‘Be as honest as possible’: Northampton art therapist releases guide to help parents deal with family’s mental health during lockdown

A qualified art therapist from Northampton has released a guide to help parents deal with their own and their children’s mental health during the coronavirus lockdown.

Jennifer Tasker, who would usually hold art therapy sessions with adults, teenagers and children at her Green Owl Art Therapy office in the town centre, is now completing some sessions via video call.

But the mum-of-one, who lives in Abington, wants to help more people during this unprecedented period of time, so has created a mental health guide complete with advice and activities, free for anyone.

Jennifer said: “For children in general their mental health is going to really suffer in the situation, along with parents as well.

“They’re going to be nervous and anxious and children pick up on these things.

“The guide promotes mental health for the whole family, occupies the children and gives them something fun to do.

“Even if it just helps a couple of children, that is a good thing. I hope it helps as many people as possible.”

Jennifer’s guide contains advice for parents about behavioural changes as she says children ‘are not always great at expressing their anxiety’, which can come across as ‘tantrums or being disobedient.’

In the guide, the 37-year-old also addresses how to help children understand what is happening in the world.

Jennifer added: “Children are like sponges and will pick up on things they hear on TV so it’s better to talk to them about what's happening, else they’ll start to get their own ideas about it.

“It will be an emotional time for parents. Children will see that they’re emotional and that’s OK.

“It’s best to say that you’re feeling sad or upset but that you’re OK. It teaches children that it’s alright to feel like that.”

One of the activities in the guide - the worry box - addresses the fears surrounding the situation in a creative way.

“It gives children the chance to make a lovely box and gives them the chance to put in any worries and know they will then be talked about afterwards,” Jennifer continued.

“Rather than talk about it all the time, children will get fixated on it, or not talk about it at all, this is a good way to allocate the children a time of day to talk about their worries.

“The best way is to be as honest as possible.”

There are also other activities in the guide such as writing a poem and making a positive poster that can be sent to relatives who children cannot see due to the lockdown.

Jennifer says this will help children feel like they are ‘doing something good at this scary time’.

Download a PDF of Jennifer’s guide to helping your family’s mental health here.A message from the Editor:

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