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Health and Wellbeing
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As your child grows, starts school and is becoming more active they need a healthy, varied diet to get all the energy and nutrients they need. They are also learning about food and eating and this is the perfect time to help them build healthy eating informed choices. You can find lots of helpful information on feeding your child in these resources.
You see the CLCH recipe resource pack for fun and healthy recipes for you to try:
- Change 4 life food facts
- Healthy Family Recipes
- Healthier Together - Keeping your child healthy
- Top tips to keep your family healthy and happy leaflet
- CLCH Fun and Healthy Recipes for you to try
- Snack swaps
- Snack builder
- Ways to be healthy on a budget and food banks in Merton
- How to make a healthy breakfast
Staying active and helping your child to become active is important for keeping you both healthy. It’s good to build this into family life as it will help you all with feeling healthy and happy and supports sleep.
Get top tips for helping your child or young person to build a healthy lifestyle.
- Your child and young person
- Tops tips for keeping children active while inside
- Try 23 to 2023 - Get your whole family involved in trying these fun activities and see how many you can tick off during 2023.
Top Tips in Merton:
Explore membership options through Merton leisure centres. Options available for low-income families, as well as cost effective junior memberships and pay as you go plans.
▪ Walk instead of getting the bus or car. Take advantage of free activities such as parks, playgrounds, and outdoor gyms
▪ Utilise apps on your phone, try to keep track of your steps and increase each week.
▪ Take advantage of yoga/fitness/dance videos on YouTube, find something you and your family enjoy doing that gets your heart rate up:
Your child’s sleep plays an important part in their development. It is common for young children to experience sleep difficulties and this can become a source of stress for tired parents. Here you can find information on how much sleep your child needs, common sleep problems and how to help your child sleep better.
Sleep advice
The CLCH primary school staying well at home resource pack provides tips to help with sleep
Technology is a big part of everyday lives, and children are spending more time looking at a screen. Here is some information about the use of screen time
Looking after your child’s teeth helps to protect them from dental decay, you can look after their teeth by brushing them twice a day and taking them to the dentist. It’s important to brush your child’s teeth for them until they are at least 7 years old to make sure they are thoroughly cleaned.
Immunisations also known as vaccinations are important for protecting your child against serious infectious diseases. Once we have been immunised, our bodies are better able to fight those diseases if we come into contact with them. You can learn more about immunising your child in these resources
Childhood immunisations
Your child should have their pre-school booster vaccinations that will protect them from transmittable infections. These include MMR and the nasal Flu vaccine. You will need to contact your GP for this.
Each child will develop as an individual with there being no ‘normal’ development. Your child will go through different stages of emotional development and although there is no ‘normal’ you can learn more about key stages here.
- Understanding childhood
- Positive parenting
- Off the record Merton (talkofftherecord.org) - Off the record Merton provides free and confidential counselling to young people aged 11-25 in the borough of Merton. They also provide a supportive space for parents and carers of young people struggling with self-harm.
- Kooth: Kooth provides free, safe and anonymous online support and counselling for children and young people
- Enable: https://enablelc.org/arts/specialist-programmes/social-prescribing/social-prescribing-for-young-people-in-east-merton/
A Social Prescribing service that supports Children and Young people living in East Merton, through 1:1 consultation. A person-centred approach to explore what is important to the client and improve their long-term health and well-being. Helping them to access and engage with local services.
You can find out about Mental Health and local services on our Introduction to Mental Health Pages
Young carers are children and young people under 18 with caring rsponsibilities. This can be rewarding but they also have the right to be looked after.
You can find out more about what it means to be a young carer and how to access support for a young carer and the person/people they care for