Our minds are beautifully complicated and brilliant machines. For much of our lives, these machines run efficiently with minimal maintenance. However, just like our other organs, they do require some proper attention every now and then and recognising this at an early age can help as children progress into adulthood.
 
This is a guide designed to help children become more aware of their emotional needs and examines a range of topics that might give their minds difficulties, for example:
When parents don’t seem to understand us
When we are finding it hard to make friends
When we feel angry, anxious or lack confidence
When school feels boring or difficult
 
Extracts from the Book:
 
On Bullies
“People behave badly — they get angry or they do and say mean things — when they are afraid of something. Usually you can’t see what they are afraid of and they don’t tell you. They feel they can’t explain their fear, and they are worried that if they tried to explain no one would understand. So they cover up their fears. They try to look as if they aren’t afraid at all. Maybe this happens to you sometimes.”
 
On Frustration
“Both anger and sadness start off with frustration, with a wish that has not been fulfilled. But the frustration will make us sad when it is expected. It might make us furious when it is a surprise. What makes us angry are frustrations, large or small, that we have not budgeted for; that we didn’t expect to happen.”
 
On Confidence
“If we know we might look stupid, because everyone does at one time or another, it gives us permission to try things where we risk looking stupid — which includes all the most interesting situations in life. If you are too concerned about looking sensible, you’ll never audition for the school play, paint a crazy picture, or try speaking a foreign language.”
We explore a range of common scenarios encountered by children and talk about some of the very best ideas to help deal with them. By offering a sympathetic and supportive framework, Happy, Healthy Minds encourages children to open up, explore their feelings and face the dilemmas of growing up armed with emotional intelligence.