Mental Wellness for Kids in the Digital World

In this episode of Navigating the Digital Jungle, Sue Atkins, Angeline Corvaglia and Marneta Viegas explore the impact of technology on children's mental health and well-being. They discuss essential components of good mental health in children and the negative effects of technology overuse, such as reduced physical activity and sleep disruption. Angeline offers practical advice for parents to balance screen time at home, while Marneta shares insights from her Relax Kids programme designed to support children's mental and emotional health.    And Sue offers her ‘ING’ ideas for finding balance with Activities Off Screen: like climbing, biking, playing, cooking, baking, creating to roller skating or exploring in the garden, to make it compelling to come together and connect.   The episode also features tips for reducing screen dependency, maintaining healthy tech habits, and the importance of simplicity in mental health practices. The show concludes with listener questions, strategies for managing tech use, and practical solutions for digital detox.   About our guest - Marneta Viegas founded Relax Kids - the UK's first and best organisation to create tools and techniques to help children and teens relax and self-regulate.  Marneta is the published author of 19 children's books that help children manage their anxiety, emotions and sleep. Marneta has also developed a unique method of assisting children to feel calm and has trained over 6,000 Relax Kids coaches and 4,000 school teachers in this Award-winning system. Over the last 25 years, Marneta has helped support over 5 million children from 52 countries.     www.relaxkids.com  Facebook @relaxkidsofficial  Insta @relax_kids  Twitter@relaxkids  TikTok @relax_kids  LinkedIn @relaxkids     Links to videos and articles mentioned: https://sueatkinsparentingcoach.com/2023/09/what-to-do-when-they-say-im-bored-let-the-bored-jar-do-the-talking/ Rising Above: Silencing the Negativity https://vimeo.com/957059772   The Great Online Perfection Illusion  The Great Online Perfection Illusion   Why Can’t I Put My Phone Down  Why Can't I Put My Phone Down     00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 01:23 Understanding Children's Mental Health 02:50 Technology's Impact on Wellbeing 04:13 Balancing Tech at Home 06:22 Relax Kids: Tools for Mental Health 09:14 The Importance of Simplicity and Practicality 15:20 School Programs and Resources 26:30 Listener Questions and Tips 34:31 Final Thoughts and Farewell