Student Health Service - Newsletters

Bridge

This Newsletter aims to promote communication between students and the Student Health Service of the Department of Health

September 2016 Issue No.71

Published by the Student Health Service, Department of Health

Working with Dad and Mum to overcome Life Challenges

Editor's Note

Adolescents are often facing challenges in developmental stage including building up self-image, family relationship, academic prospect as well as friendship and love. These challenges sometimes may make you feel helpless.

Through practicing “SHARING”, “MIND” and “ENJOYMENT”, you will be in a good psychological condition to face problems. You will stay healthier, happier and lead a more meaningful life.

When you face challenges or difficulties, do share your concerns with dad and mum. With their support, you can manage the situation much easier. Please share the following messages with them.

Bridge Blog

・	You are great!
・	You can do this.
・	I love you.
・	Keep up the efforts. Dad and mum always support you!
・	It is alright if you have tried your best.
・	No matter what happens, we always stand by you.

1. SHARING

Dad and Mum can …… share your daily life including your feelings and views with me

So that I would …… learn how to share my ups and downs with others

I hope you can share the news, hot topics in the society or moments that make you laugh, disappointed, sad, happy, embarrassed, angry, etc.

Dad and Mum can …… spare time for meals and chat with me

So that I would …… express my inner feeling to you when facing life challenges

I hope you can put aside your work and mobile phone as far as possible to chat with me in a caring tone. Always be attentive to my emotions and understand what I am going through.

Dad and Mum can …… express verbal appreciation to me explicitly

So that I would …… cherish myself when I feel being valued and appreciated

I hope you can always use words of appreciation to express your gratitude to me. For example, say “Well done!”, “Such a brilliant idea!”, “I appreciate your caring attitude to others”, “I like your polite manner.”

Dad and Mum can …… show acceptance to me even my points of view are different from yours

So that I would …… freely voice out my difficulties and seek help, as I know I can share anything with you

I hope you can listen to me first to understand more what I am thinking about. You do not need to rush to give your views.

Dad and Mum can …… give time to me to handle emotions

So that I would …… find ways to ventilate unhappy mood

I hope you can accept that I have emotions of pleasure, anger, sorrow, joy and the need to express my feelings. Do allow me ample time and space to handle emotions.

Dad and Mum can …… encourage me joining volunteer service

So that I would …… feel happy in helping others

I hope you can join volunteer work, so that I can be moved by your positive behavior. I will learn to help others.

2. MIND

Dad and Mum can …… create joyful atmosphere by sharing jokes with me

So that I would …… enjoy parent-child relationship. Through recalling happy family moments, I can ease negative emotions

I hope you can always smile and have a good sense of humor.

Dad and Mum can …… give encouragement when I am facing failure

So that I would …… realize I do not do well just in one single event and thus reduce my negative emotion

I hope you can show your support when I feel frustrated by saying encouraging words. For example, say “Failure in a single incident does not mean that you will never make it. Keep it up!”

Dad and Mum can …… encourage me through sharing of your life experience in facing adversities

So that I would …… refer to your experience and get the strength to face difficulties as your life stories motive me

I hope you can cultivate perseverance to me through sharing of personal experience. For example, say “I've encountered similar situation and I……. at last……”, “Don't worry! You can solve the problem step by step. Tell me if you can't figure it out and we can work out together.”

Dad and Mum can …… share your feelings and needs

So that I would …… learn to accept my emotional needs and actively find ways to manage them

I hope you can encourage me to use language to describe my genuine feeling like annoyed, upset, disappointed, tense, anxious, excited, etc.

Dad and Mum can …… encourage me to set personal goals based on my own ability

So that I would …… develop confidence through self-improvement and my anxiety level will be reduced when I do not need to keep competing with others

I hope you can support me to pursue my goals by saying “Don't always compare with others. What more important is to achieve self-improvement. Try your best and you will feel happy.”

Dad and Mum can …… count the blessings everyday with me

So that I would …… treasure what I have already possessing and I will be less dissatisfactory when feel down

I hope you can lead me see the good side of life, let me know what I am possessing including family, friendship, health, personal quality, wisdom and competency.

3. ENJOYMENT

Dad and Mum can …… encourage me to identify and develop genuine hobbies and interests

So that I would …… develop my hobbies and interests, which can become an effective way to relieve negative emotion

I hope you can trust me that I can allocate my time efficiently.

Dad and Mum can …… support me doing physical activities

So that I would …… develop good habit of doing exercise. It can be a very effective way to cope with stress

I hope you can give different kinds of support, including on-site support or share the related athletic news with me

Dad and Mum can …… accept me to spend some time everyday on leisure activities

So that I would …… enjoy staying alone for a short while that makes me feel good

I hope you can encourage me to spare some time on leisure activities that can cheer me up in busy days.

Dad and Mum can …… share “good people, good deeds” with me

So that I would …… fill with positive energy when I live in a love world

I hope you can share with me about special articles or posts from news, magazines and social network that carry positive energy.

Dad and Mum can …… arrange family activities that fit my interest

So that I would …… feel satisfied for enjoying family time

I hope you can schedule family activities regularly that fit my interest and level of competence so as to strengthen parent-child communication. Outdoor activity is a good choice.

References

1.	Joyful@HK website. Available from: http://www.joyfulathk.hk/en/index.asp
2.	Student Health Service Health Information – Psychological health of adolescents/ How to develop the EQ of your child/ Building your child's self-esteem. Available from: http://www.studenthealth.gov.hk/english/health/health_ph/health_ph.html

“SHARING”, “MIND” and “ENJOYMENT” enable your children to grow up healthily

“Joyful@HK” project is a territory-wide mental health promotion campaign, launched by the Department of Health in January 2016. We advocate the practice of three elements “SHARING”, “MIND” and “ENJOYMENT” in daily life. If you wish to get more information on “Be joyful”, you can click into the following website: http://www.joyfulathk.hk

This publication is produced by Student Health Service of the Department of Health.

Tel: 2349 4212 / 3163 4600 Fax: 2348 3968 Web site: www.studenthealth.gov.hk

If you have any comments, you may email to our Edition Board at shsbridge@dh.gov.hk

(Revised in Sep 2016)