World Mental Health Day Ask pupils to look at the slides that will follow and think about what they have in common. www.mindmoose.co.uk

Ask pupils what the images have in common Ask pupils what the images have in common. Hopefully someone will say they are all pets! Ask for a show of hands for who has a pet, or has access to a pet (e.g. at their grandparents’ house). If you’d like to, ask pupils to share any interesting information about the pets they have (pupils really like to talk about their pets, so beware!). If pupils don’t have pets, ask them to imagine they do, or think about a favourite cuddly toy.

Why do we love our pets so much? They give us unconditional love They make us feel calm We enjoy their company We like patting & looking after them They make us laugh Ask pupils to share their ideas on why we love our pets so much. Click to reveal some ideas.

How do we show our pets we love them? We care for them We talk kindly to them We make sure they are ok if they are hurt We cuddle them and give them love We do things we know they like Ask pupils to share their ideas on how we show our pets we love them. Click to reveal some ideas.

How does that make your pet feel? Loved Cared for Happy Safe Secure

Does your pet sometimes get things wrong by mistake? This dog has got things a bit wrong. He’s made a mistake and has got himself stuck. Invite (if you dare) pupils to share any stories about their pets getting things wrong. Photo credit: https://press.discovery.com/emea/apl/programs/bad-dog-2/

How do we treat our pets when they try but get things wrong? We talk kindly to them We help them if they need it We make sure they are ok if they are hurt We cuddle them and give them love We do things we know they like Ask pupils how they treat their pet if they make a mistake or gets something wrong, like if a dog got it’s head stuck like in the previous picture Hopefully they will say that they would treat it kindly, try to help him out of the situation, give them an extra pat or hug, give them a treat etc. It’s not a great idea to tell the dog (or pet) they are bad and shout at them. Why not?

Do you treat yourself as kindly as you treat your pet? What do you say to yourself when you get things wrong? Do you always talk kindly to yourself? Do you care for yourself as much as you care for a pet? This is now getting to the point – do pupils treat themselves as well as they do their pets? Ask pupils to think about & invite answers if you wish to each of the questions (click to reveal one at a time). This is trying to get pupils to really think about how they treat & talk to themselves. It can be quite a hard concept for some pupils to grasp, but we all have the ‘little voice’ in our heads that talks to us and it can say nice, kind things or it can say not so nice things and we can choose what we say to ourselves, which can make us feel different.  

If you made a mistake and said to yourself: You are always making mistakes How could you be so stupid Why did you do that How would that make you feel? Click to reveal what they could say to themselves, click again to ask ‘how would that make you feel’ Ask pupils to consider & take answers if you wish.

If you made a mistake and said to yourself: Not to worry, look at what you did right today. That’s ok, we all make mistakes Well, I think you’re pretty great anyway Do you need a hug? How would that make you feel? Click to reveal what they could say to themselves, click again to ask ‘how would that make you feel’ Ask pupils to consider & take answers if you wish.

So, remember to treat yourself as well as you would treat a pet! Explain that we are sometimes much harder on ourselves than we are on other people & definitely our pets. Explain that self-compassion is about taking good care of yourself and speaking to yourself kindly rather than harshly if they make a mistake, or get something wrong. It can be hard at first, but over time it can have a real impact on how you feel about yourself.