valuable thing about this chat is the fact that we were joined by people who have had first hand experience of suicidal thoughts, and losing someone to suicide.
Both hours of these chats need to be seen, please also share them with family and friends - it is so important that we keep breaking down the barriers to getting people the support they need - hopefully these chats will help do that.
1. Do you think there is enough awareness and understanding surrounding suicide?
2. Have you had any experience dealing with someone who has had suicidal thoughts? How would you begin to support someone you love that may be suicidal?
3. Laughter can heal many things. So we want to know what’s the funniest parenting moment you’ve had in the last few months?
One of our Dadvengers community has written a blog post on the subject. It's entitled A Letter To a Dad Contemplating Suicide – You Are Loved More Than You Know. and the post delves into the emotional aftermath of losing a dad to suicide and it is written by someone who has experienced it themselves. Please read, let us know what you think, and share the post with the people in your lives.
When you think of the outdoors, you might think of sunny days, rainy days, big cuddles or wet socks. Fighting with your little ones to put on their coat or breathing in that fresh air! But did you know that there are many other benefits to being outside and getting involved in outdoor play? Not only for physical and mental health but also for learning opportunities?
Children learn so much from being outside, as they walk, run, jump, climb, look, listen, talk, play and explore. There are so many ways that we can get outside without having to spend a penny; let me share with you the benefits of the outdoors, as well as some ideas for activities to do out and about.
Sometimes the biggest hurdle to outdoor play is simply getting outside! When you can, include getting ready together as part of going out.
No! It really doesn’t matter what you do or where you go, you can find opportunities in everything and there’s learning opportunities all around us. For example, can you spot the numbers on the doors or the letters on the street signs? And how big is that bus? Can you hear the birds singing? Should we count the dogs together? The opportunities are endless. If you’re walking to school, going to the shops or just off to the end of the road to post a letter, it can still be an adventure. For lots of ideas and information on the different places you can go and the benefits of outdoor play - try visiting the Play England website.
Being outside opens up a whole world of learning. Whatever the weather, exploring nature and playing outside offers wonderful opportunities to support your child’s learning and development. Outdoor play can:
There are some great resources online with ideas for outdoor play. Try looking at The Woodland Trust website for more ideas!
There is lots of scientific research that shows children who are physically active have lower health risks. This is in part because outdoor play uses many different types of muscles. Running, jumping, catching, balancing - all these types of movement support children to build their motor skills. It also lowers their blood pressure, improves their eyesight and strengthens their immune system (Blair and Brodney, 1999; Fjortoft, 2001). Being outside also has mental benefits for children; it promotes higher levels of concentration and attention (Wells and Evans, 2003).
Outdoor environments are not only beneficial for children, but for adults too. Getting outdoors has been shown to significantly reduce levels of stress and positively impact mood (Thompson et al, 2012). Natural light has also been found to increase the production of Vitamin D. This helps to regulate emotions and improve mood in both children and adults. Studies have found that just 5 minutes of outdoor time per day can improve mood and self-esteem. This article in The Conversation talks more about the mental and physical health benefits of outdoor play.
Being outside with nature can have a magical effect on us and children; it allows us to feel free, experience adventures and make lasting memories!
If you have found this helpful and want to find out more about supporting your child’s learning, please check out Peeple’s Facebook page. If you’re a practitioner, you can find out about the Peep Learning Together Programme and training on the Peeple website, or email Charlotte on info@peeple.org.uk.
If you’d like to watch and listen to Helen talking about this subject don’t forget you can check out her guest appearance on Dad Chats Live. Our weekly parenting chat hosted on our Instagram Account.
And if you are interested in writing a guest post for us on a subject you feel qualified to talk on please do get in touch and we can explore further.
Has this post inspired you to get outside and play? We'd love to hear about your ideas for outdoor play - or why not try some of the ideas from Helen and tag us in your outdoor play pics on Instagram!
Please leave your comments in the section below and share this post and other Dadvengers Posts with your family and parenting friends.
Dadvengers is a community of parents (that’s Mums and Dad’s) focused on supporting Dads on their journey through parenthood.
Dad Chats Live Childrens Wellbeing - This week we were joined by special guest Adrian Bethune from @teachappyuk, talking all about what he’s learnt in regards to children’s wellbeing and how parents can better support their kids.
1. Wellbeing – What is it and how can parents support their children?
2. Does your diet affect your wellbeing? Let's talk about what we eat and how it affects us mentally.
3. What’s the best drink you’ve had in the best location? Let’s reminisce on those great moments that don’t happen often enough.
Adrian has written a blog post for us to accompany this chat - covering the following key areas of Childrens Wellbeing:
As well as that he has also provided tips on how we as parents can support wellbeing in our children. They include:
All of these areas are covered in the post, so if you’d like to read the full article please click on the link. And please feel free to feedback your thoughts on this or any of our posts in the comment sections at the bottom of each page.
