"The Positive Approach to Growing Up"

It's a hard life when you're young. But it helps to love yourself.

Lara Macmillan meets the children's confidence coach.

For any child, growing up can be a traumatic and insecure time. School days mean making new friends, possibly coping with peer pressure and bullying, coming to terms with new - found sexuality, and then studying for and sitting exams. On top of all this, career guidance teachers and parents are urging them to decide what path they want to take in life.

While some children seem to overflow with confidence and self esteem, there are those who are crippled with shyness, who struggle to cope with the stresses and strains of just being themselves. For parents desperate to do their best for their child that is heart-breaking. But help is on hand in the shape of a series of confidence-building courses for children and teenagers being launched next month.

Cath Currie, a 43 year-old mother of two, is behind Positive PD, a personal development training company which specialises in self-awareness, personal planning and stress management for both children and adults.

Her aim is to catch vulnerable young people before they slip into a downward spiral of depression and despair.

She uses her 21 years of experience in the education sector to provide personal guidance and development, career counselling as well as fitness and health programmes for young people and adults. And its seems her new course couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. Just last week a study by Childline said the number of children calling them to say they were thinking of killing themselves were rising steadily - with 100 more callers every year over the last decade. Some of the 1500 youngsters who called last year were as young as six. Those findings echo earlier government reports which estimated the total number of children in the UK who try to take their own lives had soared to 19,000 a year - double the number ten years ago.

Cath understands the pressures young people find themselves under. "Children are expected to be more flexible and adaptable". "And some children are lonely" she says. "Schools do try to tackle positive development issues, but they are focusing on other things to". "And  some of the pressure children are under might be the school itself, so it could be helpful for them to do it outside that environment. The young person today can be bombarded by negative and limiting influences" she continues. "With positive thinking and strong self-esteem he or she can repel negative influences more readily, thus increasing personal effectiveness. All of us constantly face change and pressure in our lives from different directions".

Cath's workshops aim to increase understanding and develop skills to face change and pressures confidently and positively and take control of life events. "No matter how young people feel about themselves, they can benefit from this course. If their self-esteem is high I will help them to maintain this and if their self-esteem is low, I will try to help them re-assess and re-frame their beliefs". Cath adds: "Participants assess where they are, their aspirations and where they would like to be and develop skills and techniques to help achieve their goals through a variety of fun and self-awareness activities".

While there was a time such a course may have been scoffed at, Cath believes people are now more open to asking for help. "There has been a cultural shift in the last 10 or 15 years", she says. "Investing in your personal development is valued now". The new classes will be split into three groups - two - and - half hours for six to ten - year - olds, costing £15, and full - day workshops for ten to 14 - year - olds and 14 to 18 - year -olds, each costing £45. Cath aims to help the younger group to develop confidence and communication skills through fun activities. "It's a very fast moving society and people expect them to cope.

But they need support and encouragement" she says. "Children of this age enjoy doing things that make them more aware of themselves and other people. Through fun activities and games involving self awareness, trust and positive thinking the child's self - esteem and confidence can be developed".

She explains: "For one of the exercises, one child lies on the floor and the others draw a silhouette around them and have to write all they know about that person in the silhouette". For the second age group, the 10 to 14 - year - olds, Cath says: "I will look at inner confidence and self -  belief and self - image, to try to give them the strength to resist negative influences. This will help them be able to deal with bullying issues. I also want to give them the ability to see challenges in a more positive light. With this age group, there is a responsibility and freedom issue. They are evolving from children to young adults. I will be getting them to tell stories, to work on their confidence to speak. And they will each write an advertisement about themselves, stating the good points, as well as doing role play".

Career and exam pressures, peer group influences, changing friendship groups, conflict at school or home and media influences are among the many factors which can bring pressure to bear on 14 to 18 -  year - olds.

This workshop will offer them an opportunity to focus on their needs and identify appropriate strategies and helpful techniques to enable them to make positive change, face challenges with confidence and increase personal power. "They find themselves bombarded with pressures and changes at a time when self - esteem and inner confidence can be vulnerable. Hormones are a big issue for this age group. They have to cope with huge physical changes. and children are under incredible uncertainty with where they're going. Suicide rates in this age group are increasing, particularly with boys who are still expected to put on a braveface. And eating disorders are a big issue for girls of this age. I will try to help them see that there is no "perfect" person. It's OK to be different. They have to be able to accept themselves".

Parentline has backed the concept. Spokeswoman Jill Hamilton says: "It sounds like a great idea. Parents are doing the best they can but sometimes they are really struggling and need some other intervention. But the children would have to want to go. And it needs to be fun, particularly for younger children".

 Children 1st spokeswoman Lorraine Grey adds: "Anything that increases children's confidence and self - esteem is good. Children who feel good about themselves deal with pressure and difficult situations so much better"

 Positive PD can be contacted on 01620 890515. The workshops begin on August 7 and venues will include Craiglockhart Tennis Centre and The West Lothian College at Livingston.

Parentline can be contacted on 0808 8002222.

Cath Currie is a member of the ISMA (International Stress Management Association)  

Contact Information

Telephone

01620 890515

FAX

01620 890515

Postal address

Gentofte, Westerdunes Park, North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 5HJ

Electronic mail

General Information: enquiries@positivepd.com
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