The Spark Blog
Category: Children and Young People
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Why I Became a Counsellor
The Spark counsellor Josie tells us why she became a relationship counsellor in this week’s blog. I had spent most of my life living in Australia before moving to Scotland with my family. While I waited for my work permit I thought volunteering on a helpline would be a worthwhile thing to do. As part…
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Help! They are Becoming a Teenager!
Perhaps the only thing harder than being a teenager is being a parent to one. The highs of being a parent can be joyful: watching them develop, become their own person and start to achieve their own life goals. But on the flip side the lows can be intensely challenging: arguments, rebellion, bad behaviour and…
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Filling the Youth Mental Health Gap
Despite increased investment the NHS is struggling to cope with the demand for youth mental health support. Recent data indicates half of Scotland’s 14 health boards missed waiting time targets for young people with mental health issues. This comes following the addition of a further £150m in funding for mental health services in Scotland. The…
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Parents & the Post-Summer Struggle
As Scottish schools head back for a new term and summer holidays end, many parents will be left with the same troubling question: after time off with my family, why do I feel further apart from my partner? This is a common query posed to our counsellors in the weeks after the school holidays. We…
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Relationship Education Boosts Emotional Health in Children
Relationship education for children and young people is a significant part of the work undertaken by The Spark. Within primary and secondary schools across Scotland, our Children and Young People (CYP) team deliver interactive programmes. Each programme aims to help children and young people understand the importance of relationships and how to manage them, thus…
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Early Mental Health and Adulthood
If you are interested in ‘what makes people tick’ you cannot help but have noticed the mass of TV programmes focused on the development of humans from childhood to adulthood. From The Secret Lives of 4 Year Olds to Bringing up Baby they examine how early mental health in children shapes the adults they subsequently…
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Parents’ Guide to Exam Results Stress
The wait for Scottish high school exam results is likely to be almost as stressful for parents as it is for their children. In the second part of our exam results blog, we offer our advice for parents about coping with exam results stress. Looking for advice for young people receiving exam results? Read our…
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Exam Results – A Young Persons’ Guide
Thousands of young adults across Scotland are about to receive their high school exam results. Naturally, it is a time that often brings with it stress, anxiety and other negative emotions for youngsters and their parents. In the first of a two-part blog, we offer our advice and top tips for young adults about to…
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Top 5 Free Things to do with Kids
The summer school holidays are looming on the horizon and parents up and down the country are seeking answers to the big question: how do we keep the kids occupied today? Taking them to the cinema or ten-pin bowling every other day will break the bank and the eccentric Scottish weather means outdoor activities are…
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