For Families · Reinforce the school routine
Practise together, without pressure
Use short made-up situations to help children recognise feelings, pause, choose respectful or protective actions and rehearse a next step. No monitoring, message uploads or personal disclosures are required for these activities.
Recognise and validate
Try: “A player missed a turn. What might they feel?” Allow different possibilities. Feelings are valid; we can still choose safe actions.
Think and co-regulate
Offer a pause, movement or quiet company. Ask which support helps. Do not require stillness, eye contact or breathing as proof of calm.
Lead and rehearse
Practise: “I need a break” or “Could we agree turns?” Children can write, draw, point or observe. Respect a pass.
Reflect and transfer
Ask what the response could change, then try a different fictional situation. Keep it short and stop if the child wants to.
Two practical home prompts
Years 3–4: A pretend board-game player loses and wants to knock the pieces. Try two safe pause choices, then rehearse words for asking for a break.
Years 5–6: A fictional gaming chat asks someone to share another person’s picture. Practise asking permission, respecting no or a changed answer, and seeking adult help if pressure continues.
For bullying, unsafe requests or threats, involve a trusted adult and follow school procedures. Children do not need to fix unsafe situations themselves.