Mental health immune system
We all know that young children build up their immune systems through catching colds and minor illnesses. But is it possible to help build their 'mental health immune system'?
Building resilience through dealing with problems at an early age can help children to handle tricky situations when they’re older. The twists and turns of life help us build character, determination and courage but, as we've seen during the pandemic, there are times when even the most confident can do with a helping hand.
At Perform, empowering children is what we’re all about. We explore topics such as Leadership, Expressing Emotions, Standing up for Yourself and Responsibility. And we do this fun way through role-play, improvisation and high energy games.
We help bring real and relevant situations to life in our classes and welcome any input from parents if there are specific situations which a child needs support with. For example, we once had a child who was being bullied at school. The parent asked if, through the class, we could teach her child how to say "no" to the bully in certain situations. So, we worked with the whole class on a series of exercises where they had to say “no”. The children had to play both the bully and the child being bullied and, little by little, this child gained confidence by practising saying no, so that when she responded in ‘real life’ to the bully, it didn’t feel overwhelming because she’d been building up her emotional immune system through her drama class.
We all know children who seemingly breeze through life without a worry and others who are highly sensitive or prone to anxiety. Drama classes are beneficial to every child. They help give children inner confidence and, in turn, resilience, allowing them to stand up for themselves - but they also help a more confident child build self-awareness, allowing them to consider how others may be feeling which helps develop empathy.
At a time when the mental health of children is more important than ever, Perform classes will continue to focus first and foremost on delivering Confidence Building Fun - a weekly mental health immunity-boosting tonic!