Dublin, Ireland Nov 23, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - It's okay to feel afraid sometimes. Being afraid means that you are about to grow. You are about to find the strength, the help, and the courage to learn and explore and go further out into the world than you have ever gone before.
Buddy Bench are delighted to launch Sam Builds a Nest, their first Care Pack for children and the grownups who love them to enjoy at home. This Care Pack includes the Sam Builds a Nest storybook (beautifully illustrated by Ross Dillon of Cartoon Saloon sister company Lighthouse Studios), a wonderfully snuggly robin and some great Buddy Bench activities designed to help children work through their fears and develop resilience.
Talking with parents, Buddy Bench has come to understand that sometimes the hardest thing for a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or caring grownup, is to have to stand in the wings while the children they love tackle the challenges of growing up without us, which is why we have developed a range of Buddy Bench Care Packs that provide tools and insight for grownups to explore mental wellbeing issues with the children they love. Each one is based around one of the animal characters that thousands of children will instantly recognise from the Buddy Bench programs that we have delivered in over 264 schools and preschools in Ireland.
Sam Builds a Nest uses the metaphor of the nest to explore the challenges of leaving your comfort zone and coping with change. According to Jeffrey Gormly, who is Creative Director of Buddy Bench, resilience isn't a thick skin, or bottomless optimism, or endless determination. Resilience is a mindset.
"Each time we meet a situation that is bigger or different or scarier than anything we've had to deal with before, we have a chance to work through the story of leaving the nest. We learn and accept that no nest lasts forever, and that helps us to think of leaving the nest as an expansive step into the world – spreading the wings and flying high to learn something new and embrace the next chapter in our life's adventure."
"I had always thought resilience was a kind of bouncing back ability," says Jeffrey. "I thought that you had to just keep picking yourself up and charging back into life. I guess my generation picked up some pretty bad habits, because we had basically no education on mental health, self-care or how to stay well. It's just amazing how many times the Buddy Bench team has heard a grown up say 'I wish there had been a Buddy Bench when I was in school.'"
"Working to bring emotional intelligence, empathy and self-awareness to 40,000 children in the last three years has really shown us that we can give a big gift to the current generation of children, simply by encouraging them to show and share their thoughts and feelings. That's the easiest way to learn about ourselves, discover what keeps us happy and well, and prepare us for the challenges that to trying to live a really good and fulfilling life constantly brings."
Here's how it works:
Give the gift. The pack comes in a beautifully designed box that slowly reveals the robin, and opens out to present interactive learning activities.
Spend the time. Sit together, snuggle Red the Robin, and read the story of how Sam Builds a Nest.
Watch, listen and learn. Encourage the child to build their own nest. Take time to listen to what they are telling you about the challenges they are facing in their lives.
Help and join in. Encourage your child to colour in the nest picture and think about all the people, places, things and pastimes that make them feel safe.
Create a new routine. Take time together to use the worry pad – write down all the things that make the child feel anxious or afraid, fold up the page, and tuck under the Robin's wing for a peaceful night's sleep.
For more visuals please see https://www.buddybench.ie/childrensbooks
Enjoy.......
Media Contact
Buddy Bench Ireland hello@buddybench.ie +353 567702027 Millennium Court https://www.buddybench.ie
