Articles and Information

The alarming recent news stories of university students dying of overdoses in their university halls has caused great concern among parents who are stranded miles away from their isolated children, some of whom are away from home for the first time. Unfortunately, drugs at universities are a long-standing problem.

Returning to school after the national lockdown is uncharted territory and can be unsettling for everyone. Our Fegans’ counsellors offer a few tips on how to smooth the transition from home to classroom.

Having to spend so much time together with other family members when we are not used to it and feeling confined is not easy. Try to be aware of the levels of tension in the house.

The number of children returning to the classroom is steadily increasing as schools across the UK start to invite more pupils back.

While some children are excited to return, there are many children who are feeling anxious about going back.

At home, they’re Superman or Wonder Woman: charging around, centre stage, demanding your attention – but, after two months at home, many of us are worrying about how easily our children will find returning to the classroom.

A child who is very angry may be so full of the emotion they cannot contain it and need to release some of it before they can begin to calm down. 

A pot of bubbles is sometimes all you need to diffuse anger or sadness.

As stay-at-home orders are implemented across the world, many grandparents, aunts, uncles, or friends are acutely feeling the loss and social isolation of being away from the children that they care about. Our Parent Support Coordinator has some advice to keep in touch.

The rainbows are a powerful statement each child is making to remind us all of what is important for the survival of our communities. They help us all to make the right choices and not let our adults’ fear and anxiety overwhelm us.

Eight top tips on how to keep your children safe now and after the lockdown.

Sibling rivalry can drive parents nuts, and it’s inevitable if you’ve got more than one child in your home. Our Support Parent Workers have lots of tips to handle the bickering.

Home schooling is challenging, but don't forget to build in some 'brain breaks' into your children 's daily schedule.

Schools are now closed across the UK and parents will be faced with the challenging task of looking after children while continuing to work from home.

We share our top tips to help your child cope with nightmares and worries at this difficult time.

School closures which cause disruption in routine for children with autism or special needs can be incredibly hard. Nicola Baldwin, our Parent Support Coordinator has some advice.

Here are some helpful tips for parenting teenagers, and young adults, suddenly at home, during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Children will know about the virus, so parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it as this can make children worry more.
Your goal is to help your children feel informed with fact-based information that is likely more reassuring than whatever they’re hearing from their friends or on their newsfeeds. 

At times like these, your children may be experiencing some emotions that they haven’t fully felt before.  The time you have in the home together could be fraught with outbursts but, at Fegans we see this as an opportunity for you to help your youngsters deal with their feelings and learn to communicate them to others.

Advice from our Parenting Support Lead and free printable timetable template.

At times of crisis such as the global pandemic we currently face, parents may be particularly concerned about their children’s mental health.

One of our amazing Fegans Counsellors, Natalie, has written this article to help us understand trauma and give an insight into how it affects children…

With families spending more time in the home and self-isolating, the chances of tantrums and meltdowns are likely to increase, particularly if we are struggling ourselves.

We know many parents will worry about the impact of school closures on their child emotionally and academically, but this time when we are all together can be a great opportunity to start building on improving a child's confidence.

Parents are a child's first teachers and role models. And usually children are more affected by what their parents do than by what their parents say. They learn how to behave by seeing how their mothers and fathers behave and by following their example. The way we, as parents, deal with the current pandemic and self-isolation, will influence how are children respond to the situation.

With families spending so much time together, now is the perfect time to throw yourself in to child-led play.