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Relationships

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Relationships

How to help your child move away from toxic friendships

“It’s not my child, it’s those kids he hangs out with!” is the motto of almost all parents. In some cases, it’s just some natural bias - of course you want to see your child as an innocent angel, even if evidence points to the contrary! But in other cases, it might really be true. Perhaps your little one, despite all your best efforts, has found themselves in a crowd of badly behaved, unruly peers.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Episode 3: Mental health support at school

Mark James, Former Principal of Highgate Junior School in London, speaks on his experience incorporating mental health into the school curriculum and structure.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Talking to your child about racism

If you are a person of colour, it is more than likely that you have experienced some form of racism during your lifetime. Unfortunately, it is still a scourge on our society, which means that there is a chance that your child might face similar issues.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

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Mental Health

Talking to young children about death

It can be hard to talk to young children about death. You might worry about how well they'll understand or answer. So many times, adults try to protect their kids by not telling them what's happening. But if they don't know what's happening, children may sense something is wrong and become worried and confused. They might rather know, even if it's bad news, than have to deal with not knowing. So, telling our children the truth can help them feel supported.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

How to help your child manage anxiety

Here are some simple tips that you can try at home to help your child manage anxiety, summarized by psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, Anna Jackson.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

How to prioritize emotional wellbeing as a refugee family

Being displaced is a difficult experience for every family member. But it's important that parents check in with their children about how they are feeling regularly to ensure their emotional wellbeing. Here are some thoughts from Affi Parvizi Wayne, an Iranian refugee now based in London, on how to approach these conversations.

By Kanjo

School

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School

Helping your child with ADHD focus at school

Children with ADHD are easily distracted by external and internal stimuli and find it hard to plan and organise their work. As such, they are often caught daydreaming, fidgeting or procrastinating. In an ideal world, they would not be told off for this behaviour because, of course, it is not their fault.

By Kanjo

School

How to deal with back-to-school anxiety

Oh, school. Whiteboards, uniform, exam grades, swimming competitions, social pressure – understandably it can all be a little anxiety producing. Of course, many children look forward to going back to school, seeing their friends and impressing their teachers.

By Kanjo

School

Art therapy for children with ADHD

rt therapy may sound a little bizarre, but it is actually a longstanding clinical approach which combines psychology and the visual arts to help people improve their mental health.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

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Neurodiversity

Neurodivergent Children's Learning Differences, Not Difficulties

Joanne Riordan, an educational psychologist that specializes in neurodiversity, speaks on how we can empower neurodivergent children by focusing on their strengths, the challenges they face today, and more.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

How to help your autistic child make friends

One of the hallmarks of autism is struggling in social situations. In children, this can lead to feelings of social anxiety and depression. Symptoms of autism vary, but they often manifest as trouble reading social cues like body language, verbal intonation and facial expression.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Setting New Year's resolutions for children with ADHD

Your child may show little difficulty at sticking to a task once they get going but, boy, it is often hard to get them going in the first place. Of course, no one is to blame here. As Anna Dafna, our most recent podcast guest, made clear, people with ADHD suffer from impaired executive functioning, a term which refers to processes such as planning ahead and organising one’s time.

By Kanjo

Sleep

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Sleep

Dealing with the dark

Being afraid of the dark is a common fear among children and can significantly impact how they sleep. It can make putting them to bed every night a huge hassle, leading to restlessness and anxiety. Empowering your child to overcome their fear of the dark can equip them with the right tools to fight other fears that they may come across. Here are some tips for parents to help their children with their fear of the dark:

By Kanjo

Sleep

Nightmares

Nightmares can be terrible, even as an adult but in general, we have them far less often than our kids. The rate is higher the younger the child is, with 96% of our children aged six to ten having nightmares.

By Kanjo

Sleep

Getting your child to sleep without you

We often hear parents talking about their children wanting them to sleep or lie next to them before they sleep. Many children will often pair that with delay tactics before sleeping to keep their parents around for longer.

By Kanjo

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Kanjo Konversations

A candid reflection on men's mental health

It’s no secret that men are often left to feel less comfortable opening up about their feelings without being judged because of the stigma against men being emotional.

By Kanjo

Kanjo Konversations

A conversation on children's mindfulness

Rebekah Clark, founder of Happy Marlo, gives you her top tips on how to approach children's mindfulness and what mindfulness really is; in a simple, non confusing way.

By Kanjo

Emotional Management

Anger and stress management through exercise

There are lots of tips on anger and stress management. But sometimes, children just need to release some of that mental energy through physical movements - in a safe way, of course - and the answer to this is simple: exercise!

By Kanjo

School

Art therapy for children with ADHD

rt therapy may sound a little bizarre, but it is actually a longstanding clinical approach which combines psychology and the visual arts to help people improve their mental health.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Autism and drawings; a scientific perspective

In this article we look to explain children's drawings and how they related to ASD from the perspective of psychological research, by providing an overview to some key questions.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Autism meltdowns: The full guide

In its simplest terms, it’s a very intense response to an overwhelming situation that leads to loss of control of behaviour.

By Kanjo

Parenting Style

Balancing multiple cultures in your home

Many immigrant and refugee families struggle with balancing the values and expectations of their original culture, while adapting and introducing a new one to their children. Here are some thoughts from Affi Parvizi Wayne, an Iranian refugee now based in London.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Becoming a Neurodiversity Affirming School

Does your child's school support their needs properly? Here is a checklist from Joanne Riordan, an educational psychologist that specializes in neurodiversity - if your school doesn't meet these categories, go advocate for them now!

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Bedwetting in Children

Wetting the bed is for many one of the most embarrassing experiences they will have in their adult lives. And even if it is more common, involuntary bed-wetting can be extremely troubling for children, whose self-esteem becomes increasingly more vulnerable as they grow up.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Beginner's guide to breath work with children

There are many ways to include mindfulness into your children's routine and breathing is one of the easiest and most effective. Rebekah of Happy Marlo, gives you her top tips on getting started.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Beginner's guide to tapping with children

Rebekah is an expert in Children's mindfulness taking us through how to explore the process of taping to help children self soothe, focus and create a sense of calm within seconds.

By Kanjo

Kanjo Recommends

Best children's toys for soothing and calming

Regardless of age, anxiety takes us away from the present moment and into a place of the scary unknown. However, toys have the magical ability to bring children back into the present and as a consequence, calm them down.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Books for young adults to address emotional well-being

Mark James, former Principal of Highgate Junior School and a certified counsellor, gives you his book recommendations for addressing mental health!

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Bringing out the best in children

How do we bring out the best in children? Here are some tips on how to be authoritative but not authoritarian, brought to you by parenting expert Daisy Seale-Barnes.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Building emotional vocabulary using an emotions wheel

Getting our child to express how they feel is often a tough one. It's hard enough as an adult to find the right words to say! At Kanjo, we found that using an emotions wheel was a simple and effective way to teach your children about emotions, their associations, and build a vocabulary strong enough to eloquently express how they feel.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Children's Mental Health Check-In 2023: Calls for Innovative Solutions

With Children's Mental Health Week upon us, it is beneficial to prepare for the future of family wellbeing by reflecting on the status quo — and how we got here. Let us take a look at three key statistics to better understand the state of children's mental health today.

By Kanjo

Sleep

Combatting hyper activity before bed

Whether your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, ADD or just has a tendency to be hyper-active before bed, bedtime routines can be a real struggle. Children with ADHD are three times less likely to get enough sleep compared to their friends so trying out these tips and tricks can be an important step in helping them get the help they need!

By Kanjo

Sleep

Dealing with the dark

Being afraid of the dark is a common fear among children and can significantly impact how they sleep. It can make putting them to bed every night a huge hassle, leading to restlessness and anxiety. Empowering your child to overcome their fear of the dark can equip them with the right tools to fight other fears that they may come across. Here are some tips for parents to help their children with their fear of the dark:

By Kanjo

Expert Interviews

Dr Linda Papadopoulos: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive behaviour therapy or CBT is based on the premise that you think first and then you feel. Your feelings go through this filtration of your thoughts right? But as we know, our thoughts can be wrong- they can be biased and as a result they can complicate our feelings.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Episode 3: Mental health support at school

Mark James, Former Principal of Highgate Junior School in London, speaks on his experience incorporating mental health into the school curriculum and structure.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Finding a parenting community in a new environment

As an immigrant or refugee parent, your focus may solely be on creating a home for your child. But creating a home for yourself is just as important, and that starts with finding a parenting community. Here are some thoughts from Affi Parvizi Wayne, an Iranian refugee now based in London.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Focusing on the strengths of neurodiversity

Framing is so important when it comes to neurodiversity - it's not about children's learning difficulties, but their learning differences. Joanne Riordan, an educational psychologist that specializes in neurodiversity, shares her top tips to best approach this.

By Kanjo

School

Fussy eating at school

Fussy eating is stressful for the whole family, especially when we aren’t around to see what they are eating at school or have any control over it. School often exacerbates picky eating; not only are children in a new environment but they are also being constantly forced to try new tastes, flavours and smells.

By Kanjo

Parenting Style

Getting Started with Positive Parenting

We're all about positivity in the household! Here's how to get started with positive parenting, brought to you by parenting expert Daisy Seale-Barnes.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Getting children ready for back-to-school

Back to school is always stressful for the whole family. Carrie Longton, the founder of Mumsnet, gives her top tips on making that transition back easier.

By Kanjo

Sleep

Getting your child to sleep without you

We often hear parents talking about their children wanting them to sleep or lie next to them before they sleep. Many children will often pair that with delay tactics before sleeping to keep their parents around for longer.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Helping your autistic child set New Year's resolutions

We think of New Year’s Resolutions as being solo endeavours. I am going to go to the gym more, you’re going to eat more kale, she’s going vegan, he’s going keto. This approach might not work for your autistic child. As much as it is important to cultivate in them a sense of confidence and independence, any parent of an autistic child will tell you that expecting them to sit down, curate a list of self-improvement goals and carry them out with constant motivation and self-feedback is wishful thinking.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Helping your child overcome anxious attachment

Has your child been overly seeking your attention or anxious about your love? These may be signs that they are developing anxious attachment. Here are some tips from attachment-based psychotherapist Charisse Cooke on how to help your child overcome anxiety in relationships to develop a more secure attachment with you and others.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Helping your child overcome avoidant attachment

Has your child been withdrawn or noticeably quiet, unwilling to share their feelings? These may be signs that they are developing avoidant attachment. Here are some tips from attachment-based psychotherapist Charisse Cooke on how to help your child overcome avoidance in relationships to develop a more secure attachment with you and others.

By Kanjo

Emotional Management

Helping your child overcome tantrums

Children throw tantrums because their “emotional brain” develops faster than their “rational brain." Therefore, it’s hard for children to reason through their impulses when they get emotional.This does not mean that reason and emotion should be viewed separately.

By Kanjo

School

Helping your child with ADHD focus at school

Children with ADHD are easily distracted by external and internal stimuli and find it hard to plan and organise their work. As such, they are often caught daydreaming, fidgeting or procrastinating. In an ideal world, they would not be told off for this behaviour because, of course, it is not their fault.

By Kanjo

Parenting Style

How Parents Can Enjoy Themselves

Your own wellbeing will reflect on your children's. Child therapist Nicole Henry shares why it's important that parents get their rest and relaxation.

By Kanjo

School

How to deal with back-to-school anxiety

Oh, school. Whiteboards, uniform, exam grades, swimming competitions, social pressure – understandably it can all be a little anxiety producing. Of course, many children look forward to going back to school, seeing their friends and impressing their teachers.

By Kanjo

Relationships

How to explain and celebrate Pride Month with your children

It’s Pride Month! This is a wonderful opportunity to teach your kids about gender and sexuality as well as the LGBTQ+ community.Many of us parents didn’t grow up during a time when pride month was as widely acknowledged and celebrated, so it may feel challenging to approach these conversations.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

How to get the most from parenting books

There are thousands of parenting books out there so where do you start? Carrie Longton, the founder of Mumsnet, gives you the lowdown.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

How to help your autistic child make friends

One of the hallmarks of autism is struggling in social situations. In children, this can lead to feelings of social anxiety and depression. Symptoms of autism vary, but they often manifest as trouble reading social cues like body language, verbal intonation and facial expression.

By Kanjo

Relationships

How to help your child develop secure attachment

Attachment theory has recently gained mass attention on social media as a framework for analyzing relationships, mostly romantic ones. But did you know the crux of the concept lies in the relationship between child and caregiver? Attachment-based psychotherapist, Charisse Cooke, explains how you can help your child develop a secure attachment to you and others in order to predict better mental health outcomes in your child's future.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

How to help your child manage anxiety

Here are some simple tips that you can try at home to help your child manage anxiety, summarized by psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, Anna Jackson.

By Kanjo

Relationships

How to help your child move away from toxic friendships

“It’s not my child, it’s those kids he hangs out with!” is the motto of almost all parents. In some cases, it’s just some natural bias - of course you want to see your child as an innocent angel, even if evidence points to the contrary! But in other cases, it might really be true. Perhaps your little one, despite all your best efforts, has found themselves in a crowd of badly behaved, unruly peers.

By Kanjo

School

How to prepare for the first day of nursery

With September right around the corner, many of you might be getting anxious about your child’s first day of reception. Whether they’re coming from nursery or it will be their first time in a formal school setting, reception is a major transition that can feel sudden and overwhelming, both for you and your child.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

How to prioritize emotional wellbeing as a refugee family

Being displaced is a difficult experience for every family member. But it's important that parents check in with their children about how they are feeling regularly to ensure their emotional wellbeing. Here are some thoughts from Affi Parvizi Wayne, an Iranian refugee now based in London, on how to approach these conversations.

By Kanjo

Kanjo Recommends

How to set New Year's resolutions with your child

As a parent, setting New Year’s Resolutions with your child can go one of two ways. Scenario One.You drag your bedraggled child out of their warm bed, plop them down on a cold, hard seat and force them to think about all their mistakes over the past 12 months and how they could and should fix them through sheer discipline.

By Kanjo

Communication

How to speak to young children about being a refugee

Understanding displacement from your home country can be a difficult concept to grasp as a child. Here are some thoughts from Affi Parvizi Wayne, an Iranian refugee now based in London, on how to approach this conversation.

By Kanjo

Communication

How to stop your child from lying

We would all love our children to be models of honesty. However, many of them seem to enjoy a fib, and that can be distressing for parents. So why is this happening?

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

How to support a child with dyslexia

As many as one in five children are estimated to have dyslexia. Navigating this learning difficulty can be challenging, so parents must step up to be the core supporters and guides for their children. This means understanding the implications of dyslexia and becoming comfortable with all areas in which your child may need support.

By Kanjo

Relationships

How your attachment style impacts your child's future

Attachment theory has recently gained mass attention on social media as a framework for analyzing relationships, mostly romantic ones. But did you know the crux of the concept lies in the relationship between child and caregiver? Attachment model expert and relationship psychotherapist, Charisse Cooke, explains why understanding your attachment style with your child is important and how to approach developing the best form of attachment in order to predict better mental health outcomes in your child's future.

By Kanjo

Parenting Style

Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an action-oriented approach to parenting, grounded in behavioural psychology, that can help children commit to making necessary changes in their behaviour. Here's how to get started, brought to you by parenting expert Daisy Seale-Barnes.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Mindfulness reminder for parents

Parents get stressed too. Rebekah of Happy Marlo gives you her top tips on how to keep grounded during times of tough parenting.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Movie Recommendations for Families to Address Emotional Wellbeing

Mark James, Principal of Highgate Junior School and a certified counsellor, gives you his film recommendations for addressing mental health!

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Movies for young adults to address emotional well-being

Mark James, former Principal of Highgate Junior School and a certified counsellor, gives you his film recommendations for addressing mental health!

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Neurodivergent Children's Learning Differences, Not Difficulties

Joanne Riordan, an educational psychologist that specializes in neurodiversity, speaks on how we can empower neurodivergent children by focusing on their strengths, the challenges they face today, and more.

By Kanjo

Sleep

Nightmares

Nightmares can be terrible, even as an adult but in general, we have them far less often than our kids. The rate is higher the younger the child is, with 96% of our children aged six to ten having nightmares.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Overcoming mental health stigma as a parent

While conversations around mental health have become more open in recent years, there still exists stigma, as if addressing emotional wellbeing means something is "wrong" or parents are "overreacting."

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Setting New Year's resolutions for anxious children

The New Year can be daunting for all of us. Perhaps you are moving house, changing jobs or getting a pet – whatever it is, 1st January symbolises change. For many, this transition period signifies the potential for personal growth and happiness. As such, they look forward to the fireworks, the champagne and the new calendar. For others, however, the numbers 01/01 are enough to strike fear into their hearts.

By Kanjo

Neurodiversity

Setting New Year's resolutions for children with ADHD

Your child may show little difficulty at sticking to a task once they get going but, boy, it is often hard to get them going in the first place. Of course, no one is to blame here. As Anna Dafna, our most recent podcast guest, made clear, people with ADHD suffer from impaired executive functioning, a term which refers to processes such as planning ahead and organising one’s time.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Sibling jealousy

Sibling bickering is normal, if anything it’s healthy. However, sibling rivalry can end up damaging your children’s relationships in the present and down the line. Here are our top tips to make sure family time is cooperative rather than competitive.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Signs your child may be struggling with anxiety

Identifying anxiety is the first step to helping your child manage it in healthy ways and preventing them from damaging their mental health further down the line. However, it may be difficult to catch when a child is struggling with anxiety, as children rarely are able to articulate their emotions. Here are some signs to look out for, explained by psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, Anna Jackson.

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Starting the conversation about mental health

Having good mental health is vital to developing wellbeing in both children and adults. It is important to acknowledge that not only the body can get ill, but also the mind. Some parents may be scared to introduce the topic since it may be upsetting and complex, however emphasising good mental health allows our kids to be more emotionally adept and more understanding of their feelings.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

TV shows for young adults to address emotional well-being

Mark James, former Principal of Highgate Junior School and a certified counsellor, gives you his TV show recommendations for addressing mental health!

By Kanjo

Mental Health

Talking to young children about death

It can be hard to talk to young children about death. You might worry about how well they'll understand or answer. So many times, adults try to protect their kids by not telling them what's happening. But if they don't know what's happening, children may sense something is wrong and become worried and confused. They might rather know, even if it's bad news, than have to deal with not knowing. So, telling our children the truth can help them feel supported.

By Kanjo

Relationships

Talking to your child about racism

If you are a person of colour, it is more than likely that you have experienced some form of racism during your lifetime. Unfortunately, it is still a scourge on our society, which means that there is a chance that your child might face similar issues.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Teaching your child a new language

Many of us have tried learning a new language as an adult and it can be pretty tough. Lucky for our children though, language acquisition is much easier the younger they are!

By Kanjo

Kanjo Konversations

The importance of addressing children's mental health

What are some of the greatest challenges children face today? How can parents address emotional wellbeing early on? Child psychologist Nicole Henry shares her take!

By Kanjo

Kanjo Konversations

Understanding Your Child Through DeepTech

Kanjo co-founder Dr Stefan helps you understand how we provide the personalised insights about your child using a special technology called digital biomarkers.

By Kanjo

Top Tips

Using your support network

We all need someone to learn on throughout parenthood but who are the best people to keep in your circle and how do you find them? Carrie Longton, the founder of the biggest parenting community globally, gives you her top tips.

By Kanjo

Relationships

What to do if your child has a mean streak

Have you noticed your child lashing out? Has your child ever been called a bully? Child therapist Nicole Henry gives top tips on what to do if your child has a mean streak.

By Kanjo

Kanjo Konversations

Why parents need each other

Have you ever asked yourself “Is what my child is doing normal?” or “Am I doing this right as a parent?” We’re here to assure that you’re not alone. Carrie Longton, founder of Mumsnet, gives her top tips on building a parenting community and how parents can support each other through their journeys.

By Kanjo